I just learned that Lebron James has chosen Philly
for his last year in Basketball…Now, as a long time
basketball fan, saw the Warriors win the pennet in
1976, so I was hoping Lebron would choose the Warriors,
and I freely admit, I am a bit sad about this decision, but
in terms of that decision and philosophy… this decision
has absolutely nothing, and I mean nothing to do with me,
and yet, I am admittedly sad about it…So, why should a
decision that has zero impact in my life, affect me so?
Part of the human experience lies within its expectations
and anticipations… and when my expectations or
anticipations fail, and I am sad… but intellectually,
I know this has nothing, not a thing to do with me…
A Stoic is a person who stays calm and hides their
feelings during hard times… basically, it focuses on what
you can control and letting go of what you cannot…
but as with all things human, there is a limit to our
feelings…but it also brings out another point,
in which if we are always in control of our own
feelings, we miss things in our lives that are actually
important for human being… love for example…
to focus on what we can reach, but no further, suggest
that we should no longer engage in finding love because
it will create chaos and disappointment and sadness in
those who don’t find it… but love, love is so important
as to be both a physical need and a psychological need…
and to walk away from seeking out love is to bring about
physical and psychological pain… but I am supposed to
be impervious to such psychological needs like love,
hope, awe, craving, envy, interest, joy, sympathy,
as they are emotions that ‘‘harm’’ me when I feel them…
but to maintain my own calmness, my own composure,
I am to be ‘‘above’’ those sorts of things… indeed,
we might define being human as one who can express
those emotions, feel those emotions even though, they
do cause us no end of troubles…
So, the question becomes, if I no longer desire or accept
such emotions as love, am I still human? one of the major
aspects of being human is our emotions, within love,
and desire and happiness and joy and sadness…
So, how do I reconcile the Stoics belief in controlling
our own self to avoid pain and agony, over having emotions
that do bring about much pain, agony and despair… but
they also make me human…
How do I work out his duality?
Kropotkin
