The challenge is the training, and the training is the challenge. In any area we wish to improve, we must push ourselves past what we are comfortable with in the taking on of something difficult, this trains us to better handle the situation or area of expertise or attribute in our next encounter with it / implementation of it. Reversely, when something challenging occurs, we rely on our past training to overcome it.
We must first endeavor to find what it is we wish to become, what traits we wish to embody, what skills we want to improve, what virtues we wish to display. We must establish a value system (Value System Instantiation). While this is inherent in us all, it is useful to our progression in any individual value (meaningful phenomena), to philosophically examine our current value structure, find the truth of what ours currently is (or at least a conceptualization of part of it) and work to philosophically expound aims in order to providing values which we can justify and prioritize.
Philosophy is crucial to our psychological wellbeing, and having a framework of values that we can explicitly expound, makes it easier to pursue them consciously, and look for ways to direct our being towards their attainment. Without this type of consciously directed approach to pursuing values, we will continue down a haphazard unconscious approach of unknowingly improving in whatever areas might present themselves to us, or pursuing the value structure currently purported in our given culture / DNA.
If it is philosophy and martial arts, we must consciously direct ourselves to read / write / think philosophy, we must direct our body to improve strength and endurance and technique in gyms. For virtues such as compassion and courage and stability, or to be able to be okay in tough situations, for the benefit of others, we must push ourselves to embody these virtues, especially when they are hardest to display. In this way the challenges become the training, and the benefit from manifesting such traits becomes habitualized, improved, and internalized (unconsciously assimilated), through their execution.
For example, a crisis in life, the loss of a loved one. If we wish to be strong, and we wish to be calm and compassionate for other family members, we can practice this during the crisis, by embodying it. This is optimized through past acceptance of difficult situations, past overcoming of deep emotional loss, philosophical understanding of the possibility of such crisis happening (preparedness). Thus if we had trained for the loss, and when it happens, we embody the virtues we have previously accepted as being most beneficial in the situation, we are able to consciously direct ourselves towards their manifestation, as well as unconsciously draw upon our past, in terms of experience, psychological training, past habitualization, so that the perceived difficult situation becomes something we can actively overcome. Not overcome as in time passes and we get through the loss, but overcome in the most virtuous way possible, with strength and compassion, without allowing ourselves to slip into turmoil or unwholesome behavior, but on the contrary, we can show fortitude and reverence for the loved ones, console others who are suffering at a deeper level than us (who aren’t as prepared or don’t have the same experience / ability to overcome). By doing this not only are we doing good, by reducing the suffering of others, but we find our own suffering reduced within the present moment, and are actively setting ourselves up for future improvement through training the virtues we wish to embody. The challenge in the moment itself becomes experience, becomes a positive habit, itself becomes a part of us, and a good part, in that it is training us for next time, it will reinforce what we have previously decided was optimal, and allows for further growth, strength of character, and conscious wellbeing in future situations that arise.
The deeds we do which portray ourselves in a positive light, the things we do that we’re proud of, can oftentimes be diminished in their expression, as far as morality is concerned. While a deed is good in itself whether or not it is expressed, our intentions become unclear and degraded by our sharing of them with others. Maybe we just did the activity to impress others, maybe we did it so we would look good, maybe we did it for fame or fortune, but when a good deed (in our own eyes, regardless of our conception of good) goes unreported, it proves to ourselves that our intentions were pure, that we did what was virtuous, solely for the belief in that it is the right thing to do. In not engaging in virtue signaling we prove, not to others, but to ourselves, that we did something difficult only to challenge ourselves, that we were kind and helped someone else without them knowing because we’re compassionate, not because we want them to believe we’re compassionate. This isn’t to say that there aren’t good reasons for sharing virtue. We might want to disclose our true character to someone to allow them to better know who we are. We might want to make our friends and family proud, or offer inspiration. In advising or teaching we may want to give a concrete example from our own experience to shed light upon how abstract thought is bore out in daily life. The carrying forth of a virtue ethicist approach is part of the picture of Stoicism, and we find that the focus on reputation, fame, longevity, and youthfulness, are not the aims and intentions of Stoics, they are merely preferred indifferents, things which always come second to the primary aim of doing what is most virtuous.
Noticing which things are in our control, not in our control, or partially in our control is referred to as the trichotomy of control. Most of the time the relation between control / not control is referred to as the dichotomy of control but in seeing the relationship more clearly, we can better understand some things in their partial relation to our ability to influence them, and partially as being independent of our actions. In things in which we may wish to be different (happens a lot in our experience) we should look to as if they are able to be influenced by us or not. In effect, this is much more complex than it sounds. But as a base, our actions and speech is under our control. Others actions and speech is out of our control (in the present). World events and other natural phenomena are out of our control. The past is out of our control. The present is out of our control. What we can partially control would be the desired results of our actions. When we do something with the intent that something we want to happen should happen, if we succeed, there were indeed other variables, and it was partially in our control, and partially not. Of course on a technical level everything is determined (not necessarily supported by Stoics universally but there’s a debate about it), also on a technical level, there is always a possibility that we may affect something which originally strikes us as being out of our control. The future is all we have, and our actions in the present are how we can contribute to it. The Stoics use this idea in a basic sense, without really going into specific details on how we can possibly affect everything in the universe (in the future), at least in a minute way, by our present actions / speech. But the core concept is an important one, and it helps us to recognize that many of the things that plague us, should not, as there is nothing we can do about it.
Any cynical examination could display the flaw in this argument, maybe this is how the Cynics as a school posed a large opposition to the Stoics after their emergence. But on a practical note, for example, say your grandpa is dying, on a basic note, we suffer, but should we? Psychologically it might be beneficial to suffer to allow ourselves to grieve and be better able to navigate life later, there’s nuance to every situation of course, but to give an example of the “Stoic way”, a Stoic would see it as it is. Our grandpa is sick, he’s incurable, he will die soon. There is nothing we can do. We cannot save him. This is the fate we all inevitably must face, it is what is promised in any life, that it ends, always, in death, thus the Stoic reflection on “momento mori” or remember death. We should therefore not be angry, nor suffer, for the situation is out of our hands. Upon close examination I understand there is things we can do, which we must do, to remain virtuous, but most of the time we are ignorant of these, and this ignorance constitutes our present state. Marcus Aurelius would say, Grandpa is dying, period. We can be upset about it, and accomplish nothing, or we can accept it, and continue being virtuous regardless. Nothing more. No need to be angry, to be grief stricken, this would be unnecessary. We must accept it’s out of our control, there is nothing in our power to change it.
This leads me to the next core concept, Stoic contentment. Regardless of the situation, we must bare it bravely, courageously, with content. No matter where we find ourselves, in jail, physical pain, tortured, as slaves, at work, with an angry friend, being ridiculed, we must remain content. Why add an extra burden of psychological suffering when we have the power of thought to direct our mental state and be content with the situation (we do have the ability to consciously direct positivity even within the philosophical framework of the absence of freewill). After all, many of these things are out of our control, at least when we find them in the present (the only time that matters for us presently). So why add extra suffering on top of unpleasant situations? Bear them the best you can, wisely, obviously, but not with extra psychological suffering. Smile in the face of absurdity, in the face of a challenge, in the face of misfortune. Why not? Why not be content with misfortune? Obviously we work towards its overcoming, but we can find peace through accepting what has happened and contentment within the moment regardless of the externals. As far as virtue goes, this would actually be positive towards the restriction of spreading the suffering to others, to loved ones, through their witnessing of your externalized toil. It does us, and those we come into contact with, a great benefit if we are not in a state of self-imposed discontent. Of course if we make a mistake or find ourselves in a bad situation, we must not be proud of our shortcomings, or be unwise in naively smiling at the situation, but we must be stoic as to being content with the fact of the matter that it’s our fault, and strive to find a way to rectify it or not make the situation occur again in the future. This isn’t looking at the world through rose glasses, but understanding that the power of our thought is strong enough to allow us peace within the most unbearable situations, making our lives better.
Much of our current emotional psyche is dependent upon our interpretation and reaction to what is happening, thus we must strive to better understand, and better respond, to things that come our way. The stoics had an eye to living a good life, a happy life, and they also placed a large importance upon the content of our thought and our reaction to external events as they contributed to our individual wellbeing, and carried over to our virtue in being a good citizen, family member, friend, neighbor, etc.
The Stoics, in recognizing what they had control over (please don’t think of freewill or I’ve failed you all), in finding the power of thought, in being content with misfortune, also supported the idea of being content with little. In not searching after wealth or fame, but rather after good character, being a good person, having a good life. The stoic found these goals to be paramount, not pleasure or lavish living. If the effects of virtuousness happened to produce wealth, great, if not, great, what matters is the action and its effect on people, rather than its monetary gain. There was no state of life which cannot achieve this, even if we find ourselves extremely wealthy, or a position of power, the stoics found that these stations did not grant happiness, but that our thoughts, actions, and how we treat others is where the gold is to be found. Marcus Aurelius was an emperor, and Seneca an advisor to Nero, and both advocated living a simple lifestyle despite great power and fortune. They advocated not living lavishly, but according to need, and not seeking after gratifying base pleasures. Through living out their philosophy, in rejecting sensual pleasures and overindulgence, they achieved contentment through their virtue. On the other hand, Epictetus was a slave, and despite his situation, became a Stoic philosopher who landed upon the same findings of Marcus and Seneca, that even as a slave he could be content and through being virtuous in the ways he could. He found that he didn’t have to suffer as a slave, but could bear the misfortune honorably and still be able to provide services for others. It doesn’t matter the content of our lives, but our perspective on it, and how we react to that content.v
Is it good to always be content, or is it good to not be content so as to strive to better yourself or the lives of others? Always be content, but still strive on diligently, mindfully, with wisdom, to better yourself, and the universe. I believe it’s healthy to always be content with the present moment. This means that no matter what changes may take place in your life, which come to you through your conscious understanding, you will be content with the fact that the present is good enough. This doesn’t mean you won’t rise up against injustice, strive to help others, or try to better yourself. It means that in the process of doing these things, you will remain peaceful and calm, controlled and not chaotic. It seems like wisdom is the only answer to most questions. You can recognize something is not good, or be unhappy, or dislike something that is happening, while remaining content and accepting of reality as it is in the present moment. This doesn’t mean you quit attempting to solve problems because the present is good enough, it means you pursue them with wisdom, attempt to be virtuous, and whether you succeed or fail you remain equanimous and content with the result, always learning something new from the experience, then move on. It is this process of wisdom in testing and displaying virtue that naturally cultivates contentment and peace. Having few desires is crucial to this concept.
You should do what is right always, and if your present situation is one of much physical pain, or psychological suffering, or someone you care about is in these situations, the wise thing to do is not to be content with it and not react, but be accepting of reality for what it is, analyze what you can do to better the situation, then act accordingly. If there is nothing possible to fix the situation, you should be wise enough to accept that too. So it’s contentment, with conditions. Those conditions imply action and striving towards an optimal goal, and in finding meaning in every moment. We can do this by thinking of every moment as containing the potential for training towards our ideal aim in the domains of character traits, in embodying virtue that we value, and in progressing towards the potential person we would like to be. This training can entail multiple dimensions, depending on what we desire to improve upon, whether it be in developing the mind to be able to handle novel situations, in developing the character to react to the situation appropriately, or potentially in better understanding ourselves and reality through introspection into the content of our own Being in a phenomenological analysis. In any moment you can pay attention to your psyche, what’s passing in and out of consciousness, and create the preconditions for an intentioned consciousness directed towards what you value, or wholesome states of Being. In addition to the positive potentiality, we can also utilize the ability of conscious intentionality to direct our mode of being through causal instantiation of habits and action patterns that work to modify unwholesome or negative states of Being, or diminish the effect they have upon us (based on a solid understanding of the psyche and its contents). I understanding the causal relationships between stimuli, in the form of prior causes and their effects to the current state of consciousness, we can utilize the ability to modify our experience, in one way we can do this to remain content regardless of the content of experience, to merely accept what the moment presents and not be either averse or attached to the content.
Social interactions can be viewed in a similar manner, in the potentiality they contain to improve our habitual formation in solidifying virtuous speech, actions, and intentions in reciprocity as well as directed interaction. On a surface level, this can be done by speaking the truth, manifesting action out of compassionate intention, in managing the psyche by not acting upon egotistic or persona emergence in the psyche. In recognizing the mode of being which is present in the moment, through signals given off from action, thought, and in general, experience, we can take note of the potential manifestations which would stem forth from such a being, and resist or encourage actions depending on how the mode of being is situation in relation to our values. These are some trainings to better yourself you can undergo in any moment of your life, it can make any moment meaningful, and can teach you how to remain peaceful, and content in this very present moment, while not remaining stagnant, and instead being useful, and productive to society in cultivating a good person to reciprocate with, as well as bettering yourself in your own experience of life
Moments of moral shame and dread, or in analyzing criticism of our own shortcomings, do not necessarily need to be impediments to this contentment, but they will inevitably be. We shouldn’t stop looking or listening to criticisms of our faults, and we shouldn’t be content in relation to those errors, we should seek to make amends for them, and to recognize the error in our ways. That being said, while we can hold ourselves responsible for our mistakes through acknowledging them and seeking to rectify them, we can, possibly, remain content within our being that doing so is the right thing to do. We should never seek to stagnate, or remain infallible in our beliefs towards better modes of being. We can always recognize the potential for ourselves to be better, and strive to do so, while simultaneously being okay with the state of things in the present. On a practical note, our desires and unsatisfactoriness is necessarily a condition of our experience, and drives every present moment, here we are seeking to instantiate a contentedness within our psychological relation to experience. The biological desire to achieve this contentedness, may itself produce suffering, and the desire inherent in us and our experience cannot be eradicated, but the psychological story and motivation we can give to ourselves to be able to deal with this fact of existence, can here be optimized to increase individual wellbeing. This is the possibility of contentedness which we are here describing. It is the psychological reaction to the stimulus of the world, it is putting ourselves in relation to the facts of existence, and being okay with the circumstances we find ourselves in, whether we’re rebelling against them or not. It can be developed as an underlying aspect of the mode of being which produces the experience that we experience, and this is something which must be trained, and consciously directed to begin its manifestation. We can understand the all-pervading dream of conscious contentment as being lofty, unrealistic goal, and seems like an impossible Utopian state of mind, which, in an ultimate sense, it is, but that doesn’t mean that we can’t get better at managing the different situations and experiences that shake us from it, and in so seeking, and in so training ourselves, we can move closer, to a degree, to that ultimate contentedness that we form as an impossible ideal, but recognize as being more conducive to a better experience through its production of better reactions to novel situations. In those times with which we experience unwholesome states of being, whether it be due to misfortune, injustices done against us, or acts we regret, we can seek to accept reality for what it is, seek to psychologically place ourselves in a position that is optimal to the overcoming of such difficulties, allowing a calm and rational starting place that is better suited to the reciprocity necessary in confronting difficulty.
Seek Truth 