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Grand Magnate
Member Since Jul 2014
Location: US
Posts: 3,134
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#1
What have you been reading?
__________________ My business is to teach my aspirations to conform themselves to fact, not to try and make facts harmonise with my aspirations. T.H. Huxley |
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Grand Magnate
Member Since Jul 2014
Location: US
Posts: 3,134
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#2
Lately, what I find most therapeutic, is reading the ancient Stoic texts. They encourage the reader to find a way to be virtuous, no matter what, and also to accept that our own attitude is the only thing under our control.
They also encourage the reader to be objective about one's own perceptions. __________________ My business is to teach my aspirations to conform themselves to fact, not to try and make facts harmonise with my aspirations. T.H. Huxley |
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Poohbah
Member Since Nov 2016
Location: NW Louisiana
Posts: 1,214
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#3
I know nothing about the texts you have mentioned, but I do spend much time in prayer and meditation in relation to the above.
__________________ | manic-depressive with psychotic tendencies (1977) | chronic alcoholism (1981) | Asperger burnout (2010) | mood disorder - nos / personality disorder - nos / generalized anxiety disorder (2011) | chronic back pain / peripheral neuropathy / partial visual impairment | Gastrointestinal Stromal Tumors (incurable cancer) | |
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Member
Member Since Jun 2017
Location: USA
Posts: 185
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#4
Books:
The War of Art Be the Gateway The Warrior Ethos Do the Work Internet: Marketing Articles Music Articles/forums |
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*Beth*, shakespeare47
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Grand Magnate
Member Since Jul 2014
Location: US
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#5
I've also been reading some Christian existentialist philosophers.
Gabriel Marcel Lev Shestov Rainer Rilke __________________ My business is to teach my aspirations to conform themselves to fact, not to try and make facts harmonise with my aspirations. T.H. Huxley |
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Member
Member Since Jun 2017
Location: USA
Posts: 185
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#6
A good read is "Self Reliance" by Ralph Waldo Emerson
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*Beth*, shakespeare47
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Member
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Location: USA
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#7
Also "an Unquiet Mind" and "Touched by Fire" by Kay Redfield Jamison.
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*Beth*
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Grand Magnate
Member Since Jul 2014
Location: US
Posts: 3,134
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#8
Quote:
__________________ My business is to teach my aspirations to conform themselves to fact, not to try and make facts harmonise with my aspirations. T.H. Huxley |
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Grand Magnate
Member Since Jul 2014
Location: US
Posts: 3,134
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#9
I've been spending some time with Gabriel Marcel's writings and philosophy lately. He's very optimistic, and endorses being patient with oneself.
Another theme is availability, which he describes as the ability to share one's life with others. To refuse to see others as objects that need to be categorized, but rather to engage with them and to be open with them. __________________ My business is to teach my aspirations to conform themselves to fact, not to try and make facts harmonise with my aspirations. T.H. Huxley |
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Grand Magnate
Member Since Jul 2014
Location: US
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#10
I've been listening to youtube videos about Buber and I-Thou.
And I just ordered a few books. I And Thou - Martin Buber (Paperback) Kaufmann Translation Green Cover 684717255 | eBay A Path to Peace: Fresh Hope for the World. Dramat..., Gabriel Marcel 0874627524 874627524 | eBay Three Plays: A Man of God; Ariadne; The Votive Candle by Gabriel Marcel PB. | eBay __________________ My business is to teach my aspirations to conform themselves to fact, not to try and make facts harmonise with my aspirations. T.H. Huxley |
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Grand Magnate
Member Since Jul 2014
Location: US
Posts: 3,134
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#11
I've also enjoyed reading Plato's dialogues. In Greek culture, the gods were portrayed as being basically like men, but they were stronger, had special powers, and were immortal.
Socrates was convinced that the gods were actually better than us. And by better, he meant virtuous. The virtues were generally thought of as being Wisdom, Justice, Temperance and Courage. The thought was that one who practices the virtues cannot be harmed by them, but only experience good. The Stoics expanded on the idea and were convinced that Virtue is necessary and sufficient for Eudaimonia. Eudaimonia is sometimes translated as "happiness", but it has the connotation of flourishing (as a human). __________________ My business is to teach my aspirations to conform themselves to fact, not to try and make facts harmonise with my aspirations. T.H. Huxley |
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Grand Magnate
Member Since Jul 2014
Location: US
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#12
What I find most therapeutic about existentialism is the idea of freedom. We have the freedom to live the life we want to live. We have the freedom to pursue what we wish to pursue. (of course I am not free of the consequences that might/could arise from my choices... but, they are my choices).
__________________ My business is to teach my aspirations to conform themselves to fact, not to try and make facts harmonise with my aspirations. T.H. Huxley |
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Grand Poohbah
Member Since Jul 2017
Location: World
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#13
__________________ [B]'Everyone you meet is fighting a battle you know nothing about. Be kind. Always.' |
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shakespeare47
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Poohbah
Member Since Sep 2015
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#14
Meanwhile I'm just sitting here thinking how much philosophy, including crap like Stoicism, only exacerbates my depression. I've been in and out of existential crises for the past week or more, and there's nothing encouraging about it. Nor is a dichotomy like "perfection or evil" encouraging at all, I will never do anything that's good for my "flourishing", rightness, etc. I don't have that capacity. Only to fail, see that I failed, beat myself up for failing then give up. I'm not sure how desirable any kind of philosophical enlightenment is anyway, mostly it sounds incredibly strict, narrow, and dull. And miserable, generally. I have enough misery.
So no, philosophy hasn't done anything helpful. Mostly it's just something to pass the time, and I feel like I ought to be thinking about these things. |
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Shazerac
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Onward2wards
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Poohbah
Member Since Sep 2008
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#15
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shakespeare47
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#16
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#17
I'd like to advertise my own book here on Ancient Greek thought but that would give away my identity :-/
Shakespeare, have you read The Consolation of Philosophy by Boethius? It might be down your road. I find analyzing, and prepping books for a dialogue in my own books very therapeutic. One of the aspects of philosophy that is too often left out is each writer's style of reading. Nietzsche with his aphorisms, Socrates with his irony, Hume's smooth as butter style, Wittgenstien's quirks, Aristotle's plain brilliance, Plato's dialogues, Cicero's fatherly advice. There should be a literature of philosophy course in general. My own style right now is to have a conversation with whatever topic but with 5 very distinct views from differently defining Greek gods so the reader can take whichever position they want. |
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shakespeare47, WastingAsparagus
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shakespeare47, WastingAsparagus
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Grand Magnate
Member Since Jul 2014
Location: US
Posts: 3,134
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#18
@Day Tripper- I have not read Boethius- he does sound interesting. Lately I've been listening to this series on Youtube - YouTube It's A History of Philosophy by Arthur Holmes of Wheaton College.
I like reading Cicero and Plato and Hume- I find them to be relatively easy to digest. Lately I've been spending some time with Hume's skepticism. __________________ My business is to teach my aspirations to conform themselves to fact, not to try and make facts harmonise with my aspirations. T.H. Huxley |
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WastingAsparagus
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Grand Magnate
Member Since Jul 2014
Location: US
Posts: 3,134
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#19
Quote:
I like dialogues as well. I included a short dialogue as part of a paper during my first semester, but it was not well received- I was told never to do it again, lol. But, there is nothing to prevent me from using dialogues when I write the papers I really want to write- the ones I write because I want to- not for a grade. __________________ My business is to teach my aspirations to conform themselves to fact, not to try and make facts harmonise with my aspirations. T.H. Huxley |
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Student of Life
Member Since Mar 2014
Location: South America
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#20
Philosophy! Did someone mention philosophy?
Haha. Of course, I find it therapeutic. I believe that Philosophy proper, in its academic and formal sense, has the potential to help. But more what I've been thinking lately is along the lines that philosophy (with lowercase P) is more helpful to me. That is just due to a series of investigations I'm making at the moment. I am also trying to write a book at the moment and get it published (by someone). I am also trying to prepare some lectures to give to people about philosophy. Obviously, these lectures will have my own spin on things. But I am hopeful that they'll help the people, of course. |
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shakespeare47
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