On Anger: Interview with Donald Robertson (Stoic Coffee Break)
This episode of Stoic Coffee break has a good discussion with psychotherapist and stoic scholar Donald Robertson, focusing on the nature of anger and the culture around it.
The Existential To-Don’t List: 10 Things You Must Stop Doing If You Want a Life Worth Living (Youtube)
This is a quick video essay attacking the dysfunction of ‘productivity zealotry’. It makes good points, but perhaps is a bit one sided. The failure to address personal productivity is also a problem. But perhaps the biggest problem with ‘wasting time’ is not the failure to pack every minute with something productive, but in filling free time with shallow, unrewarding consumption or fretting. The focus on excessive productivity is the flip side of our culture of excessive consumption. Discussions about personal productivity strategies has a place in our society, but not such a big place that we can have an entire self-help industry on the topic. Instead, we’d be better off if more successful public figures occasionally took a few minutes to share some of the strategies that have worked for them. It’s part of a well-rounded life, but not an achievement in and of itself.
I like them both. For stoicism, I like Massimo Pigliucci’s work. For absurdism, Camus. Are there any modern day Camus’?
p.s. I created a community for discussing topics like these in more depth: yall.theatl.social/c/philosophy_of_life
A forum for discussion of philosophy as it applies to day-to-day life, and keeping a focus on those things that are up to us. This theme is common in ancient Hellenistic and Roman schools, such as Stoicism, Cynicism, and Epicurianism. The name “Philosophy as a way of life” is taken from the title of a famous book by Pierre Hadot, which seems to encapsulate what I’m looking for. This forum is not for speculation about grand social theories or esoteric epistemological debates (unless they arise naturally as important parts of more concrete discussions) – those are probably best suited for [email protected]
Why study mortality tables?
I’m a fan of mortality reports and tables, such as this most recent one from CDC (USA, 2023): https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/products/databriefs/db521.htm [https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/products/databriefs/db521.htm] Is this healthy or unhealthy (if it is not your job)? One one hand, I feel like it gives me a sense of the real risks facing me and my loved ones. It gives me a sense of when and how we can go, and I hope it will make death a little less shocking when it happens. I also think it makes me a better citizen, by developing a better understanding of the welfare of my fellow citizens. On the other, I wonder if it gives a false sense of control and understanding. I wonder if the averaging blurs the reality of my individual life. Perhaps I could address that problem by applying an equation that accounts for what I do know about myself (like a life insurance actuary would), but that also could get a bit obsessive. While I like reading these reports, there’s really no need to read them more than once a year, or refer back to them when a specific question arises. I do sometimes get anxious to see the most recent updates, but that’s largely due to the numbers being in flux due to the COVID-19 pandemic. #philosophy #mortality
