Page 1 of 2 [ 21 posts ]  Go to page 1, 2  Next

anthropic_principle
Deinonychus
Deinonychus

Joined: 23 Jul 2014
Age: 29
Gender: Male
Posts: 300

28 May 2015, 11:06 pm

GoonSquad wrote:
Quote:
It is our attitude toward events, not events themselves, which we can control. Nothing is by its own nature calamitous -- even death is terrible only if we fear it. ~Epictetus


Suffering is a choice. Be merciful to yourself and CHOOSE not to suffer.


Thats absurd..
I didnt choose to contract this debilitating and chronic pain inducing disease.
I didnt choose to live for that matter, yet living with this condition is suffering for me.



Sweetleaf
Veteran
Veteran

User avatar

Joined: 6 Jan 2011
Age: 34
Gender: Female
Posts: 34,439
Location: Somewhere in Colorado

28 May 2015, 11:50 pm

GoonSquad wrote:
Quote:
It is our attitude toward events, not events themselves, which we can control. Nothing is by its own nature calamitous -- even death is terrible only if we fear it. ~Epictetus


Suffering is a choice. Be merciful to yourself and CHOOSE not to suffer.


Yeah and pigs have wings didn't you know....that is not to say its never possible to choose to suffer in some way or another, but to claim its always a choice would be ridiculous.


_________________
We won't go back.


auntblabby
Veteran
Veteran

User avatar

Joined: 12 Feb 2010
Gender: Male
Posts: 113,605
Location: the island of defective toy santas

29 May 2015, 12:19 am

IOW there are those who say it is a choice of either cursing the darkness or lighting a candle, versus those who say they don't have any candles or any way of lighting a candle or too much turbulence surrounding them for the candle to light or stay lit.



GoonSquad
Veteran
Veteran

User avatar

Joined: 11 May 2007
Age: 54
Gender: Male
Posts: 5,748
Location: International House of Paincakes...

29 May 2015, 7:37 am

anthropic_principle wrote:
GoonSquad wrote:
Quote:
It is our attitude toward events, not events themselves, which we can control. Nothing is by its own nature calamitous -- even death is terrible only if we fear it. ~Epictetus


Suffering is a choice. Be merciful to yourself and CHOOSE not to suffer.


Thats absurd..
I didnt choose to contract this debilitating and chronic pain inducing disease.
I didnt choose to live for that matter, yet living with this condition is suffering for me.


That's right. We cannot choose to be wealthy or poor (although many think they can). We cannot choose to be healthy or sick. We cannot choose to experience or avoid pain. We cannot even choose to be loved or despised. These things are BEYOND our control.

However, we can choose how we react to being poor. We can choose how we react to being sick. We can choose how we react to pain. We can choose how we react to being shunned or hated.

Here's another nugget or two of wisdom from Epictetus:
Quote:
“There is only one way to happiness and that is to cease worrying about things which are beyond the power or our will. ”

[and]

“You may fetter my leg, but Zeus himself cannot get the better of my free will.”


The only thing you really have, the only thing you can control is your will and the way you react to the outside world.

It simply isn't rational to spend your time fretting about how bad your lot in life is, because it is mostly beyond your control.

I'm not just spewing a bunch of platitudes here. I know what misfortune is.

Everyone in my family is dead. Because of my aspie social impediments, my last close personal relationship died with my last family member.

Two years ago, my legs stopped working. Because of this, and the fact that I have no family or close friends, I'm always one mishap away from being homeless.

Because of my health problems, I've been in intense physical pain for months on end--unable to sleep or even think at some points.

Also, in spite of have decent insurance, I'm in so much debt I'll never be able to get out.

And, my legs are not coming back. I'll never be able to mountain bike or kayak (my two favorite things in the world) again.


If I spent my time dwelling on this, I'd be in hell too.

However, I cannot change any of these FACTS about my life, and dwelling on them is not rational.

Raging against the unpleasant facts of my life only causes me to suffer.

Accepting these facts, I cannot change, about my life gives me peace.

I know how hard making peace with the unpleasant bits of your life can be, but it's really the only way for you to take charge of your life and be happy on your own terms.

I hope you can find a way to do it.

:)


_________________
No man is free who is not master of himself.~Epictetus


GoonSquad
Veteran
Veteran

User avatar

Joined: 11 May 2007
Age: 54
Gender: Male
Posts: 5,748
Location: International House of Paincakes...

29 May 2015, 8:19 am

For those living in hell, you could do worse than spend an hour listening to this...



...after all, you have your entire life to suffer.


_________________
No man is free who is not master of himself.~Epictetus


aghogday
Veteran
Veteran

User avatar

Joined: 25 Nov 2010
Age: 63
Gender: Male
Posts: 11,561

30 May 2015, 1:08 pm

GoonSquad wrote:
anthropic_principle wrote:
GoonSquad wrote:
Quote:
It is our attitude toward events, not events themselves, which we can control. Nothing is by its own nature calamitous -- even death is terrible only if we fear it. ~Epictetus


Suffering is a choice. Be merciful to yourself and CHOOSE not to suffer.


Thats absurd..
I didnt choose to contract this debilitating and chronic pain inducing disease.
I didnt choose to live for that matter, yet living with this condition is suffering for me.


That's right. We cannot choose to be wealthy or poor (although many think they can). We cannot choose to be healthy or sick. We cannot choose to experience or avoid pain. We cannot even choose to be loved or despised. These things are BEYOND our control.

However, we can choose how we react to being poor. We can choose how we react to being sick. We can choose how we react to pain. We can choose how we react to being shunned or hated.

Here's another nugget or two of wisdom from Epictetus:
Quote:
“There is only one way to happiness and that is to cease worrying about things which are beyond the power or our will. ”

[and]

“You may fetter my leg, but Zeus himself cannot get the better of my free will.”


The only thing you really have, the only thing you can control is your will and the way you react to the outside world.

It simply isn't rational to spend your time fretting about how bad your lot in life is, because it is mostly beyond your control.

I'm not just spewing a bunch of platitudes here. I know what misfortune is.

Everyone in my family is dead. Because of my aspie social impediments, my last close personal relationship died with my last family member.

Two years ago, my legs stopped working. Because of this, and the fact that I have no family or close friends, I'm always one mishap away from being homeless.

Because of my health problems, I've been in intense physical pain for months on end--unable to sleep or even think at some points.

Also, in spite of have decent insurance, I'm in so much debt I'll never be able to get out.

And, my legs are not coming back. I'll never be able to mountain bike or kayak (my two favorite things in the world) again.


If I spent my time dwelling on this, I'd be in hell too.

However, I cannot change any of these FACTS about my life, and dwelling on them is not rational.

Raging against the unpleasant facts of my life only causes me to suffer.

Accepting these facts, I cannot change, about my life gives me peace.

I know how hard making peace with the unpleasant bits of your life can be, but it's really the only way for you to take charge of your life and be happy on your own terms.

I hope you can find a way to do it.

:)


You have a great attitude; and truly for me this attitude is the only thing that saves my life through the pain of the Type two Trigeminal Neuralgia that I develop and am 'blessed' with for 5 long years; making me nothing more than a shut in 'Hunchback of Notre Dame' in my bedroom for those 5 years.

My doctors give me no chance of recovery for the catastrophic synergy of 19 life threatening disorders.

I give my self the chance; and beyond the professional's opinions, in never giving up.

I come back; I hope the same for you; no matter what the doctors say in terms
of potential recovery.

Don't know your precise condition; but I do know that much
more is possible than

what science
or doctors say
is possible; and if
nothing else in life,
I provide irrefutable
evidence of that both to doctors
and online; for those who see the
value of a great attitude insufferable
about life; to survive and keep going
the best one can in the light of mind alive;

even when bodies
fail..:)


_________________
KATiE MiA FredericK!iI

Gravatar is one of the coolest things ever!! !

http://en.gravatar.com/katiemiafrederick