HeWhoReplies

Since later today for me Ramadan will begin, as well as the sparseness of the topic, I’d like to offer it to others to observe it as well (given one can do so healthily).

For the next 30 days while from dawn till dusk one abstains from both food and water as well as praying 5 times in that day (there are specific times to do so) as well as proactively doing charity (a kind act) to members in their community.

Why might one take up such a practice?

One gets to experience what their other fellow human beings whom do not have food and water experience daily in order to remind ourselves that such could be our fate and thus to be grateful.

We get to experience the pleasures of abstaining

Whist writing it dawned on me that whenever we do a habit for the first time in our lives it would likely be a statistical anomaly given the amount of days we’ve been alive. I wanted to know how might one create a function to represent that and when a behavior would become statistically significant.

The number of days were alive will increase at a constant rate. The days you do the habit (x days) could increase at the same rate of n (if it’s once a day and we never missed a day). It seems as some point it would become significant even though the sample is increasing.

I’d also be curious if the function could be modified based on how many times the habit is done (2 or 3 times per day for

Whilst in discussion with a neighbor and pointing out ways to eliminate violent interpersonal crime I noticed an idea I’ll present now.

“If all were in a cell on there own with no physical contact with another they’d be no threat to anyone but themselves”.

The last word spurred the idea that one general view is that to harming oneself isn’t seen as a criminal offense but as an illness that needs to be treated with sympathy. In the case of violent crime this sentiment can, and seems to be, disposed of. That assessment to dispose sympathy seemed unfounded to me.

In the Stoic view, to aim to do harm to another does harm on us. In that same vein and taken to its conclusion, the response

“Within ten days you will seem a god to those to whom you are now a beast and an ape, if you will return to your principles and the worship of reason.” - Marcus Aurelius

This quote is my favorite though it can easily be misinterpreted. I see it as a commentary about how tangible what we work for can be if we have the right aims.

This is the 11th week I’ve been contributing to this forum. After a phase of feeling “competent”, I’m glad to report that I’ve been reintroduced to my own ignorance thanks to the discussions present.

What is certain is my quality of life has staggeringly improved and I’ve been afforded many things I would have seen “impossible”.

Here’s a list -I felt unsafe i

Whilst on my daily walked I past by someone preaching on the street. To each their own, no bother.

After a moment I heard the priest say the title, “who in their right mind would choose to die”.

I felt every urge to reply. I took a step forward hesitating to act. I felt compelled to go. It felt like my inner Socrates wanted to speak. I turned around to ask something.

After getting his attention I asked him,

“In regards to what you said about death, who would choose it willingly, I have a question. If your son was going to be shot, would you leap in the way of the bullet?”

“I believe I would” he said.

“I see”. I had heard enough and walked away.

“But He gave it to me”, likely refe

Maybe we feel we have something original to contribute to the philosophy of Stoicism we can share with others.

Share your thought, explain it, please no links to other pages.

Howdy all, I’ve read most of the common recommendations but im looking for certain specific texts. I know I can find them all online but I’d prefer a book version of these.

-On Anger by Seneca, the current translation I have only has the final essay

-Consolation of Polybius by Seneca

• Another translation of the Discourses of Epictetus (I have the Penguin Version)

-The Found Letters of Marcus Aurelius (I’ve heard letters he sent with his teachers exist and I’m sure that’s been published somewhere)

-Another translation of Seneca’s Moral Letters to Lucilius (Penguin Version have I.)

-A complete text of Cicero’s writings on the Stoics (I saw a video that was ‘The Stoic Contradiction’ and