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Comment by _akrs | Hacker News Reader

This seems like it was written by someone who has only read Meditations and the wikipedia on Stoicism and decided they knew enough to write an article on a tradition that has lasted two and a half millenia.

Calling the first cosmopolitan philosophy in history(perhaps mohism predates, I'm not a sino guy) objectionable because of its individualism, a philosophy that advocates the view from above (read your tully) and thinking of yourself as part of the whole (read your seneca or aurelius) is ridiculous.

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I think more generally worry about things you can change is a big net positive for the individual. Worrying about external things that you have no control over is a huge drag on most people's lives. It leads to a lot of anxiety and stress. Sure there may be some individual that believes they cannot change something when they in fact can make a difference, but this is exceptionally rare. The more likely case is that someone can choose to focus on something small where they can make a difference, in which stoicism would guide them to make that difference as opposed to feeling dread about something that they have no control over.

For instance, if you're concerned about climate change, one way you can go about it is to go to some big demonstration and yell about it (and leave a big mess in its wake). Or you can focus on the local, like cleaning up your own neighborhood which is something you can make a difference on. The local action will have more of an impact and be more personally rewarding.

You are indeed correct. But the stoics too were completely aware of the problem of how to do good, politically, after all many were martyred in the manner of Socrates, that is by the very people they were trying to help.

Personally I blame tacitus for creating this misunderstanding.

BTW, while I have the top comment, I'll give those here a better introduction to Aurelius's stoicism, Dr Segrue's lecture:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Auuk1y4DRgk

I suspect the author hasn't even read Meditations. A couple quotes from Aurelius that would indicate as much:

> "Whenever you have trouble getting up in the morning, remind yourself that you've been made by nature for the purpose of working with others..."

> "Often injustice lies in what you aren't doing, not only in what you are doing."

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