How to Be a Stoic (2016)
The older I get the less wisdom I find in any philosophy that means to teach how we should live and particularly how to avoid pain and unhappiness.<p>The short of it is: nothing is good or bad, but things can be too much or too little. Where the line is depends or circumstances and is different every time. And the correct answer is mostly only available in hindsight if it is at all.<p>Pain is useful. We know physical pain is because there are people who don&#x27;t feel any and they injure themselves all the time. I find no reason or evidence emotional pain is any different.<p>I saw perpetually and unconditionally happy people. In a mental asylum. Enough said.<p>Trying to give up desire? Then what would motivate you do do anything at all? &quot;money, health, sex, or reputation&quot; are good things. You might exaggerate in these desires but that&#x27;s a &quot;too much of anything&quot; problem, not a desire problem.<p>Taking examples from the article: getting angry with a service provider can convince him not to try to wrong you in the future and save you unhappiness this way. Getting angry with people on the street giving you dirty looks doesn&#x27;t work because they are many and different every time. But still, that anger can convince you that you should move. And maybe you should.