# Critical Sarcasm for the knees

# Old Ass Sudotask

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## Think For Yourself

I think the stoics had it right:

> "If you are distressed by anything external, the pain is not due to the thing itself, but to your estimate of it; and this you have the power to revoke at any moment.” ― Marcus Aurelius, Meditations

Too often are people horribly distressed by this or that external force. Typically these same people will lay the blame solely on that external force completely ignoring the fact that the negative feelings are coming from within.

Being offended is a prime example of people not being in control of their own emotions. However, this topic was discussed in greater detail in an earlier article, What? You Were Offended?

It's one hell of a philosophy for many people to get their head around. People seem ingrained to place blame on others before themselves. What they fail to realize is that they have no way to control other people. They only can control themselves and hope others act in ways that they interpret as good.

David Foster Wallace gave a commencement speech that touches somewhat on the stoic belief system. While this is a man who ended up falling to his own emotions, there is no doubt that he valued the concept of choosing how or what to think.

Anyone who is distressed by many external factors should really look into practicing stoicism. For many it is very hard to do, but any person who values logic should be able to wrap his head around it.

An extreme example: You lose your arm from the elbow down in a car wreck. You are likely angry about the car wreck and depressed about the missing arm. The stoic would remind you that you are only angry and depressed because that's how you interrupt the situation. This is your reaction to past events that is causing this distress. Therefore it is up to you to realize your emotions and control them for the better.

There are people who suffer more extreme situations than the above example and still manage to be happy well adjusted individuals.

There was a lady who thought it would be a good idea to drive drunk. Well, she ended up in a wheel chair. Paralyzed from the waste down.

After some time of depression and sadness she realized that she was only depressed and sad because she was not in control of her emotions. Now she is a motivational speaker, speaking in front of large audiences of teenagers and adults to share her story.

She has managed to turn her incident into happiness. Her story will not only provide a career for her, but also may save people from making the same mistakes that she has.

Keep your emotions in check; it is up to you too choose how you feel.

I must admit that I have only recently begun studying the stoic philosophy, but I feel as though I've been practicing it all my life. It really is a great way to be happy about whatever comes your way. Yourself you can control, others you cannot.

I highly recommend listening to David Wallace's speech. He cites many examples of automatic judgments that most people make on a day to day basis, and gives examples on how to actually think for yourself instead. His goal may not have been to talk about stoic beliefs, but his speech certainly highlights the stoic way of thinking.

Lastly, I have to admit something else, I'm not really sure what my blog niche is (sans the crowdfunding posts of course). If someone can tell me what the hell I'm writing about I would really appreciate it. How can I find other blogs like mine?

Now go, keep your thoughts in check.