Ascetism.

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Here’s a bit of Stoic logic/wisdom (shared by the Buddhists, I think, correct me if necessary):

To exits is to suffer.

All suffering comes from desire.

Therefore, to mitigate ones suffering, ones should master and minimize one’s desire.

Most people practice a form of enlightened hedonism. They seek the maximum amount of (non-harmful) pleasure they can provide for themselves. They attempt to eat as much as they can without becoming morbidly obese. They attempt to drink/dope themselves as much as possible without becoming an addict. They attempt to acquire as many nice/cool/flashy possessions as possible without going bankrupt… etc.

The problem for many people who follow this path is something called hedonic adaptation. Hedonic adaptation is the theory that happiness is relative—a person does not become happier as they become wealthier and acquire more stuff, because as affluence increases, expectations and desires increase too.

This also means the level of dissatisfaction is pretty much constant. No matter how much you have, you always want more and better!

For a Stoic, the goal is to be satisfied and stress free. By living as simply as possible, a stoic reduces stress because he does not need to earn as much to maintain his lifestyle…

You aren’t stuck doing a stressful job you hate simply because you need the money. In the long run, the Stoic is just as happy (because happiness is relative) and that happiness will be compounded by an absence of stress!

I used to have a lot of stuff and a job that paid $50K/year and made me want to put a gun in my mouth EVEYDAY. Now, I have a lot less crap, make $20K/year and I’m much more content/tranquil/happy.

In addition, Stoics practice negative visualization and self-denial as a way to combat dissatisfaction/unreasonable desire.

As an example—I love a good, bloody steak, but my diet is mostly grains, legumes, and veggies. I eat red meat less than once a month and I have a much greater appreciation for steak!! !

In order to keep myself satisfied with lentils and couscous, before I eat, I imagine myself as a homeless person, digging through trash cans and living on half-eaten scraps from McDonalds…

And finally, to actually enhance my enjoyment of lentils and couscous, I fast at least once a week. The old saying, “ANYTHING taste good when you’re hungry,” really is true.


I know all this probably sounds horrifying to most people, but it’s not hard to do (once you get your head straight), and it really will enhance your happiness.

But is she Jewish? Do we know her family?

If for real [I make no assumptions] congrats and many years with no returns.

What do you do with Fine Arts if you can't find an anthropologist?

We need more that kind stock. My mother's grandfather, I think it was - could be great great - was, we are told, renowned in the latter half 19th century as a horse trader.

And we know what that means.

No, I am not your mother.

Humanity is not Pringle's Chips.

Cocaine? Me no savvy.

But we know A can down X shots a day for two weeks, leave it, a year later do it again

And B gets into it till he can;t havce one beer without a binge.

Same for a lot of other pleasures.

AND some get into this pleasure or that to where they need to cold turkey dry off.

The reason I bring up drugs is because the consumption of psychotropic drugs represents an extreme example of hedonism. Most people would regard the intake of drugs as quite different from say the social consumption of alcohol or a trip to the amusement park; but our present understanding of the brain’s neural circuitry actually informs us that the pleasure centers in the brain are the same; it is the intensity of the stimulation that is different. Few would argue that drug addiction leads to happiness and yet most people would assert that the indulgence in other pleasurable activities is reasonable and actually positive. What would life be like if people cannot have a little fun?