Embracing Uncertainty,The Stoic Way

We as Humans,are wired to be fearful.

And the New Batman is....Ben Affleck

Courtesy of the Caveman Era,we had to protect our monkey-asses from bigger and dangerous animals,loud thundering in the sky,forest fires and stuff.For that we always had to be on our toes (or the furry slippers that were fashioned from bear-skin),and hence our threat center called the Amygdala rose to prominence. Thousands of years later,not much has changed.Even though we are in the safe,cozy confines of our homes away from reptilian dangers or sustenance woes,the thought of Tomorrow brings more dread and anxiety than any other thing.

Just the thought of not knowing or controlling what is going to happen next makes out feet tremble and throat go dry like the Kalahari desert(horrible analogy,i know).We cannot stand the brutal and bitter fact that we simply do not know and control anything!But of course, our minds don't allow us to believe this fact and does what it does best make shit up (my way of saying...rationalizing).We try running away from this uncertainty of our lives,instead of embracing it and coax our minds into believing whatever we want to believe.

Stoics have been advocating embracing uncertainty,since antiquity and you can find descriptive vindication of my statement.But since,i don't believe my forte is in descriptive and lengthy but rather laconic and pithy posts,that are poignant and on point.So,Let me draw out a strategy that you can further define in your contextual manner as to how to embrace the uncertainty,the stoic way.

Just a Disclaimer before we proceed,that this is absolutely subjective and things may get hot and heavy .... So, here go the 5 steps: 

1.) Clean your windshield and Step on the Gas:                             

                                   

                                                                                                         

That's my way of saying that, have clarity of your goals and ambitions and keep on persevering through conscious and whole-hearted action.What is required for this is deep introspection and self knowledge from which you'll vaguely be able to deduce your life-goals and the direction you want to march on in.The action part is just that raw grit and fearless disposition that will get you through the rough times in your life.So, in a nut shell: know where you're heading while also accepting that you may not get to the destination that you had envisioned ,but nevertheless you'll keep grinding.     

 P.S: Don't pay much attention to the rear view mirror,rather turn the stereo volume UP!                

2.) Flip the Script on this S#!t:

" The quest for certainty blocks the search for meaning. Uncertainty is the very condition that impels man to unfold his powers. "

- Erich Fromm

That means you don't have to take uncertainty as its face value.Make a conscious decision to use uncertainty as your secret weapon.Now you that know that everyone around gets cold feet by thinking about their undefined or uncontrollable future,you can use this as a competitive advantage to win the daily struggles in life.By taking this positively,you can use uncertainty in your favor by assessing the sheer amount of possibilities how you can accomplish your goal,in ways that are unimaginable.Since,you know that you dont control anything you can let go of those bonds and baggage that are draining your energy and impeding your pace while reaching the finish line,you don;t have to live a dragged existence,at all.


3). Be anchored in the NOW:

We as humans, fail to understand and acknowledge our vastly good fortune.We are able to consciously be cognizant of the present moment.In reality,you are always in the now,but our immensely powerful monkey brain concocts an illusion that makes us reminisce about the past and fret about the future.This s#!t is ridiculous, yes i said it.Uncertainty brings along with it a plethora of possibilities,hence making our lives more interesting and an adventure to look forward to.To some,it may make sense to be cosseted by luxury and knowing what the future holds for them,however this is inane.The future will never be exactly as one has envisioned or predicted,so it is futile to fight and fret over it.The present moment is the only thing that is promised to us,other than that nothing in this universe is.

Being in the Now will help you summon all your attention,energy and focus onto the task at hand and you will have a much more visceral and fulfilling experience.


4).  It Makes you a better person:

    " Uncertainty is a sign of humility, and humility is just the ability or the willingness to learn."

          - Charlie Sheen

I understand that it's not quite clear how embracing uncertainty makes you a better person,Let me elucidate it for ya.We as humans in the 21st Century have a gargantuan Ego, where in this world of instant messaging and technology automating most of out tasks,it's easy to think that we've got the game on the lock down and that we literally Run this world, i heard the almighty chuckle. Its easy to fall into this type of naive thinking,our ancestors were much enlightened about this subject when they said words like God Willing,In the hands of God, although most of these were mere cop-outs for being accountable,they understood that there is a higher force (p.s: not humans!) at work that determines all results in the universe,hence it is better to accept and rather love whatever happens to you...hence the beginning of Stoicism  called Amora Fati (Love your fate).

Having such an attitude keeps you grounded and more considerate to other people's needs and actions as well.So,if you accept the result instead of constant moaning and whining that why you were the only unfortunate sacrificial lamb that God chose to punish,you're better off living much better than others

5). Learn to be detached from things and outcomes:

 Slowly and steadily through daily arduous conditioning,learn to not give a crap about things and the outcomes of your endeavors.Yes! this is way easier said than done,but it has to be done,somehow someway.This is not to say,that you should become indifferent,nah! don't get it twisted.Stoicism teaches us,that everything in this world is ephemeral and transitory,even your those things and results,hence it doesn't make any sense for us to keep mulling over it,while losing our precious time and energy.

Uncertainty wouldn't phase you as much if you aren't affected much by the outcome and are confident in your ability to act.Being Detached is one of the most important value one can learn.Again,this does not mean that you don't have to feel or become a completely thick skinned person to the world around you.A true stoic is one of the most sensitive and vulnerable person you will ever meet,the only difference is the he has a much stronger and deeper realization of the universe around and within him.

Hope it helped,I'll leave you to embracing Uncertainty.

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The Walking Stoic: how AMC's most popular show serves as a Stoic lesson

Cosmopolitans of the post-apocalyptic world

Watch out! Walkers!!!

Like it or not, AMC's flagship series, The Walking Dead, has successfully completed 5 seasons, keeping the viewers glued to their seats with the same ol' zombie spectacle. Well, not totally, because contrary to many other zombie fictions, such as the Resident Evil films, oldies like Night of the Living Dead, Dawn of the Dead, Land of the Dead, etc, The Walking Dead focuses more on realistic survivalism, as demonstrated by Rick and his ragtag group of multiethnic, multicultural friends. Although the zombies (called walkers by Rick and his gang) play an important part in the series - without them the storyline would be invalid - they are presented as a passive element in the series. The active component is the group of humans, as they manage to fend off one after another zombie attack, all the while gathering food, water and other basic necessities in a post-apocalyptic world.

I had to write this far, because I don't believe everyone here is familiar with the show. After all, there are tonnes of shows nowadays, and it's not very Stoic to stay tuned to the TV set. Anyway, if you aren't familiar with the show, there's always Wikipedia for brushing up the facts. So, on to the purpose of the article.

How can a popular sci-fi, dystopian show serve as a Stoic lesson?

It is important to develop a patient, well-informed and systematic perspective about anything in the world, before we learn to cultivate the latent lessons that it can enrich us with. And the same principle holds true in this scenario as well, especially so I'd say. For some, The Walking Dead might be nothing more than AMC's unholy attempt to grab a slice of the TRP, all the while filling the viewers' heads with mercilessly meaningless gibberish about zombies, and some uber-macho survivors (who manage to look cool despite starving and living from hand to mouth!).

But simultaneously, it can serve as a great analogy. And that's what we're trying to discuss here.

Hedonic adaptation

Ok, so the first season of the TWD introduces Rick and his ragtag gang. The folks have, virtually, nothing to eat. Each day, they have to go scavenging, break into houses (the zombified residents aren't too happy about it), grab all eatables (no matter how rotten and stale they have turned), fight zombies, get dirty (with decyaing zombie parts, blood, rotten flesh and related mess), lose a member or two, and yet manage to turn up back at the camp, grinning like there's no tomorrow. And even the world of Game of Thrones is safer than than in TWD, because at least Tyrion, Sansa, Baslish, Jon Snow and a few others manage to stay alive there. In here, none other than Rick is safe - not even Carl (read Kowrl, as Rick calls his lad), I believe.

Not my ideal home, folks!

Jokes aside, we see how the group of survivors manages to, well, survive. They have no food security, no guaranteed electricity, no Internet, no police, no hospital. It shows us an important point, hedonic adaptation. In Professor Irvine's book A guide to a good life: the ancient art of Stoic joy, he discusses this in detail. Whatever new utility or convenience becomes available to us, we begin to take it for granted sooner or later. For example, once I was playing a game of Wesnoth (an open-source turn-based strategy game) with a few guys. One was from the US, while two were from Australia. The fourth was from Russia, and the firth hailed from Ghana. As the sixth player, I was from India. All of a sudden, a sudden revelation came to me, how great it is, that we are playing this game with each other, even when thousands of miles physically separates us? Shouldn't we all be thankful for that?

Alas! When I voiced my opinion, everyone else started laughing. One of them told me that my feeling was much like gas, and it'd go away in due course. This is the reason behind this deep-rooted mentality of dissatisfaction that modern man feels.

TWD, like other dystopian presentations, shows us that the conveniences we enjoy, as modern men, aren't constant, universal and eternal. In fact, they're very, very recent, when we look at history. And no, the Internet doesn't grow on trees. All these utilities had to be mentally conceived, developed, marketed, debugged and upgraded, and all this has been done by the human civilization, guided by the Logos within, aka our reason. Almost anything and everything we enjoy, is the gift of reason.

And hedonic adaptation, in my opinion, is a sin against the Logos. Of course, I use the term sin in proper sense here (to sin is to miss the mark, as per the ancient Greek roots of the word). We have so much, and yet, like mechanical beasts, we crave for more, more and even more! Much like the Vikings portrayed in the History TV series of the same name... Nothing manages to quench our insatiable thirst for more consumer gadgets, the latest, trendy clothes, best food and drinks, worldly power and reputation. And yet, the moment we achieve them, we forget their worth, and start taking them for granted.

Conveniences in life should be seen as privileges, and not as rights. By cultivating this sense of profound wonder, acceptance and gratitude from within, man can realize the worth, the value of all those things that he has in his power, his immediate possession.

Strength lies in unity 

We all have heard the story of the father, who teaches his son that strength lies in unity, by making him attempt to break a single stick first (successfully so), and telling him to try it with a bundle of sticks later. This is what Stoicism teaches us - United we stand, divided we fall.

The society is an important aspect of Stoicism. As servants of the Logos, we must learn to erase our differences, as Seneca and Epictetus would have told us. Even before the Roman Stoics, the early fathers of the Stoa Poikile, such as Zeno and Chrysippus, taught the world to reject all artificial differences - racism, sexism, militant nationalism, the difference between rich and poor - to create a happier society. The Stoics famously rejected slavery, and advocated the equality of men and women.

Welcome to Woodbury, vote for Phillip Blake!

Complex and stable systems emerge, as we see in physics, when simpler compotents (underlying it) interact, and work together. Thus, while your RAM card or the UPS might have little value independently, together they work to build one of the greatest inventions of all time, the computer. The same is true for the human society, we must learn to work together.

In the third season of TWD, we meet the settlement of Woodbury. Basically, around 80 men and women have come together, fortified a part of a town, created a post-apocalyptic society based on rules and organization. While smaller groups continue scrounging the garbage outside, the folks at Woodbury have clean water, enough food, roofs over their heads, security and (even) entertainment. They have guards patrolling their perimeter, nurses and doctors to look after the sick, schools that function, and even their own (not so) good governor!

By dividing labour and specializing tasks between them, the people of Woodbury play their destined roles - some as guards, others as gatherers, doctors, nurses and so on. What would otherwise be impossible for one man, is performed effortlessly by the society. This is why Zeno and Chrysippus advised us to recognize (and regard) ourselves as cosmopolitans, citizens of cosmos.

Rishi Bankim Chandra Chatterjee, one of the greatest writers during the Bengali Renaissance, famously remarked "Whatever creates divisions amongst human beings, is destructive and disruptive, and thus, evil. Whatever, on the contrary, unifies us, is good". 

Differences are artificial

In the first season, the racist goon Merle call T-Dawg a nigger, to which Rick replies that there are no races any longer, only black meat, and white meat. And zombies show equal appetite for both, anyway. Given the chance, they'll be equally happy to munch Merle's humerus or crunch T-Dawg's femur, if you excuse the pun. Well, zombies aren't racists, at least!

The human organism is unique, in that, we have the voice of reason, the breath of Logos, to guide us. Yet, owing to our baser, animalistic instincts, we create differences nonetheless. A shinning example of India's (in)famous caste system, which benefitted a few, at the cost of the rest's tears. Even by flipping the system upside down, and creating a society in which the Shudras enjoy the party and the Brahmins kick the dust, no solution will emerge. What's the solution, then?

Equality - of all castes, classes, genders, nationalities - is the need of the hour. This is what Stoicism advocates. All men and women have the power to reason, and they all, then, are equals (initially). And depending upon how Stoically they manage to live, they can then cause their own upliftment, or downfall.

Hershel Greene, the grand old man of TWD 

Hershel Greene

Hershel, the beloved old farmer in the series, is an excellent example of what a Stoic should be. Initially, he's living quite undisturbed in his farm, with his family. He tries his best to cure his zombified wife and stepson, among others, and still manages to plant crops and vegetables to feed his family, all the while doubling as a doctor. When he sees that his initial hypothesis (that zombies are still alive) is wrong, he patiently accepts his mistake, and changes his outlook. Later, he becomes Rick's main advisor, always serving as the voice of reason and intelligence in the series, till the moment of his death (damn you, governor!).

Hershel, famously, believes. He considers the apocalypse to be some sort of divine punishment, or the Nature's way of bettering itself. Obviously, not everyone will agree with him, at least no the atheists among us (myself included). But, while I laughed at Hershel at first, I began to see how Stoically he acted (in the ancient sense of the word). 

Epictetus told us to embody our philosophies, rather than explain it. And Hershel, in the patient, composed and responsible manner he acts, lives up to the validity of the maxim. Rather than trying to justify his beliefs to the realist Rick or the pessimist Andrea, he keeps to himself, all the while doing his duty. Even his death, in my opinion, is something he accepts in a Stoic manner.

Hershel's stoic predicament is especially visible in the fourth season, when the group experiences a flu outbreak. People are dying left and right, there's little hope of getting any medication, and the flu's very contagious, yet Hershel enters the quarantine block, helps everyone stay alive, does everything in his power (even risking his own life, both to the flu and the zombified dead) to combat the situation. Isn't this how we all should learn to act?

To be a hero is not to risk our lives needlessly. Instead, the real heroism lies in the performance of our destined duties. The real immortality lies more in our successful enactment of our roles, rather than in the possibility of infinite extension of the extent of our lives. This is what Hershel Greene, my favourite character in the show (sorry Daryl), teaches us.

Conclusion 

Ramkrishna Paramhamsa, an important socio-religious reformer of the 19th century, advised us "Be like the swan, as it laps the milk alone, from a mixture of milk and water". Thus, the cultural phenomena such as The Walking Dead can mean different things to different people. But being the Stoic aspirants we are, it is our duty to recognize the better part, the crux of them all, and learn from them. That's why, I chose to relate popular culture with Stoicism, in this post.

Image credits

walkingdead.wikia.com
http://blog.upack.com

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My PEP (Personal Emancipation Proclamation) Talk : Part 1, The Dents

“The moment that you feel that, just possibly, you’re walking down the street naked, exposing too much of your heart and your mind and what exists on the inside, showing too much of yourself. That’s the moment you may be starting to get it right.”

– Neil Gaiman

Damn...Lincoln got Swag!! 

 Disclaimer: If you're reading this, just know that i'm done with bullshitting.... psych!

So,What this post is about ?

Me,myself and I.

And,What's in it for you?

Growing synchronously with my assiduous hustle and Learning vicariously through my embarrassing  mistakes .

Still wanna go ahead....? Good choice.

Without further Ado, I'll start off with 3  dents(yes,like the ones on a golf ball)and do's (next post) during your PEP:

DENTS:

1) Don't leave it up-to THEM, get off your butt and get yours:
    

The issue:

Often times,when we try find our calling (yup,i'm going biblical on you suckas!).When we try to find what we are meant for doing this life and similar existential questions.It's easy to get sucked into and conform to the massive force of the majority.This may be religion,philosophy,cult,schools (of thought or lunacy). It is all seems very tempting and believable to our relatively unaware and unexposed mind,to conform and follow the flock,as we are persuaded,that THEY KNOW BETTER AND HAVE ALL THE ANSWERS !

THEY DON"T KNOW JACK SHIT! 

This might be a pretty bold statement coming from a newbie stoic, but almost all organized thingys (very articulate,i know) exist to conform ,promote obedience,limit and not liberate independent thinking and snuff intelligent inquiry and eventually flaunt the superiority of their ignorance over the ignorance of other thingys.
 If any organized institution you're involved in does the following:

-Doesn't allow questioning their fundamental tenets,

-Preach that this is the only way to achieve salvation (Absolutism)

-Showcase their values to be greater than contemporary institutions (superiority)

-Issues punishments in any form (guilt,penance,physical,social) for your sins

- If there's no backdoor option (allow you to quit)

Grab Your Nuts & Run!!
All I wanna Say is that...They Don't really care about US! 

Solution:

Keep a generally skeptical disposition for most popular/commercial and mass media related news/info or philosophies,use your own rational and logical apparatus to probe into the situation and then make the prognosis based on your experiential outcome.In short, Know for yourself!,this is especially pertinent and pivotal for intrinsic issues like: spirituality (that forms the foundation on which all other things are built upon), knowledge and calling (back to square one).If you want to make something of yourself,its upon YOU....period!


2) Don't Mix Business With Pleasure: Mind your MIND

  

The Issue: 

Most of the times,we don't understand the power of our minds.The Stoics knew it,hence they stresses upon daily meditations,nightly reflections and cultivating habits.Controlling our monkey brain,is the key to success,the time you let the reins loose,that's the time it runs amok making your life a living hell.You have to be conscious enough to know when you have to take control of your brain and when to let loose.Letting the brain alone with its own devices is detrimental to our growth.it can act up and reveal your true identity in places of business where exhibiting juvenile behavior can work against you.

My cringe-worthy lesson: 

College, is usually a place to study and blossom as responsible individuals with a renewed sense of identity.I however on the other side,made a girlfriend.The cherry on top of the poison cake was that she was in my class.Needless to say, after fooling around for a while,the relationship ended with a bitter break-up leaving a sour taste for each other.From that day on,until now i have faced countless awkward situations and embarrassing encounter with her just because,I had made the cardinal folly of mixing business pleasure.

The Anti-dote:

It is important to be cognizant of the circumstance and place.All the more important is to choose your battles,because you cannot win everything all the time.The habit of mediation on a long term helps you to analyze your actions and thoughts in the present from an objective viewpoint,which is immensely pivotal in many cases.Know what to do and when to do it, Do not be hasty in your judgement and actions,as they may have a grave aftermath later on which we shall regret and atone for the rest of our lives.


3) Don't Accept the Status Quo:
  
 The Issue:

The biggest issue that a human faces in this epoch is complacency and conformity.Since,all are primary needs are getting met through the modern amenities,we keep rubbing our bellies while we're laying on the recliner watching our favorite reality show while chatting with a friend and also completing our chemistry assignment.In short,we have completed all levels on maslow's hierarchy and simply dont have anything to look forward to.We don't dare to be brave,because that will mean a lot of effort to move from our current stage of helpless acceptance.We have simply lost the hunger of proving our worth through bold declaration of your proud identity and doing the work that makes your heart sing.

The Shaft Juice:

In order to change the status quo,you have to accept the reality brutally and totally.Huh? Contradictory Much? Nope,what i mean is that we have to see clearly the deep crap that we're stuck in and only then can we make moves to get out of the quick-sand.The Stoics had a vision,for a better tomorrow.That grand vision transcended the sense of self and encompassed all humanity in its glory and wished goodwill.We have to see the vision,that is true and pertinent to us and then make educated efforts towards achieving that vision.Another way of changing the status quo is,constantly striving to rebel against the establishment and looking for ways to transform the orthodoxy radically,hence making a paradigm shift  in the truest sense.

Bottom Line:
In order to do something new,you have to do something that hasn't done before for the benefit of humanity.Make it Happen,Simple as that!

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Stoic principles analogous to Newton's laws of motion - Part II

 

"Once you have fixed on your governing principles, you must hold them as laws that you cannot transgress. Pay no heed to what is said of you for it is beyond your control"

  

- Epictetus

So, after discussing  abit about the application of (a qualitative analogy of) Newton's first law of motion, let us throw our gaze at what the second law, one of the fundamental laws of classical mechanics, has in store for us, shall we?

As I already said in my previous post, and I repeat, these 'laws' should not be thought of as scientific laws. Instead, think of them are analogies, guiding principles that can help simplify the complicated bits of life for all of us. And indeed, it is of crucial importance to think of ways in which we can cope up with this mad frenzy called life, anyway.

Newton's second law of motion: a quick revision 

TO be honest, the second law is the actual law, among the three, because it relates one of the fundamental properties of forces and motion to easily understandable maths. On the other hand, the first and third laws are actually special cases of the second law, instead of being independent scientific findings. Nonetheless, they have their own importance.

Still, since the second law if the most important, its analogy, also, is the most important one in this series of articles.

So, the second law states "The rate of change of momentum of a body is directly proportional to the magnitude of vector force applied on it, and the change in momentum aforementioned, takes place in the direction of the applied force". And thanks to its more quantitative and mathematical nature, people tend to forget it more often.

Momentum, if you're unfamiliar with the term's scientific definition, is the product of a body's mass and magnitude of velocity (speed). Qualitatively, it can be understood as the amount of motion in a body.

So, let us brush things up with a quick example. Say, player A hits the ball towards player B. Now, the ball is moving in the direction AB (A to B), and then, Player C, upon receiving the ball, kicks it towards player C. Now, the kick by player B is a force, i.e influence, and now the ball starts moving towards C, in the direction BC. Greater the force, i.e force of the kick by player B, faster is the ball's speed as it rolls towards C, and vice versa.

Of course, I kept things as simple as possible, so this visualization may not be 100% accurate, but it serves its purpose alright, in our case at least.

Now, this is the general form of the law, but a more specific form, as it is commonly understood in the domain of observation of classical mechanics (i.e the visible world around us, neither too small, nor too big), it is simplified to this statement: "The acceleration (rate of change of velocity) of a moving body is directly proportional to the magnitude of force applied on it". As you might recall, from your middle school lessons, F ∝ ma, or F = ma, the first form generalizing into the second, thanks to a careful choice of units. 

Obviously, F => Force, m => mass of the body and a => acceleration. For bodies moving at speeds much less than the speed of light, the change in mass (due to motion) is negligible, and so this is the approximate form of Newton's second law of motion. 

Okay, now let us consider the philosophical implications that this magnificent, yet simple, law holds for us. 

What's a good life, according to the Stoics?

I began this article, as you've noted, with a quote by Epictetus. There, he tells us first to devise our principles of living properly, and then follow them, unfailingly, to the best of our capabilities. It is immediately understandable, that there is an inextricable link between good life and good habits. 

Zeno, the founder of our grand school of Stoicism, famously remarked "Happiness is the good flow of life". It clarifies, therefore, that a good life is no still, static state of perfection. That would be a Utopian conception, of an unattainable state of self-sufficiency, omnipotence and omniscience, and such a state is only possible for God, hypothetically speaking. 

Ah, he got it right.

Then, what is a good life? It's a dynamic state, a journey that uplifts us continuously, making each day better than the previous day. It's a journey, that brings us closer and closer, and yet closer to perfection. Maybe that perfection is unattainable (after all, we aren't sages yet), but it matters not, does it? WHat matters, instead, is how well we fare against our own past selves. Thus, when we live a good life, we prosper, bloom and evolve, in the proper sense of these words. 

In the Upanishads, we find the ancient Rishis of India chant:  

ॐ असतो मा सद्गमय । तमसो मा ज्योतिर्गमय । मृत्योर्मा अमृतं गमय । 

i.e "Lead us from Unreality (of Transitory Existence) to the Reality (of the Eternal Self), 
Lead us from the Darkness (of Ignorance) to the Light (of Spiritual Knowledge),Lead us from the Fear of Death to the Knowledge of Immortality"

(This reveals, yet again, that the ancient sages of India were no strangers to Stoicism. Although they had referred to it using different names, the art of living was equally revered by. and contributed to by the ancient Aryans, as it was, by the Hellenistic philosophers). 

It is, therefore, quite logical to assume that good practices can help us live a good life. In fact, the very description of the Sage as an ideal role model to follow, is a method to maWhat can F = ma tell us about our lifestyle? ke sure that we never, ever give up on improving ourselves. And even the modern philosophy of transhumanism agrees with this. The very first element of Transhumanism is boundless expansion, the state of constant positive increment. 

F = ma in this regard

Now, I believe we can successfully relate this state of uplifting ourselves to what is known as state of uniform acceleration in mechanics, i.e when a body moves in a direction, under the influence of a constant thrust of force acting on it. 

As we see, F = ma. So, Force = mass x acceleration. Acceleration is the rate of change of velocity in the body, so a positive acceleration (such as 5 m/s^2) tells us that the speed of the body increases with time. And a negative acceleration means, the body is slowing down, gradually. 

Considering our scenario, it is evident that we can to speed up, i.e improve. So, we'll have to maintain a positive acceleration. And that means, a > 0. So, since F is proportional to a, F > 0, i.e we'll have to maintain a constant push, in the direction in which we want to move. 

So, when we develop a good habit, such as drinking enough water each day (more than 2.5 L, at least), or start learning a foreign language, we need to keep the habit under constant surveillance (sorry, victims of NSA) of the Prosokhe, our state of constant attention and conscious alertness. Neuroscience tells us, that it takes 3 weeks to make/break a habit, after all. 

For all of you who are sitting uninspired, waiting for some miracle to happen, understand that the true miracle is the result of our own choices, decisions and their implementation through our actions. No matter what our current state is, be it a prosperous, happy and content one or a state of bleak hopelessness, we CAN always improve things! Because no matter what a body's speed is, it can always move faster. 

Unless it has reached the speed of light, but that's a separate issue, since nothing can actually reach the speed of light, unless it has a rest mass of zero. To simplify things, let us denote the speed of light, c, as something analogous to the state of the Sage - unattainable, yet a great role-model to follow. 

So, what does the second law translate to, for the Stoics? Well, something like this: 

"If you want to develop a good habit, practice the habit daily and routinely, because your art of practising will make you better at it, each day". 

Sounds cheesy, eh? I'm no Virgil or Bankim, sadly. But you get the gist anyway, I hope. :P 

What happens if we stop? 

Okay, so whenever any body moves on the surface of another, there's the force of friction opposing the motion. This force of friction can be many types - rolling friction, kinetic friction, static friction, etc. Differentiating between them is beyond the scope of this post. It's just that friction is the antithesis of motion, so it'll always try to slow your body down. 

Now, when a force F acts on the body in the direction of its motion, another force f (the force of friction) simultaneously acts on it in the opposite direction. This force f = μ_k x N, where N is the force of normal reaction (usually, equal to the weight of the body) and μ_k is the coefficient of kinetic friction, a characteristic property associated with various surfaces. 

Yes, Prosokhe is the need of the hour!

For our analogy, when F contributes to the motion of the body, f opposes it. So, the net force acting on the body is ( F - f ). So, to make sure that the body moves, the force on it must be greater than the force of friction opposing it. 

If we want to live a good habit, therefore, we must act against our mind, when it tells us to stop, to give the thing up. And why is the mind telling us that? Because it is untrained. Because the general nature of any system is to generate entropy, i.e chaos, with time. And idleness, let me remind you all, is death. Life is dynamic, so we must be dynamic as well, to prosper. 

The idleness we face in the form of sentiments like "Ah, feeling too sleepy today. I'll definitely go for morning walks from tomorrow ;) ", "Oops! It's too late today, to finish that report. Ok, how 'bout day after tomorrow? :D ", "That extra dosa can't hurt my diet plans. And I am nothing if not a connoisseur :) ", are antagonistic, devotedly, to the process of development. That's why, Epictetus and Marcus remind us, time and again, to strictly follow our self-established rules, and not walk away from it, even for a single day. 

So, when we combine this with the Stoic analogy to Newton's first law of motion, we have the following Stoic principle in store for us: 

"Choose only good influences, and turn them into habits. Once you do that, never, even for a day, stop practising those habits, and you'll prosper, gradually but inevitably" 

Image credits 

Pixable, www.freegreatpicture.com, Wikipedia

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How to Be Stoically Social:My Eccentric Ruminations

" When you arise in the morning, think of what a precious privilege it is to                      be alive - to breathe, to think, to enjoy, to love."

    - Marcus Aurelius

Introduction:

By anyone's book,i could be termed as anti-social and always looking down at people from my high horse.I don't necessarily blame or abhor them for the same,as i understand consciously that i can come off as cocky and insensitive sometimes.I had sufficiently highlighted about my mild misanthropy in my previous post and how i gradually and arduously got over the hump.

 But regardless,i'll swiftly bring you up to speed about my prior condition in brevity.

Predicament of the Past:        

I had strained relations with my kin and most of the members of the homo sapiens   species,the slightest remark or gesture and i would fly off the handle and go ballistic.I ate alone (yes...all meals!) and had no friends who i can call to talk or even       ask or share the slightest issues.

Conversations with everyone would be brief and  utilitarian.I would spend long hours ogling at the glaring screen at inspirational videos,kindling dreams of making it big,that was my only quantum of solace(pun intended).I distrusted/disliked everyone....period.

Fast forward to the Present.I'm Still the Same...psych.Through stoicism i have changed socially...a lot.But before i describe my present situation,let me demonstrate how this transformation happened.This might help you with your particular predicament (if you're reading and plan to implement it,that it).

Now,the Good Stuff...

So,stoicism teaches deep introspection and analysis of the underlying and highly significant beliefs that dictate by attitude and caused my situation.Hence,i proceeded to do the same .I present my findings through a series of Stoic bullet points (for the reader's convenience and  comprehension):

1) Be a Lichen,not a Leech:Relations based on support and not need

We Grow as We Know

 Dayummm! (damn,for some of you purists), this hit me like a sledgehammer on the cranium,i thought relationships were based on need and personal motives.All my relations were exactly that, needy as hell!i always thought that friends are made so that when you have a requirement or errand to run,they can be used.

Needless to say,that was the reason i had NO solid and trustworthy bond with anyone in my life,due to my self-centred nature.I had to be contributing to a relationship like a bank account,if it was to flourish.

"Love sometimes injures. Friendship always benefits."

Relations should be made from a position of self-sufficiency and support mutual growth ,to prevent it from becoming parasitic and insidious.When i got that,i knew right away...that i got decisions to make!

2) I'm Stoic & Emotional: Gotta Love 'em All:

  

Yeah...He too Cries!

An oxymoron you say? then you obviously haven't grasped the essence of stoicism.Epictetus said that it’s the Stoic concept of “appropriate action”, in our family and civil relationships, and of the “discipline of action” through which Stoics train themselves to act justly and philanthropically, which lay to rest the misconception that they are aloof and unemotional like certain other ancient philosophers (Discourses, 3.2).

The Change maker:

Stoics espoused that humans are rational and social creatures,hence it is only appropriate to showcase natural emotions and affections towards the ones we love.We cannot escape our nature,hence we should embrace it,what we can do to prevent having severe feeling of love/infatuation for a person is to spread it out to all of humanity.They called this 'philanthropy'.This made me stop and think for a while about my misanthropy that may have been ignited from a few unfavorable incidents,that i may have generalized to an entire species and that the only way to remove it is to accept them while having a general affection and respect for all beings uniformly.This also prevent any irrational passions creeping in. I was on to something....dope!

3) Ain't Nobody Perfect :Embrace their flaws and yours

True Dat.

The Problem:
Generally speaking I was pissed off,i got irascible and impatient with the flaws and follies of others.I would blow a gasket if a person did something stupid un/intentionally,the smallest of undesirable things,would get my goat.

Change maker: 

Then i learned about The Discipline of Desire (Stoic Acceptance),that basically stated to accept everything that happens to you as it is fated,while having the wisdom to know the things you can/cannot influence.This does not mean you become a 'pushover' or as Americans call it a 'pussy'.What this means is,you can/have to do everything you can in your control to do good for yourself/humanity and embrace the result (whatever it might be) wholeheartedly. That's some deep shit..homie!,i thought,while reminiscing of Bhagvad GIta that echoed similar actions.

Action Jackson:

So,it is important to know that,the world and its inhabitants and the results of events are out of your control,the only thing in your control is your rational judgement and how you use it to make the best of the circumstances.I'm coming to grips with this reality,but its hella HARD!!

4) Keepin' It Real: Being comfortable in your skin:

Hells Yeah! 

The problem: 
I found it difficult and sometimes embarrassing to be the actual me,in front of my friends or even strangers,for that matter.I thought that i was being judged each and every moment and that being my true self,would out across a wrong message to all the people.It was getting more problematic due to the genesis of an internal conflict that deteriorated my mental status quo.

Change-maker: 
the stoics professed the doctrine of being oneself,and living in accordance so as to become on congruence with the nature.Moreover,i also understood one vital fact: they will judge no matter what and they don't know squat about you,in reality.After i understood this, i realized not to put too much weight on people's judgments and analysis because it is mostly subjective and superficial in nature.hence, i began to express myself through rap music and was unapologetic hence forth for being.... me.

5) Grow with your Whole and Soul : Holistic development through relations

Or Not ! 

Organic and Solid relations help in the all-round development of a person,as we are inherently social animals.The support of our friends and family,can encourage us to pursue our chosen endeavor with renewed vigor and can also provide a safety net during rocky patches on our lives.

Having reliable and symbiotic relations,gives confidence and assurance to experience life in all its glory and can be a liberating experience rather than a binding one.I myself,have made some strong friendships along the years which continue to pay huge dividends over periods of time.
   

What Now? : Well, you have to understand one major important thing:

 You can let people become your secret weapon that you use to achieve all your aspirations or an excuse to rationalize your lack of success. Choose One!















Peace.Harmony.Growth.

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