I have read about the application of Newton's laws, qualitatively, in the genres such as self-improvement and self-help. And like every other person on this planet, I too, took the liberty of drafting my own version of these laws, for the singular purpose of relating my Stoic experience in words. The result - the Newtonian laws of Stoicism, for want of a better name.
So, before you accuse me of using pseudoscience to present my views, let me stress that these 'laws' are not truly aimed to be scientific. Instead, these are like the 22 non-negotiable laws of wellness, that Greg Anderson documented in his famous book of the same name. In fact, the 'law' here should be interpreted as a helpful generalization, that aims to become a guiding principle in our journey to become better Stoics, a.k.a better masters of our own emotions and behaviour. I admit that I am using the term rather loosely, of course.
Newton's laws helped establish what later became Newtonian Mechanics, or Classical Mechanics, the branch of mechanics that deals with precise mathematical descriptions of forces and motion in the visible world around us. In fact, Newtonian mechanics can be seen as an effective theory of the more accurate and precise Quantum Mechanics.
This isn't a scientific paper, still here's the 3 laws, once again:
1. Unless an external force is applied, a body tends to retain its state of rest or uniform motion along a straight line forever.
2. The rate of change of momentum of a body is directly proportional to the force applied on it, and the change in momentum takes place in the direction of the applied force.
3. To every action, there's an equal and opposite reaction, i.e forces always exist in pairs.
Now, let us discuss the Stoic analogies that we can derive from these purely mechanical observations.
We know it well, from observation, that when a system is at rest, it will never automatically move, by itself, unless a force acts on it. This force, therefore, is the thrust that causes the body to shift its position. Now, the force here can be considered an influence, and we can see the connection between simple mechanical descriptions of nature, and our more complex lives.
As we advance into each new day, we meet a number of influences - political views, religious sentiments, generalizations made by others in the form of sexism, racism, nationalism, casteism (in India) etc. These influences are neutral, since they can not be categorized into good and bad categories. But, the way they impact us, can be good or bad.
Most of the time, misinformed generalizations are the root of hatred and chaos. Consider the following statements:
Men are smarter and stronger than women! So, all women MUST submit to the will of their husbands, for women are inferior!
Shudras are the worst people in the Indian society, while Brahmins alone can liberate the country from suffering! Long live the Indian caste system!
Adolf Hitler was a Nazi! And he was also Austrian! So all Austrians are Nazis!
See, how incredibly stupid, misinformed and offensive do these statements seem to us! A true Stoic would simply laugh at them, but not all of us are true Stoics. So, for example, most Brahmins in India would agree with the second statement, and this has been the cause of much suffering in India.
(I am a Brahmin myself, so far as the infamous caste system is strictly considered. But I have identified the errors in this system, and therefore, I chose to be a rational human first, and not a Brahmin)
Negative influences also come in a variety of other ways, in the form of yellow journalism in the news-media, superstitions, quick judgements and conclusions and so on. But how, and why, should we categorize these influences into positive and negative ones?
It's simpler than it looks. Consider the motion of a body, that moves from south to north, in a straight line. Now, any northward force for the ball will accelerate it in its direction of motion, while any southward force will do the opposite. Thus, relative to the direction of the body's motion, all S-N (south to north) forces are positive, while all N-S (north to south) forces are negative.
Likewise, relative to our motion in life, i.e gradual evolution into rational, benevolent and intelligent beings guided by reason, some of these influences are negative, while others are positive.
Stoicism itself is a great example of a positive influence - it teaches us to rely on our ability to reason and judge, rather than jump to conclusions blindly. Let us not be like Hodur in the Norse mythology, the blind god who was tricked by Loki into throwing a sharpened mistletoe towards Baldur, the god of the sun, thereby killing the latter. The world around us is dark, intellectually speaking, but as stars light up the night sky, the torch of reason lights our way along the dark road.
Zeno instructed us to live in accordance, and later, Chrysippus and others told us to live in accordance with Nature. And judging from our past and present, it is easy to see that nature intends us to follow the path of reason, because reason just works. Science, technology, mathematics, engineering, economics etc are all fuelled by neutral observations and objective reasoning. So, reason is the tool that we should utilize, in choosing and categorizing the influences, those invisible forces that shape the society.
Influences are of many types. A few basic examples are:
1. An opinion, public or individual.
2. A conclusion or judgement, that slowly develops into a view.
3. Another person, whose behaviour influences your own.
4. A book, movie, news article etc.
5. Things our elders tell us
I am a practitioner, but no master, of Stoicism. And I am no prolific writer either, let me admit that beforehand. As such, take the analogy, stated below, with a pinch of salt:
A. The world is full of influences, some of which accelerate our progress, while the rest retard it.
B. As forces cause bodies to change their state of rest or uniform motion, influences - in the forms of beliefs, practices, habits etc - have the potential to change our behaviour, views, judgements, mental states of happiness or sorrow.
C. We have the power to accept or ignore influences in our lives.
D. As rational beings, it is our duty to accept only those influences, that can help accentuate and accelerate our progress.
And thus, the natural conclusion, that follows from the premises above, is:
Let us, now, turn to some practical applications of this statement. Consider sleep. Nature intends us to sleep properly at night, to regain our energy, stamina and cognitive resources for the next day. But now, there are late night TV shows, computer games, night-long parties, night-clubs and bars, that can help us in staying awake through the night.
Many people, especially youngsters, develop this habit of staying up till 1 or 2 AM. The result? They get up late, tired and irritated. Having been a victim of the same practice, I saw how my own cognitive processes took a hit, following a midnight gaming or chatting session. Thus, since this particular practice, staying up till late, is against what is intended by nature, it is also against my progress as a human being.
Thankfully, I have the power to reject this habit. It is widely known in neuroscience, that habits and practices have the power to restructure our brains, and it takes as less as 21 days to build/destroy a habit. So, well within a month, those of us that suffer from insomnia can cure themselves, without the need of drugs or medical help, if they only follow a few handy rules, such as, turning their consumer electronic devices (tablets, gaming consoles, computers, smartphones etc) off after 9 PM, taking a shower before going to bed, doing enough physical exercise and eating healthy, cutting down on caffeine after evening, saying NO to daytime naps exceeding 30 minutes, etc.
Another good example is smoking. Our lungs evolved to inhale air, and not carcinogenic particles found in cigarette smoke. So, no matter how good or stylish it feels to smoke, it is against nature, and against our own progress, to smoke. So, smoking is a negative influence.
Any good habit can be a positive influence. Reading Stoic philosophy, as Seneca and Epictetus would agree, is one such influence, since it helps make ourselves more rational, virtuous and understanding individuals.
Going for a morning/evening stroll daily, for example, is another example. It helps us get enough exercise, gives us some time to enjoy the simple pleasures life has to offer, and enhances our physical bodies nonetheless.
Likewise, anything and everything, that can help us stay in greater agreement with nature, can be regarded as a positive influence. And as some forces accelerate the motion of a body, positive influences can accelerate our progress.
(To be continued in parts II and III)
 |
| Image credits: http://organizationalphysics.com/ |
Newton's 3 laws of motion, a quick revision
Newton's laws helped establish what later became Newtonian Mechanics, or Classical Mechanics, the branch of mechanics that deals with precise mathematical descriptions of forces and motion in the visible world around us. In fact, Newtonian mechanics can be seen as an effective theory of the more accurate and precise Quantum Mechanics.
This isn't a scientific paper, still here's the 3 laws, once again:
1. Unless an external force is applied, a body tends to retain its state of rest or uniform motion along a straight line forever.
2. The rate of change of momentum of a body is directly proportional to the force applied on it, and the change in momentum takes place in the direction of the applied force.
3. To every action, there's an equal and opposite reaction, i.e forces always exist in pairs.
Now, let us discuss the Stoic analogies that we can derive from these purely mechanical observations.
Newton's first law for the Stoics
We know it well, from observation, that when a system is at rest, it will never automatically move, by itself, unless a force acts on it. This force, therefore, is the thrust that causes the body to shift its position. Now, the force here can be considered an influence, and we can see the connection between simple mechanical descriptions of nature, and our more complex lives.
As we advance into each new day, we meet a number of influences - political views, religious sentiments, generalizations made by others in the form of sexism, racism, nationalism, casteism (in India) etc. These influences are neutral, since they can not be categorized into good and bad categories. But, the way they impact us, can be good or bad.
Most of the time, misinformed generalizations are the root of hatred and chaos. Consider the following statements:
Men are smarter and stronger than women! So, all women MUST submit to the will of their husbands, for women are inferior!
Shudras are the worst people in the Indian society, while Brahmins alone can liberate the country from suffering! Long live the Indian caste system!
Adolf Hitler was a Nazi! And he was also Austrian! So all Austrians are Nazis!
See, how incredibly stupid, misinformed and offensive do these statements seem to us! A true Stoic would simply laugh at them, but not all of us are true Stoics. So, for example, most Brahmins in India would agree with the second statement, and this has been the cause of much suffering in India.
(I am a Brahmin myself, so far as the infamous caste system is strictly considered. But I have identified the errors in this system, and therefore, I chose to be a rational human first, and not a Brahmin)
Influences - invisible forces that shape our societies
 |
| "The key is to keep company only with people who uplift you, whose presence calls forth your best" - Epictetus |
It's simpler than it looks. Consider the motion of a body, that moves from south to north, in a straight line. Now, any northward force for the ball will accelerate it in its direction of motion, while any southward force will do the opposite. Thus, relative to the direction of the body's motion, all S-N (south to north) forces are positive, while all N-S (north to south) forces are negative.
Likewise, relative to our motion in life, i.e gradual evolution into rational, benevolent and intelligent beings guided by reason, some of these influences are negative, while others are positive.
Stoicism itself is a great example of a positive influence - it teaches us to rely on our ability to reason and judge, rather than jump to conclusions blindly. Let us not be like Hodur in the Norse mythology, the blind god who was tricked by Loki into throwing a sharpened mistletoe towards Baldur, the god of the sun, thereby killing the latter. The world around us is dark, intellectually speaking, but as stars light up the night sky, the torch of reason lights our way along the dark road.
Zeno instructed us to live in accordance, and later, Chrysippus and others told us to live in accordance with Nature. And judging from our past and present, it is easy to see that nature intends us to follow the path of reason, because reason just works. Science, technology, mathematics, engineering, economics etc are all fuelled by neutral observations and objective reasoning. So, reason is the tool that we should utilize, in choosing and categorizing the influences, those invisible forces that shape the society.
Types of influences
Influences are of many types. A few basic examples are:
1. An opinion, public or individual.
2. A conclusion or judgement, that slowly develops into a view.
3. Another person, whose behaviour influences your own.
4. A book, movie, news article etc.
5. Things our elders tell us
So, what's the 'law'?
I am a practitioner, but no master, of Stoicism. And I am no prolific writer either, let me admit that beforehand. As such, take the analogy, stated below, with a pinch of salt:
A. The world is full of influences, some of which accelerate our progress, while the rest retard it.
B. As forces cause bodies to change their state of rest or uniform motion, influences - in the forms of beliefs, practices, habits etc - have the potential to change our behaviour, views, judgements, mental states of happiness or sorrow.
C. We have the power to accept or ignore influences in our lives.
D. As rational beings, it is our duty to accept only those influences, that can help accentuate and accelerate our progress.
And thus, the natural conclusion, that follows from the premises above, is:
"Choose only those influences that aid you in your progress, and reject the rest"
Practical examples
Let us, now, turn to some practical applications of this statement. Consider sleep. Nature intends us to sleep properly at night, to regain our energy, stamina and cognitive resources for the next day. But now, there are late night TV shows, computer games, night-long parties, night-clubs and bars, that can help us in staying awake through the night.
 |
| Not a positive influence, right? |
Thankfully, I have the power to reject this habit. It is widely known in neuroscience, that habits and practices have the power to restructure our brains, and it takes as less as 21 days to build/destroy a habit. So, well within a month, those of us that suffer from insomnia can cure themselves, without the need of drugs or medical help, if they only follow a few handy rules, such as, turning their consumer electronic devices (tablets, gaming consoles, computers, smartphones etc) off after 9 PM, taking a shower before going to bed, doing enough physical exercise and eating healthy, cutting down on caffeine after evening, saying NO to daytime naps exceeding 30 minutes, etc.
Another good example is smoking. Our lungs evolved to inhale air, and not carcinogenic particles found in cigarette smoke. So, no matter how good or stylish it feels to smoke, it is against nature, and against our own progress, to smoke. So, smoking is a negative influence.
What are some positive influences?
Any good habit can be a positive influence. Reading Stoic philosophy, as Seneca and Epictetus would agree, is one such influence, since it helps make ourselves more rational, virtuous and understanding individuals.
Going for a morning/evening stroll daily, for example, is another example. It helps us get enough exercise, gives us some time to enjoy the simple pleasures life has to offer, and enhances our physical bodies nonetheless.
Likewise, anything and everything, that can help us stay in greater agreement with nature, can be regarded as a positive influence. And as some forces accelerate the motion of a body, positive influences can accelerate our progress.
(To be continued in parts II and III)
Excellent post! Learned a lot from it, please keep 'em coming :)
ReplyDeleteMany thanks, my friend. :) I checked out your modifications to the Facebook page, and indeed, they are superb!
Delete