There's a simple game we all play called the “social hierarchy game”. We constantly compare ourselves to our closest friends or co-workers to make sure we're doing as well or better than them. We use self-promotion as a tool to climb the social ladder. This makes sense from an evolutionary perspective as our ancestors had to avoid rejection from the group to stay alive. Status was directly connected to survival and access to basic life resources. This ancient habit is deeply embedded in our psyche and manifests in the brands we choose, virtue signalling on social media as well as our eating and reading habits.
You Are Not Your Thoughts
You would hope that as we get older we stop wasting time and energy on the comparison game but in reality we wear our accomplishments like medals. Your salary, the value of your home, the views on your YouTube video…letting arbitrary numbers get to your head can be a serious impediment to happiness. I’ve been pondering this thought for a number of years which has led me to dive deep into the ancient philosophy of Stoicism. Over 2,000 years ago philosophers such as Seneca, Epictetus and Marcus Aurelius taught that devoting mental resources to things outside of one’s control, like what other people thought of them, is a supreme waste of time.
Stoicism isn’t about happiness per se, but rather about living in a state of tranquility and peace with ones inner world. The Stoics recognised that for many people, the social hierarchy game was a hindrance to this state of mind. William Irvine, a professor of philosophy at Wright State University explicitly says you shouldn’t care about the opinion of most people. It is in fact a sign of progress if you get more condemnation rather than adulation. Thinking about thinking isn’t just an energy-draining distraction. Getting lost in this game actually makes it easy to be led astray from your personal priorities and look for leadership outside of yourself. Rather than idolising super-achievers, look for meaning in the transcendent. One can find great personal importance in a creative pursuit or sacrificing leisure time to something greater than yourself.
"The greatest obstacle to living is expectation, which depends on tomorrow and wastes today." - Seneca
[separator type="thin"]
Posted from my blog with SteemPress : http://www.thestyledivision.com/72-hours-in-singapore-a-lesson-in-stoicism