The Exercise of Physical Definition:
The Stoic practice of ‘physical definition’ attempts to focus attention on ‘objective representations’, without imposing value judgments on our experience. Think of an event that you find mildly upsetting, not something overwhelming. Close your eyes and imagine that you’re in that situation right now, as if it’s actually happening. See if you can sum up the essence of things objectively in a brief label or description, such as ‘Someone said something that I disagreed with.’
Try also to describe the physical properties of the situation in as much detail as possible, naming each of the ingredients that go together to compose the total situation in a ‘matter of fact’ way. Avoid any value judgments, or inferences, just stick to the raw data, the facts of the situation. Try to prevent yourself from adding anything to the initial impression you have of the physical situation, don’t go any further by judging it ‘good’ or ‘bad’, but just view it with Stoic indifference.
Take your time doing this and be patient. You’ll probably find that your feelings reduce gradually. Focus on trying to penetrate beyond your value judgments, your fears and desires, to grasp the objective nature of the situation as it is in itself (phantasia kataleptike).
"Everything that happens happens as it should, and if you observe carefully, you will find this to be so."
-Marcus Aurelius
The Excersize Of Physcial Definition.
This excersize was difficult for me. It was the first one where i struggled to comprehend what i was supposed to gain. however i beleive that we are supposed to apply neutral ties to things happening that we percieve as negative. This could be to help us take things less personally and to be less attached to the events going on to, and around us. When we remove value judgments and boil things down to their basic elements, we start to be able to see all the stocic indifferents that compose being. I realise i have little control over situautions and pretty well go with the flow as it is. It was probably more difficult to realise how well this neural definition excersize works becuase I dont often take things personally and am not really affected or perturbed by events. None the less it will defintely be integrated into my "stoic filter" of the world. In fact I was able to use it when this elderly woman stopped me downtown and tried to make me feel bad about soemthig that really had no affect whatsoever. I may or may not have J-walked on a residential road to catch a bus, no one died, and nothing out of the ordinary took place. Later that day I was appraoched and told I was endangering lives and should feel bad about myself and reevaluate my life. I was never sure if I was in fact, the person who this lady saw j walking. But it still remains no one is hurt and all of the people and elemnts involved are very benine and useless to dwell on. I could have said a stoic maxim and told her shell be dead soon, but i took the silent appraoch instead.
-Young man standing waiting for bus in glasses and leather coat
-elderly lady appraoches and accuses young man of actions that had no effect on anyone based on seeing the young mans outfit
-young man unsure of what elderly lady is trying to accomplish tells her to have a nice day and enjoy the weather,.. walks away confused.
Marcus Aurelius writes, “One must always make a definition or description of the object which is presented in an impression, so as to see it in itself, as it is in its essence, in its nakedness, in its totality, and in all its details. One must say to oneself the name which is peculiar to it, as well as the names of the parts which compose it, and into which it will be resolved”.
"A sword never kills anybody, It is a tool in the killers hand"
-Seneca? i think...
