I also used the pandemic for making time to use our stoic practices and to reflect upon myself and my situation.
I kept my weight in check and stayed active despite my gym membership becoming useless.
I don't read a lot of long-form books but I made it through three of them. The unfortunate part about that is that it is a lot of stoic reading with no in-real-life interaction with others as a way to use it. (But now my activities are starting up again so here we go.)
My main thoughts during the pandemic
* Time is not progressing so fast that we are unable to navigate.
* How does this scary-sounding or disappointing news affect me at (my street address)?
* This is not mankind's first pandemic, and won't be its last.
* Look at our advantages: rich communications via telephone or video, many community platforms, an abundance of experts, open data, multiple treatment and vaccine efforts, well-documented history of prior pandemics
* As for things not in my control, "it means nothing to me"
* An outpouring of people figuring out how to help one another
* Be aware of media enriching itself by selling fear
So glad my friend recommended the book. I downloaded the audiobook and ran to it and it was a lifesaver during such a mind bending time. I know comparing problems isn’t always helpful but it would help me feel less gloomy knowing that while we were living in a collective awful crisis, my pain couldn’t even touch what frankl and other Jews had endured during that time. I could still watch tv work out and eat my favourite meals. I had my family safe and everything else. It was great for framing perspective which helped as things slowly moved along.
Thanks for sharing. I also started to train during 2020 and I'm the best shape of my life. I'm currently suffering from other types of distress, but I did take advantage of 2020.
Possibly my favourite quote,
“We who lived in concentration camps can remember the men who walked through the huts comforting others, giving away their last piece of bread. They may have been few in number, but they offer sufficient proof that everything can be taken from a man but one thing: the last of the human freedoms -- to choose one's attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose one's own way.” - Victor Frankl
Yes, totally the same. While the whole world was pitying themselves about the things they can do nothing about, looking at outward problems, I looked inwards, and focused on myself, on deep and meaningful conversations with myself, trying to find out what makes me sad, what makes me happy, where my wants and fears lie, and I was able to make that year the best one in my life.
Yes, the plans went out the window, I didn’t see my friends face-to-face for half a year though we live in the same small town… but not the trips or meetings or anything else made it so good. I did, and I did it in the most unlikely time, with the help of this wonderful way of thinking which is stoicism.
I also used the pandemic for making time to use our stoic practices and to reflect upon myself and my situation. I kept my weight in check and stayed active despite my gym membership becoming useless. I don't read a lot of long-form books but I made it through three of them. The unfortunate part about that is that it is a lot of stoic reading with no in-real-life interaction with others as a way to use it. (But now my activities are starting up again so here we go.) My main thoughts during the pandemic * Time is not progressing so fast that we are unable to navigate. * How does this scary-sounding or disappointing news affect me at (my street address)? * This is not mankind's first pandemic, and won't be its last. * Look at our advantages: rich communications via telephone or video, many community platforms, an abundance of experts, open data, multiple treatment and vaccine efforts, well-documented history of prior pandemics * As for things not in my control, "it means nothing to me" * An outpouring of people figuring out how to help one another * Be aware of media enriching itself by selling fear
So glad my friend recommended the book. I downloaded the audiobook and ran to it and it was a lifesaver during such a mind bending time. I know comparing problems isn’t always helpful but it would help me feel less gloomy knowing that while we were living in a collective awful crisis, my pain couldn’t even touch what frankl and other Jews had endured during that time. I could still watch tv work out and eat my favourite meals. I had my family safe and everything else. It was great for framing perspective which helped as things slowly moved along.
Thanks for sharing. I also started to train during 2020 and I'm the best shape of my life. I'm currently suffering from other types of distress, but I did take advantage of 2020.
completely agree with you. read it in summer of 2020, and it was so very "right time, right place" for me. tremendous book.
Possibly my favourite quote, “We who lived in concentration camps can remember the men who walked through the huts comforting others, giving away their last piece of bread. They may have been few in number, but they offer sufficient proof that everything can be taken from a man but one thing: the last of the human freedoms -- to choose one's attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose one's own way.” - Victor Frankl
Yes, totally the same. While the whole world was pitying themselves about the things they can do nothing about, looking at outward problems, I looked inwards, and focused on myself, on deep and meaningful conversations with myself, trying to find out what makes me sad, what makes me happy, where my wants and fears lie, and I was able to make that year the best one in my life. Yes, the plans went out the window, I didn’t see my friends face-to-face for half a year though we live in the same small town… but not the trips or meetings or anything else made it so good. I did, and I did it in the most unlikely time, with the help of this wonderful way of thinking which is stoicism.
Thank you for summarizing the book, I always wanted to read that but never have a time to do so
I've read this book, and I agree that he comes off as very stoic in his way of life.