I Don’t Have That Problem

[DISCLAIMER]

As Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT) is informed by Stoic philosophy, this blog entry is part of an ongoing series regarding a book entitled The Daily Stoic: 366 Meditations on Wisdom, Perseverance, and the Art of Living by Ryan Holiday and Stephen Hanselman.

Coming closer to finishing The Daily Stoic, I’m glad. Although I’ve taken some useful lessons from the book, I’ve often disagreed with the perspective outlined by its authors. For instance, aside from overreliance on unjustified generalizations, they frequently appeal to authority.

Using a similar tactic, imagine that I expressed adoration for the late United States (U.S.) President Ronald Reagan. Each person is merely a fallible human being, yet presidents have the ability to influence the world in a manner which is more flawed than the average individual.

Reagan was no exception to this claim. Nevertheless, suppose that I glazed the late president for the time when he reportedly stated, “Some people work an entire lifetime and wonder if they ever made a difference to the world. But the Marines don’t have that problem.”

For context, a problem is merely a question raised for inquiry, consideration, or solution, as in an intricate unsettled question. Because of my service in the U.S. Marine Corps (1996-2007), I may shower Reagan with excessive, over-the-top, or unwarranted praise and flattery (i.e., glazing).

“Reagan was a good man for declaring that my life is purposeful and meaningful,” I may conclude, “because of my military service.” To whom does this sort of uncritical thinking appeal? Perhaps some readers of The Daily Stoic appreciate this kind of appeal to authority.

I don’t have that problem. Thus, I don’t require acknowledgement from fallible figures who’ve arguably engaged in questionable acts—far more consequential than the average individual—as I then use unjustified generalizations by believing that others will also readily glaze these figures.

Therefore, I’m glad that I’m nearing completion of The Daily Stoic. In any event, the authors quote ancient Stoic philosopher Seneca, who stated, “Many times an old man has no other evidence besides his age to prove he has lived a long time” (page 383).

What more evidence is required? To whom is one proving the matter? Why does it matter that one has or hasn’t “lived a long time”? Rather than answering these critical questions, authors of The Daily Stoic simplistically expand upon Seneca’s inference by stating (page 383):

How long have you been alive? [My answer is: What does it matter?] Take the years, multiply them by 365, and then by 24. How many hours have you lived? [What does any of this have to do with anything?] What do you have to show for all of them? [Why must I show anything at all?] The answer for many people [i.e., unjustified generalization] is: not enough. [Not “enough,” in comparison to what?]

We had so many hours that we took them for granted. All we have to show for our time on this planet are rounds of golf, years spent at the office, time spent watching mediocre movies, a stack of mindless books we hardly remember reading, and maybe a garage full of toys [i.e., unjustified generalization]. We’re like the character in Raymond Chandler’s The Long Goodbye: “Mostly, I just kill time,” he says, “and it dies hard.”

Allow me to break the fourth wall for a moment. Do you, the reader of this blogpost, uncritically accept the claim that you’re like the unjustified generalization with which you’ve been designated by the authors? Are you so willing to believe anything that you don’t ask questions?

I don’t have that problem. Maybe you do. If this is the case, then by all means, please don’t let my advocacy for critical thinking interrupt a simple-minded approach to Stoicism. For you, I share that authors of The Daily Stoic conclude (page 383):

One day, our hours will begin to run out. It would be nice to be able to say: “Hey, I really made the most of it.” Not in the form of achievements, not money, not status—you know what the Stoics think of all that—but in wisdom, insight, and real progress in the things that all humans struggle against [i.e., unjustified generalization].

What if you could say that you really made something of this time that you had? [And what if it didn’t matter?] What if you could prove that you really did live [insert number] years? ] And what if you had nothing to prove to yourself or anyone else?] And not just lived them, but lived them fully? [And what will it matter, as you’ll be dead and none of this will matter?]

Do you seriously appreciate uncritically digesting information, as outlined herein by authors of The Daily Stoic? I don’t have that problem, and it has nothing to do with the fact that I was a Marine or that Reagan once said something with which many Marines agree.

In closing, I invite you to think for yourself. Ask questions. My blog content is no exception to this matter. If you encounter information I’ve posted, then think for yourself. Ask questions. Otherwise, be prepared to simply rely on unjustified generalizations and appeals to authority.

If you’re looking for a provider who tries to work to help understand how thinking impacts physical, mental, emotional, and behavioral elements of your life—helping you to sharpen your critical thinking skills, I invite you to reach out today by using the contact widget on my website.

As a psychotherapist, I’m pleased to try to help people with an assortment of issues ranging from anger (hostility, rage, and aggression) to relational issues, adjustment matters, trauma experience, justice involvement, attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, anxiety and depression, and other mood or personality-related matters.

At Hollings Therapy, LLC, serving all of Texas, I aim to treat clients with dignity and respect while offering a multi-lensed approach to the practice of psychotherapy and life coaching. My mission includes: Prioritizing the cognitive and emotive needs of clients, an overall reduction in client suffering, and supporting sustainable growth for the clients I serve. Rather than simply trying to help you to feel better, I want to try to help you get better!

Deric Hollings, LPC, LCSW

References:

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