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William B. Irvine Biography

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“Most of them, I suspect, come to the mall not because there is something specific that they need to buy. Rather, they come in the hope that doing so will trigger a desire for something that, before going to the mall, they didn't want. It might be a desire for a cashmere sweater, a set of socket wrenches, or the latest cell phone. Why go out of their way to trigger desire? Because if they trigger one, they can enjoy the rush that comes when they extinguish that desire by buying its object. It is a rush, of course, that has little to do with their long-term happiness as taking a hit of heroin has to do with the long-term happiness of a heroin addict. My ability to form desires for consumer goods seems to have atrophied. What brought about this state of affairs? The profound realization, thanks to the practice of Stoicism, that requiring the things that those in my social circle typically crave and work hard to afford will, in the long run, make zero difference in how happy I am and will in no way contribute to my having a good life.”

HappinessDesireGood LifeMinimalism
Book:A Guide to the Good Life: The Ancient Art of Stoic Joy
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“Suppose you woke up one morning to discover that you were the last person on earth. [...] In the situation described, you could satisfy many material desires that you can't satisfy in our actual world. You could have the car of your dreams. You could even have a showroom full of expensive cars. You could have the house of your dreams - or live in a palace. You could wear very expensive clothes. You could acquire not just a big diamond ring but the Hope Diamond itself. The interesting question is this: without people around, would you still want these things?”

DesireMaterialismConsumerismMaterial ThingsMaterial WorldMaterial PossessionsMaterialistic SocietyWhat We WantWhat Do I WantWhy We Want
Book:On Desire: Why We Want what We Want
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“Ludzie, których kochamy, nie zostaną z nami na zawsze [...]. Dlatego stoicy radzą, żeby regularnie przypominać sobie, jakie to cudowne, że ludzie, których kochamy, są teraz częścią naszego życia. Mogło przecież wydarzyć się coś, co by was rozdzieliło, ale jak dotąd do tego nie doszło. Co za szczęście prawda?”

FilozofiaLudzieMiłośćRelacjeTęsknotaPrzyjaźńStoicyzm
Book:The Stoic Challenge: A Philosopher's Guide to Becoming Tougher, Calmer, and More Resilient
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“Spójrz [...] na sytuację Marcii, rzymianki z I wieku n.e., która po trzech latach od śmierci syna wciąż bardzo go opłakiwała. Seneka poradził jej, by zamiast lamentować, iż życie syna dobiegło końca, była wdzięczna, że miała go przy sobie przez ten czas, który był mu dany.”

śMierćFilozofiaStoicyzmżAłobaSeneka
Book:The Stoic Challenge: A Philosopher's Guide to Becoming Tougher, Calmer, and More Resilient
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