My journey with stoicism, part 1
I was introduced to the concept of stoicism through Dr. Hannibal Lecter. I’ve always appreciated the ideas his stories explored. Not only did I enjoy Silence of the Lambs and the Hannibal TV show, I found it endlessly compelling that a psychopath would reference stoic philosophy in understanding people.
The pursuit of happiness
There seem to be two competing theories on happiness. The first one says that if you take the initiative to follow your passion or talents, you will achieve great success, which will bring you happiness. The other one says that the more intensely you pursue a goal, the less likely you are to achieve it, and that you must learn to let go to achieve true happiness.
Memories are a kind of myth
At some point, the past can no longer exist. There’s only so much a brain can hold. As much as we wish to remain objective, survival makes it impossible. Eventually, we start telling ourselves stories to make the present worth living.
Why I wrote this book
This book began with a question I could feel long before I had the words. In 2005, three years before the global financial crisis, I was a senior in high school. Even though many of us were successful in getting into college, there was an undeniable feeling that the world was moving farther away. Away from our ideals. Away from reality.
Making self-help actually helpful
When I was younger, I hated the idea of self-help. Despite having spent a fair amount of time in my local bookstore, I don’t recall ever browsing the self-help section. I thought all those authors were charlatans selling the same snake oil in a shiny new package.