The Rad Stoic #035

I was listening to The Stoic Coffee Break, as one does, and the chap was lauding the Stoics to be able to hold two truths at once without allowing one to cancel out the other. Some examples of our typical talk track: "I love my job but it's tiring." "My spouse is amazing but I need some 'me' time." "The Phillies suck but Schwarber is awesome."

These statements battle each other. The things that enables the battle is the word "but."

"No...its's the fact that Aaron Nola is a home run waiting to happen but Schwarber is a must watch."

"Actually, Nola is a HR waiting to happen AND Schwarber is a must watch."

That switch. One word. It gives us a whole new allowance to look at the situation differently.

And the ability to hold seemingly opposite views as true at once is the essence of Temperance. Balance. Discipline to not subscribe to one and eviscerate the other. As Obi-Wan told Anakin, "only a Sith deals in absolutes" then he proceeded to CUT OFF HIS REMAINING HUMAN LIMBS!!! SPOILER ALERT.

But a struggle makes for good drama and good internal mental balance. But is it a struggle? Or just an unsettled conflict of multiple truths?

This is why Stoicism isn't the easiest thing in the world to follow. As humans there is something satisfying about a "situation" being resolved. Done and dusted. Another thing checked off the list. A tie in the NFL is pretty gross. We don't like that. So let's settle the score. Winner. Loser. Unambiguous.

But temperance requires us to live in a state of limbo and moderation. To hold multiple ideas as accurate and valid.

"But I don't want to!"

What other things don't you want to do that make sense for you to do? Many? Yea...this whole thing is about putting into words what you must do through logic and reason. And then acting upon it.

(Sorry, Aaron Nola, for catching strays. You have been a good Phillie for a long time.)