Darius Foroux - Focus on What Matters: A Collection of Stoic Letters on Living Well

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Copyright 2022 by Darius Foroux, All Rights Reserved

Copyright 2022 by Darius Foroux, All Rights Reserved

Published by Darius Foroux

www.dariusforoux.com

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law. The author of this book does not give medical advice or prescribe the use of any technique as a form of treatment for physical, emotional, or medical problems without the advice of a physician. In the case of depression, anxiety disorder, panic disorder, or any other emotional condition, consult your physician before using the techniques described in this book. The intent of the author is only to offer information of a general nature to help you in your quest for better thinking. In the event you use any of the information in this book for yourself, the author does not assume responsibility for your actions.

ISBN: 9789083301815

I discovered Stoicism in early 2015, right around the time my grandmother passed away, and I was dealing with a breakup and a career switch everything happened at the same time. Stoicism helped me remain resilient during that difficult time. Ive been studying the philosophy ever since. Roughly speaking (and highly generalizing), there are two philosophies on which to base your life.

Seeking pleasure: Think of Hedonism and some ideas from Epicureanism

Finding pleasure in duty: Think of Stoicism, Zen, and other philosophies that promote self-reliance

I believe seeking pleasure is the current philosophy of the world. We live in a society that revolves around pleasure, consumption, and escapism. Most of us simply want to be comfortable in life. While theres nothing wrong with making our lives better, theres a major risk in taking this philosophy too far. When youre primarily driven by pleasure, you risk ending up on the hedonic treadmill. This is not new information. We all know social media makes us feel unworthy and depressed. We know we cant buy our way to happiness. We also know that seeking pleasure turns us into slaves of our desires. And yet, we fall for these traps every day.

One of my favorite Stoic philosophers is Seneca. He was not only a thinker, but he also had a long career in politics, serving as a senator and later as the advisor to Nero. His works show how practical he was. Towards the end of his life, he started traveling and writing letters to his friend, Lucilius. The goal of these letters was to share Stoic thoughts with Lucilius, who had hedonistic tendencies and lived a busy life. At the time, Seneca himself took a step back from public life and left Rome. From the quiet countryside of southern Italy, he wrote 124 letters to Lucilius. Ive been a long-time fan of these. You can tell that Seneca subtly tries to convince his friend to be more stoic, to pursue tranquility, and to focus on whats inside his control.

Senecas original letters still serve as reminders to focus on the right things in life. The Stoics believed that to live a happy life, you need to go against the herd. In a letter to his brother, Seneca wrote this: