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Today, we have a guest writer. Philosopher William O. Stephens; Professor Emeritus of Philosophy at Creighton University and author of the recent “Marcus Aurelius: Philosopher-King“. He emailed me after reading Monday’s edition and offered to write today’s. Please enjoy.
How does a Stoic deal with sickness?
The philosopher’s school is a hospital. You should not leave it feeling good, but in pain. For you do not come here healthy. One of you has a dislocated shoulder, another an abscess, another a fistula, another a headache. So, am I to sit here reciting elegant little phrases and clever sayings, so that you can go away praising me, but with the same complaints you had when you arrived? That is not what you came for. You came to be treated. Then submit to the treatment. Show the physician where you are sick. Do not hide your wounds. Long-standing habits are not removed without sharp remedies.
Bad habits like short temper, frustration, impatience, and arrogance are disorders of character. They are illnesses of the soul, not because they make you weak, but because they damage your life. They cause pain. They ruin relationships with family, friends, and coworkers. They undermine happiness. Vices hurt you.
So you turn to Stoicism for treatment.
But a cure does not happen overnight. Stoic practice works like medicine, applied repeatedly. You learn to treat arrogance with modesty by remembering that there are always people smarter, stronger, faster, and more talented than you are. You treat impatience by practicing patience in small daily moments. You treat frustration by returning to Epictetus’ fundamental divide between what is up to you and what is not. You treat anger by remembering that others are fallible human beings, doing the best they can, just like you.
Everybody gets sick. Everyone suffers from some kind of disability, injury, weakness, or limiting physical condition. Even if you rarely get ill, ageing eventually brings its own aches and twinges. Epictetus himself was lame.
Sickness is an impediment to the body, but not to the will, unless the will itself consents. Lameness is an impediment to the leg, but not to the will. And say this to yourself with regard to everything that happens; for you will find that it is an impediment to something else, but not to you, that is, not to your prohairesis.
By prohairesis, Epictetus means your faculty of choice or will. Do you identify the real you with your legs or your body? With your name or reputation? With your job title or possessions? If so, you are vulnerable to impediments everywhere.
But if you identify the real you with your prohairesis, then your self can remain free and unimpeded. A broken leg does not stop you from being a good patient, even a patient patient. The condition of your limbs need not determine the condition of your mind.
You do not control whether your body gets sick. You do control how you think, judge, and respond. Even when the body is ill, the will can guard its own health.
Be well, Stoic progressors!
Stay hungry. Stay wise. Eat brekkie.
