Stoics? These toddlers? I missed that thread of self-delusion, but admittedly it’s tough to keep up with the continuous self edge branding.
“Dude, I have my rage board quick at hand and shall slay you with my rapey-er wit! Fall not into the clutches of Women-speak, their evidence based medicines and withholding of intimate parts that I have only seen virtually!”
Repeat maniacal theme for any/all possible items that can be tied to some manifestation of one’s wrongness.
But yes, message received and pre-endorsed. Sitting in a duck blind watching the winter dawn. Feeling my dog nap next to me while I work. Talking about science fiction titles with a co-worker trying to feed her insatiable 5th grader’s new love for the genre. Loading magazines and mixing, um, erm, martinis… yeah, martinis.
We need to not give up - but, yeah, we gotta stay balanced for the struggle ahead. I fear there will be plenty of times in the near future when we won’t have the flexibility to step back from the fray.
"Your ideas are intriguing to me and I wish to subscribe to your newsletter" which point of fact I think I have. And whilst punching Nazis is always a categorical imperative (the world benefits if we were all a little bit more G.I Robot) I do like the idea of tattooing the philosophical tenets of stoicism somewhere painful on those you describe above.
Cannot agree more with voting, donating, volunteering, etc. The broligarchs, fascists and other bastards currently trying to end democracy are absolutely relying on our apathy and sense of helplessness and futility to ensure there’s no organised resistance to shore up democracy and curtail their power. That’s how they win. To deny them we must get active ✊🏻
Firstly, living through the post modern version of Europe in the 1930's has really got me down lately, the horror, the possible and likely future horror, and the feeling of powerlessness has me looking around going how do I deal with this avalanche of swastika shaped mudslide? Then comes your Friday bloggy!
Secondly there is this--The following are gold and have now entered my vocabulary:
-"Fate is a fiery cosmic dumpster lashed to a deranged war elephant, charging down Mount Olympus, "
Perfect - it's exactly what I needed today. As a side note, have you worked out the calorific value of my breakfast gin?
It is indeed a very precarious time to be alive and we need to be strategic about how to get to the other side - and to make sure there IS another side!
I’ve been encouraged to accept that prosperity is a tad too ambitious in these Weimar II days. I gather that one ought to be pleased with mere survival 😁
Stoicism works well for me. I'm a white hetero bloke born in the latter days of Boomerism. Most of the shitfuckery going on doesn't make a significant impact on my lifestyle. Especially because at this stage the worst of it is largely limited to the Yanks. Nobody is checking my junk before I can go to the loo. I'm not excluded from any job description, no matter how unqualified I might be. I'm not about to be sent back to a country that wants to kill me, or being told to leave my country because my presence there is inconvenient for the genocidal maniacs planning to add even more settlements to it. The world belongs to me.
And yet... is this nagging feeling I have survivor's guilt?
So yeah, I'll vote, I'll donate. Heck, I may even volunteer. Will it make a difference? I hope so. In this week of holocaust commemorations I keep hearing the phrase "So it never happens again". But it's happening now and I don't believe anyone in a position of power is trying to stop it. The truth is they're the ones promoting it.
I've long known that the only thing we can control about external events is our reaction to them, but knowing that doesn't make it any easier to do. Practicing it is the hard part, when you have a visceral response to every latest bit of shit-fuckery and the hungry fascist trolls that eat it up.
But practicing it is worthwhile, to avoid ending up like the orange shit-gibbon - a hollow egotistical husk of pre-programmed responses incapable of anything else.
Onya JB, thought exactly the same thing this morning. Went for my morning swim ... had the entire pool to myself. Where I swim you can look out the big windows to the grey-green of bushland and I gave myself permission to feel privileged and grateful for every lap. We are invaded by "globalism", its myriad disasters and it ruins our love of life. I no longer engage on social media in any argument, just get on with a few things that may, or may not make a difference. wx
Best line of the day: If the enemy is thirsty for your tears, let them die in the desert of all the fucks you do not give.
Thanks
Possibly the best line I have ever read! Might have to quote you on that one.
Stoics? These toddlers? I missed that thread of self-delusion, but admittedly it’s tough to keep up with the continuous self edge branding.
“Dude, I have my rage board quick at hand and shall slay you with my rapey-er wit! Fall not into the clutches of Women-speak, their evidence based medicines and withholding of intimate parts that I have only seen virtually!”
Repeat maniacal theme for any/all possible items that can be tied to some manifestation of one’s wrongness.
But yes, message received and pre-endorsed. Sitting in a duck blind watching the winter dawn. Feeling my dog nap next to me while I work. Talking about science fiction titles with a co-worker trying to feed her insatiable 5th grader’s new love for the genre. Loading magazines and mixing, um, erm, martinis… yeah, martinis.
We need to not give up - but, yeah, we gotta stay balanced for the struggle ahead. I fear there will be plenty of times in the near future when we won’t have the flexibility to step back from the fray.
"Your ideas are intriguing to me and I wish to subscribe to your newsletter" which point of fact I think I have. And whilst punching Nazis is always a categorical imperative (the world benefits if we were all a little bit more G.I Robot) I do like the idea of tattooing the philosophical tenets of stoicism somewhere painful on those you describe above.
Cannot agree more with voting, donating, volunteering, etc. The broligarchs, fascists and other bastards currently trying to end democracy are absolutely relying on our apathy and sense of helplessness and futility to ensure there’s no organised resistance to shore up democracy and curtail their power. That’s how they win. To deny them we must get active ✊🏻
Broligarchs. An umbrella term if I ever read one.
It's very apt, although I can't take credit for it!
But thank you for sharing it, it needs to be spread.
The one thing I took away from reading "The Subtle Art of Not Giving a Fuck" some years ago was:
You only have so many fucks to give. Spend them wisely.
Boy did I get my monies worth this week!
Firstly, living through the post modern version of Europe in the 1930's has really got me down lately, the horror, the possible and likely future horror, and the feeling of powerlessness has me looking around going how do I deal with this avalanche of swastika shaped mudslide? Then comes your Friday bloggy!
Secondly there is this--The following are gold and have now entered my vocabulary:
-"Fate is a fiery cosmic dumpster lashed to a deranged war elephant, charging down Mount Olympus, "
-"breakfast gin."
-"fragile grievance goblins"
-"Lesbian Furies"
Onya JB!
Perfect - it's exactly what I needed today. As a side note, have you worked out the calorific value of my breakfast gin?
It is indeed a very precarious time to be alive and we need to be strategic about how to get to the other side - and to make sure there IS another side!
I’ve been encouraged to accept that prosperity is a tad too ambitious in these Weimar II days. I gather that one ought to be pleased with mere survival 😁
Terry Practchett makes perfect sense now. It's herbal Gin with lemon lime & bitters😜
🤣
Perfect timing, JB. Eleven days already feels like a decade.
Truth.
Thank you. This helps ❤️
I love this piece so much I will share it on the Zuckerberg hellpages we are trying to avoid.
But really I wish that my 13 year old would read it. She needs a Stoic dose of fucking chill right now
Stoicism works well for me. I'm a white hetero bloke born in the latter days of Boomerism. Most of the shitfuckery going on doesn't make a significant impact on my lifestyle. Especially because at this stage the worst of it is largely limited to the Yanks. Nobody is checking my junk before I can go to the loo. I'm not excluded from any job description, no matter how unqualified I might be. I'm not about to be sent back to a country that wants to kill me, or being told to leave my country because my presence there is inconvenient for the genocidal maniacs planning to add even more settlements to it. The world belongs to me.
And yet... is this nagging feeling I have survivor's guilt?
So yeah, I'll vote, I'll donate. Heck, I may even volunteer. Will it make a difference? I hope so. In this week of holocaust commemorations I keep hearing the phrase "So it never happens again". But it's happening now and I don't believe anyone in a position of power is trying to stop it. The truth is they're the ones promoting it.
I've long known that the only thing we can control about external events is our reaction to them, but knowing that doesn't make it any easier to do. Practicing it is the hard part, when you have a visceral response to every latest bit of shit-fuckery and the hungry fascist trolls that eat it up.
But practicing it is worthwhile, to avoid ending up like the orange shit-gibbon - a hollow egotistical husk of pre-programmed responses incapable of anything else.
I doom-ish scroll and remain stoic-ish. I don’t have time to give a fuck. Perhaps when PDuddy takes the reins I might.
Anyway, I think the new crappy orange regime will collapse in on itself after its supporters realise they’re being screwed more than anyone.
I don’t disagree with your second point, but the problem is how many of the rest of us they’re going to take into the pit with them in the process.
There be muppets monetising this already: https://www.thestoicempire.com/product-page/stoic-as-f-unisex-ultra-cotton-tee. Me, I literally hug trees when the swill of the feeds is all too much to eat.
Onya JB, thought exactly the same thing this morning. Went for my morning swim ... had the entire pool to myself. Where I swim you can look out the big windows to the grey-green of bushland and I gave myself permission to feel privileged and grateful for every lap. We are invaded by "globalism", its myriad disasters and it ruins our love of life. I no longer engage on social media in any argument, just get on with a few things that may, or may not make a difference. wx
Solid choice. And a great start to the day!