Image by Jason Burmeister, words by Pierre Hadot, melding by Matt Van Natta.
Michel Daw on Indifference
Michel Daw, stoic teacher, wrote a great piece on indifference titled, The Truth about Stoic Indifference. Linking to it is my Stoic Saturday action.
The thing is, I was actually writing my own post on indifference when Mr. Daw posted his thoughts in our G+ Community. He said much of what I wanted to say, and better, so I'm sitting this weekend out in deference.
Stoics use the term indifference differently than most. In Stoicism, there is the moral sphere of virtue and vice and then there are indifferents. These indifferents, in themselves, have no moral value. So indifference is not a posture that we hold towards the world, it's a category that we use to evaluate our environment. Some things are indifferent, some aren't. Anyway, check out Michel Daw's post, he knows what he's talking about.
Terrorism is a Tactic
We actually have all the power here, and there's one thing we can do to render terrorism ineffective: Refuse to be terrorized.
-Bruce Schneier
Stoicism has a lot to say about tragedies like the recent one in Boston. However, I believe the security expert Bruce Schneier says a lot very well, and in a way that speaks to more people than just the Stoic practitioner. So here is his Atlantic article.
Terrorism is a tactic. It is an attempt to shake the minds of those who survive and who observe. Terrorism happens, not in a bomb blast, but in every moment afterwards. It is perpetuated through every newsreel replay that stokes our fear and the worst parts of ourselves.
I was so pleased to see how many people intentionally focused on human kindness today. They gave witness as people helped one another, as thousands of people served one another. Their positive focus is not a denial of how the world works. It's a wide lens view that recognizes the outcome of our innate need for one another; that there are so many caring people in the world.
Thanks to my lovely wife, for reminding me of this quote.
