A Guide to the Good Life : The Ancient Art of Stoic Joy: The Ancient Art of Stoic Joy (39 page)

and asceticism,
33
,
46

attraction to, increases as we age,
188
–90,
192
,
195
–96

author’s adoption of,
5
–7,
9
,
248

author’s misgivings about,
276
–79

author’s modernization of,
242
–45

boasting discouraged by,
276

and Buddhism, similarities between,
6
–7,
83
,
107
,
139
–40,
163
–64,
181

candidates for practice of,
246
–48

characterized,
7

compared with aspirin,
240
–41

compatible with agnosticism,
12
,
230
–31

compatible with Christianity,
12
,
210

components of,
33
,
36
–37,
38

concept of good life in,
35
–36

and control,
11
,
12
,
93
–95,
96
,
229

criticism of author’s modernization of,
242
–43

criticism of, philosophical,
222
–23,
242
–43

criticism of, political,
220
–22

criticism of, psychological,
213
–20

“customization” of,
38
,
40
–41,
244
–45

and death,
69
–71,
194
,
197
–201,
268

decline of,
60
,
209
–10,
212
–13

dictionary definition of,
7

differences between Greek and Roman,
38
,
40
,
42
–43

and discomfort,
111

distinguished from Cynicism,
32
–33,
46
,
180
,
227

and duty,
36
,
223

effect of practicing, on emotions,
123

efficacy of,
245
–46

and emotions,
7

and exile,
185
–86

goals of,
10
,
13

and happiness,
35
,
39
,
228
,
230

and impermanence,
6
,
82
–84,
163
,
205
,
228

influence of, on Descartes,
211

influence of, on Schopenhauer,
211

influence of, on Thoreau,
211
–12

influenced by Cynicism,
31
,
32
,
51
,
56
,
114

and insatiability,
9

and internalization of goals,
99
–100,
229

and joy,
7
–8,
48
,
213
,
239
,
275
–76,
278

and living in the moment,
105
–7

and mastery of desire,
6
,
223
,
224
–25,
227

measuring progress in practice of,
122
–23,
124

misconceptions concerning,
7
,
9
,
55
,
61
,
123
,
213
,
215

modern unpopularity of,
55
,
60
–61,
212
–13,
223
–24

and negative emotions,
7
,
216
,
219
–20,
238
–39

not averse to psychological “tricks,”
99

and old age,
195
–96,
272
,
278
–79

optimism engendered by practice of,
73
–74,
78

personalities well suited to,
172
,
246
–47,
279

and pessimism,
73

philosophical influences on,
27
,
29
,
31
,
32
–33,
51
,
56
,
114

and pleasure,
113
–15

and political reform,
220
–22

and positive emotions,
123

proof of the correctness of,
53
–55,
230
,
238
,
279

psychological component of,
5
,
213

and rationality,
33
,
36
,
38
–39,
55
,
121
,
129
,
227

and sexual relations,
138
–40

and social events,
135
–36

and suicide,
199
,
200
–201

and tranquility,
7
,
10
,
13
,
38
–43,
52
–54,
55
,
58
,
85
,
102
,
127
,
226
–28,
239
,
246

and virtue,
10
,
35
,
38
–41,
55
,
204
.
See also
Stoic philosophers; Stoicism, the practice of

Stoicism, the practice of: and acquisition of wealth,
179
–80

and attainment of fame,
181
–82

author’s advice regarding,
250
–55

being stealthy in,
123
,
203
,
250
–51

benefits associated with,
204
–5,
279

costs associated with,
12
,
279

and desire to be tested,
267
–70

effect of, on desires,
265
–67

effect of, on emotions,
47
–48,
123
,
275
–76

efficacy of,
245
–46

effort involved in,
11
,
202
–3

and enjoyment of life,
180
,
205
–6

and experience of delight,
204
–6

measuring our progress in,
122
–24,
145
,
252

and participation in public affairs,
8
,
50

personalities well suited to,
28
,
172
,
246
–48,
279

requires self-control,
114
–15,
116
,
223
–24

steps involved in,
9
–11,
227
–29

when to begin,
206
.
See also specific Stoic psychological techniques
: control; fatalism; meditation; negative visualization; self-denial

Stone, Edward,
239

Strabo,
49

suicide: by Stoic philosophers,
199
–200

recommended by the elderly,
270

Stoic views regarding,
199
,
200
–201.
See also
death

Tacitus,
49
,
183
–84

tests.
See
Stoic tests

Theophrastus,
26

Thoreau, Henry David,
211
–12

thought-substitution technique,
163
–64

Thrasea Paetus,
183
,
199

tranquility: attainment of, by author,
274

attainment of, by practicing Stoicism,
123
,
204
,
239

attainment of, by using Xanax,
241
–42

characterized,
10
,
38
–39,
226

and desire fulfillment,
133

and fatalism,
102

as goal of philosophies of life,
7
,
12
,
277

as a goal of Stoicism,
7
,
10
,
38
–43,
52
–54,
55
,
58
,
85
,
102
,
127
,
226
,
238
–39,
246

and the internalization of goals,
100
–101

modern interest in,
42
–43

not valued by young people,
188

people as an obstacle to attainment of,
11
,
127
–28,
134
,
136
–38,
143
–44,
161
,
228
,
254

and projective visualization,
79

related to virtue,
39
–40

Stoic advice on preservation of,
226
–29

triage,
100
,
229
,
252

trichotomy of control.
See
control

values: corruption of,
31
,
135
,
136
,
169
,
228

and exile,
185
–86

and happiness,
166
,
186
,
189
–90

our control over,
92
,
147
,
229

of things, technique for determining true,
139
–40

Vatinius,
148

Vespasian,
49
,
163
,
183

Veyne, Paul,
28
,
35
,
268

vices,
135
,
177
,
193

virtue: characterized,
35
–36

modern disinterest regarding,
42
–43

pursuit of, by Stoics,
10
,
35
,
38
–41,
55
,
185
–86,
204

related to tranquility,
39
–40

visualization.
See
negative visualization; projective visualization

voluntary discomfort: and anxiety,
112

and appreciation of the world,
112
–13

author’s program of,
259
–64

benefits of,
111
–13

and courage,
112

and maximization of comfort,
113

and one’s “other self,”
262
–64

and prevention of anger,
161

programs of,
111
,
228
–29,
259
,
264

rowing as a source of,
260

yoga as a source of,
259
–60.
See also
discomfort; self-denial

wealth: Buddhist views regarding,
181

and character,
178
–79,
180

enjoyment of,
180
–81,
227

and happiness,
174
,
177

and pursuit of fame,
173

and satisfaction,
178
–79