Are you living a happy life?

Read the meeting between Croesus and Solon to understand what's a happy life.
In conclusion, you cannot have a happy life for as long as you are alive.

>concrete fulfillment
You're a particularly complex mortal animal living in a rock floating in space. One day you were born and one day you will die. What is this fulfilment you're talking about? A momentary state of mind created by your own brain chemicals.

>No, but having some slot cars wouldn't hurt
Once you have some cars, you want more and you want better ones. Material goods can never lead to lasting happiness.

I know that story, but I don't agree with your interpretation. It is true, you can only really tell from an outside perspective if a person lived a happy life, once their life has ended.
But there is nothing happy in being dead. When you are dead, you simply aren't anymore. You can't experience anything anymore.
You can only be happy in life.

>The art of living well and the art of dying well are one.
- Epicurus

>what's keeping you from finding your inner peace?
I don't know what that is, where to find it or even when to start looking. I don't know anything about life and world, just that I'm not enjoying it much

Read Epicurus

Yes, I am now, after a long period of depression. I had an existential crisis in my mid-twenties, and I tried everything to get over it. I fell for all the religious memes that were thrown my way, tried to be a Christian, felt fake and contrived, then I tried to be Muslim, which was like being a Christian but even dumber. It tried to be a pagan for a while, but none of it seems to work. Then I turned to philosophy. First, I tried to reason my way to faith, like Aquinas and Pascal did, but I could never help myself but think that they always started with a conclusion and adapted their logic to fit a preconceived conclusion. I tried to go the existential route via Kierkegaard, but that didn't work either. I simply couldn't reconcile the beauty of wisdom with the ugly brutishness of someone like Abraham and Moses. All of it felt detached from each other for some reason. Like I said, I tried Sufi mysticism, but the same feeling overcame me. I simply couldn't reconcile the feelings of true love for God with the harshness of Muhammed's outright war against the Quraysh. It was as if philosophy alone was much better when detached from religion, so I gave stoicism a go. I don't know how to describe this, but for some reason, all my worries and depressions are gone. Through an exercise of discipline and mental reflection, I really got what I wanted, which was peace of mind and a life living according to nature. I could not recommend this path enough. It really helped me on my way, and completely reordered the way I look at the world. I also like that the system that stoicism is based on fits the world much better than any religious doctrine before it did. Now, thanks to stoicism, I'm heading towards a new career path, I'm going to buy a home pretty soon and things are going really well with this qt I know. Things really couldn't be better, and it's all thanks to stoicism

Truly Based and Stoicpilled.

They probably are desu, It still won't stop me from at least trying to find something that gives me satisfaction in life.

>Achieve ataraxia
>Defined as "Freedom of distress or worry"
I'm not worried about much, though I could see myself being so buried under distress that I've built a wall of numbness to cope with it.

>it’s good that you recognize that you are dissatisfied
I absolutely recognize my dissatisfaction, I've put plenty of thought into why I feel that way and how to get away from it without "Just go outside and live life bro"
Maybe more than anything I need to find a way how to not just recognize my numbness and dissatisfaction with life but to confront it in a meaningful way, to attack said demons head on, the parts of me that betray my being from reaching peace.

A job that a hate + I'm half way done a career that I don't like

It’s momentary because I’m not enlightened. The longer I put my mind towards God, the longer the state lasts. It’s just not an easy thing to do. Sure there is a neuroscience behind what I experience, but the experience is there and it is endlessly fulfilling. You are only hindering yourself if you reduce mystical experience to neuroscience, as you will not really “get” the whole of it. Mind you that science is just one way to explain what is happening to you, one way among many. I don’t have a “science” brain, so I don’t resist mystical phenomenon as intensely as others might, I have an easier time relying on intuition because I’ve learned how to, to an extent. If you think the whole of the world is to he comprehended by science and rationality alone, then you are only limiting yourself, I believe.

>ugly brutishness of someone like Abraham and Moses
Good thing you're so pretty and refined then, user. Glad to know your humble self is so above those idiots, amirite?

No. Myself.

That’s good. Please keep an open mind of how you achieve this peace. Ultimately, peace is found with the One, the Absolute. But how you come to that realization is your own path of course! May you be guided toward It!

I had an exceedingly terrible childhood and I've received basically zero guidance my entire life. No one ever gave me a chance and no one ever tried to help me understand anything. Now even if I try to uplift myself, my brain sends pain into every muscle of my body unless I run away and give up. Even if I try, no matter how far I get, I give up and return to point 0.

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Glad to hear that everything is going well for you! How deep are you into stoicism? May I ask how you feel about the Stoa's views on divine providence, or destiny?

It's always we who are responsible for our own happiness. Having realized this is the first step.

Do not give up user! I believe in you!

You know user, at some point, trying to defend what is categorically indefensible just doesn't work. There comes a point when the massive contradictions of Abrahamic religion simply collapse under their own weight. Now, I'm not saying this was easy for me, it took me a long while to finally stop trying to reconcile their actions with the claims their religions made, but in the end, I simply couldn't silence a voice in my head that said "What if I had been one of those Egyptian firstborns? Would that have been fair, to kill children as an act of revenge? Doesn't that make me worse than the slavemaster?"

jews

>DA JOOS
Grow up incel

I've already given up. I don't have the strength to go on anymore.

Thanks man

>How deep are you into stoicism?

Not as deep as I would want to, I feel there's still a lot for me to uncover, and I feel that the emphasis of most stoicism is always on the neo-stoicism in Rome, which is a fine return to the old stoa and its discipline, but I still feel like there's a lot to be gained, in particular from the early period (300-150 BC), with people like Zeno, Cleanthes and Chrysippus. I'm trying to find some more stuff on them, but I feel like neo-stoicism emulates this early period rather well, at least from a practical point of view

>May I ask how you feel about the Stoa's views on divine providence, or destiny?

It's pretty interesting, with some connections to the better parts of Christianity. I do feel like Christianity has a greek side to it, which makes it interesting, but I also feel like it stays too mired in its Jewish roots. Anyway, heimarmené has some pretty interesting conclusions, mainly the conclusion that nothing happens by accident is a pretty interesting insight. For some reason, I also associated this with chaos theory and the butterfly effect, that small events can have unforseen consequences. I do believe that the universe is logical and is controlled by the universal logos, I just never understood why you have to tie a conscious will to it. This was the extra step that people like Aquinas took that I could never wrap my head around. I could accept that some all powerful overriding principle is responsible for the constant process of creation and destruction, I just don't see why this needs to be anything other than a principle. Once you accept this principle and accept that reality will go a certain way, and not necessarily the way you want it to go, you've made a big step towards accepting life as it is. Also, although I really don't agree with Nietzsche on almost anything, the concept of amor fati to me is a very useful one.

my diary

I'm pretty content I'd say

Since one can’t choose their family, and it often turns sour, amicable part from them and make a family of filial friendships.
Anonymous makes this impossible. You are barely simple acquaintances

Spooks.
>you don't need money to be happy.
Unfortunately you need some. Most people are dependent on the system from degree or another depending on where one live

*amicably

Thanks for the insight! Stoic practical philosophy is indeed very attractive. Have you looked into other Greek philosophic schools as well?

Tinnitus is keeping me from inner peace

yes I am! positive vibes to all you depressionfags

Got any good concrete "book" or collection for that?

>The wealth required by nature is limited and is easy to procure; but the wealth required by vain ideals extends to infinity
>— Epicurus

except most people can't even afford a house

I feel stuck with no solid direction and I decide to end anything as soon as I start it. Dying has never sounded better not to be cringe

I have read him in German, where there is a good selection of books about him. I've just looked for a good introduction to Epicurus in English, and I must say that I'm quite disappointed.
I have found this: amazon.de/Epicurus-Reader-Selected-Writings-Testimonia/dp/0872202410/
Doesn't look visually appealing, but seems to be an ok selection of his remaining works. You could try that. Or just read his quotes on the internet, also gives you a good overview of his viewpoints.
It is important to understand that only few fragments of Epicurus' original works remain, most of it has survived through other philosophers quoting him.
Just as a disclaimer.

>He is of very small account for whom there are many good reasons for ending his life.
- Epicurus

Don't do it user, there are many reasons to be cheerful.

based redditor

No. I want a gf

I have yet to actualize who I am, but simply knowing and working towards that end has brought me great peace.

I can’t have peace until I’m dead

Finding good friends is a step in that direction.

No. Death is nothing. Nothingness as peace is a misconception

shut the fuck up

Reading this strikes me with great distress, because I understand your pain all too well.

never reply to me again

My native language is (also) german, could you tell me the name of the version that you read?