/lit/ - Literature

>>4638445
For me, it's a lingering suspicion that it's not life that is fundamentally horrible, but that it's living badly that's the problem. I think there are ways to live that make it a worthwhile endeavour.

>>3727426
Getting some of dat ataraxia, bit weary of Dionysian revelry, establishing an equilibrium that radiates tranquil pleasure, become wu wei unrippled rippler ship without wake, entering sagehood etc.

>>3662110
The purging is merely a means to the goal of non-attachment and cultivating a more stable form of happiness that is less reliant on external factors. It's actually good for one's mental health. There's a reason pretty much any wisdom tradition in the history of mankind recommends it.

>>3536367
Epicurus is known for his attempt to do away with the fear of death. You might want to look into him.

This podcast deals with it: http://www.historyofphilosophy.net/epicurus-gods-death

But these should be listened to first perhaps for a more thorough comprehension:

http://www.historyofphilosophy.net/epicurus-principles
http://www.historyofphilosophy.net/epicurus-ethics

>>3394757
I thought of it as throwing the towel in, but later I realised it's not quitting if you stop trying to answer unanswerable and stunted questions. Well, it is quitting, but not 'giving up' as much as stopping to run into a wall over and over again. It's the intelligent choice, not the cowardly one. Although those who can't do without the romanticism of seeking for answers will be quick to dismiss this.

I subscribe to an Epicurean inspired sort of quietism now and I feel better than I've felt for the past ten years, with exception of the few other times I stopped trying to 'solve' existentential crisis and just abandoned the behaviour that leads to it. Which is often easier said than done and which I'm still practising myself. It's pretty hard to stop asking the wrong questions if you've been asking them for ten years. And even if you stop consciously asking them, something in you will still be secretly be begging existence to reveal it's manual and rewards. But I think it can be fixed. I think existential crisis is almost like a form of OCD.

>>3374161
One anon mentioned philosophy and another recommended a book on Stoicism already (which I will check out myself probably, sounds interesting). This is the direction you want to take, I think. The Hellenistic philosophers were great at these kind of things. Their philosophies often include a lot of practical guidelines to live a better and/or happier life. Two Stoics that are worth checking out are Epictetus and Marcus Aurelius. Perhaps also Seneca. They offer a lot of useful and wise insights that are still relevant today.

I'm more inclined towards the Epicurean school myself, so I would recommend reading some encyclopedia entries on that and getting into some of the basic Epicurean texts. These podcasts are also a great introduction:

http://www.historyofphilosophy.net/epicurus-principles
http://www.historyofphilosophy.net/epicurus-ethics
http://www.historyofphilosophy.net/epicurus-gods-death
http://www.historyofphilosophy.net/lucretius
http://www.historyofphilosophy.net/warren-epicurus

I guess those guy's talks on other subjects are worthwhile as well. You might be interested in other schools like Pyrrhonism, Cyrenaicism, Cynicism and Peripateticism, but I think that Stoicism and Epicureanism offer the most useful stuff for modern life.

Also very very very entry level introduction (inb4 de Botton hate): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4L3dLWwmDDw

Eastern philosophy can also be a great source of self helpy stuff. Many strains of Buddhism have this same practice oriented inclination like the ancient Greeks, albeit with different cultural baggage. Perhaps some other anons can point you towards some good resources in that direction.

>not looking towards the beasts for inspiration for the good, existential crisis free life