/lit/ - Literature

[Anonymous No.19458259]

Good books on self discipline?

[Anonymous No.19458300]

>>19458259
Meditations by Marcus Aurelius is great for self discipline. I personally like how vague his points are compared to modern "self help books".

These books are often just telling you how to thrive in capitalism instead of how to thrive for your own self.

Here are my two favorite quotes from meditations

“16. The human soul degrades itself:

i. Above all, when it does its best to become an abscess, a kind of detached growth on the world. To be disgruntled at anything that happens is a kind of secession from Nature, which comprises the nature of all things.
ii. When it turns its back on another person or sets out to do it harm, as the souls of the angry do.
iii. When it is overpowered by pleasure or pain.
iv. When it puts on a mask and does or says something artificial or false.
v. When it allows its action and impulse to be without a purpose, to be random and disconnected: even the smallest things ought to be directed toward a goal. But the goal of rational beings is to follow the rule and law of the most ancient of communities and states.”

“1. At dawn, when you have trouble getting out of bed, tell yourself: “I have to go to work—as a human being. What do I have to complain of, if I’m going to do what I was born for—the things I was brought into the world to do? Or is this what I was created for? To huddle under the blankets and stay warm?
—But it’s nicer here. . . .
So you were born to feel “nice”? Instead of doing things and experiencing them? Don’t you see the plants, the birds, the ants and spiders and bees going about their individual tasks, putting the world in order, as best they can? And you’re not willing to do your job as a human being? Why aren’t you running to do what your nature demands?
—But we have to sleep sometime. . . .
Agreed. But nature set a limit on that—as it did on eating and drinking. And you’re over the limit. You’ve had more than enough of that. But not of working. There you’re still below your quota.
You don’t love yourself enough. Or you’d love your nature too, and what it demands of you. People who love what they do wear themselves down doing it, they even forget to wash or eat. Do you have less respect for your own nature than the engraver does for engraving, the dancer for the dance, the miser for money or the social climber for status? When they’re really possessed by what they do, they’d rather stop eating and sleeping than give up practicing their arts.
Is helping others less valuable to you? Not worth your effort?”

[Anonymous No.19458634]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ABRN0E_mI0U

[Anonymous No.19458648]

>>19458300
>Or is this what I was created for? To huddle under the blankets and stay warm?

[Anonymous No.19458743]

>>19458648
y-yes

[Anonymous No.19460274]

>>19458634
+1 for Seneca. On the Shortness of Life and Letters from a Stoic WILL make you think differently.

[Anonymous No.19460288]

>>19458300
>Is helping others less valuable to you? Not worth your effort?”
mm yes ? what is the correct answer for this ?

[Anonymous No.19461678]

>>19458300
Overrated

[Anonymous No.19462134]

>>19458648
NEETpilled

[Anonymous No.19462520]

>>19460288
The correct answer is whatever you deem correct I guess. I will say though, that my interpretation is that Marcus is saying by helping yourself become a better more disciplined person, you will end up helping Nature or the Logos. These are basically his words for Earth/The universe.

Similar to lots of philosophers at that time, he really stresses the importance of community.

[Anonymous No.19463329]

>>19462520
>The correct answer is whatever you deem correct I guess

I can see why he and stoicism are so popular in the corporate and self help world.