Your Deeds Aren’t in a Vacuum— Action: The Disciplines of Stoicism (2/3)
There are three disciplines of Stoicism: Perception; Action; and Will. Click here to learn about Perception. This article will address the second discipline.
Like other animals in the animal kingdom, we are social animals; we highly interact with others that look like us to the point where we have a distinct and recognizable society. It’s important to note, however, that we as humans have a fundamental difference that separates us from the animals around us. In my posting on the Stoic discipline of perception, I mentioned how the intellectual part of us is infused and wields the Logos. And its this action that separates us from other animals. We possess not only a part of the Logos, but we also use it to navigate our way through the world. The following is a metaphor to further explain this concept.
Your mom asks you to heat up water on the stove so she can start dinner. You get a pot filled with water and place it on the stove. After some time, you look in the pot and see small bubbles rising to the surface. You notice that the bubbles are a part of the water, formed by the processes of the heating water, yet are solely identified as a bubble. Once they rise to the top, they pop and become part of the water again. Your mom comes in when the water is boiling and makes your favorite pasta that you sit and eat with her.
The Logos is the pot of water, and everything within the Logos is like a bubble rising to the surface. We are infused with the Logos but what we hold as our identity is its own nature, its own descriptor. Wielding the Logos thought reason enables us to make our own choices. We as a bubble can decide which horizontal direction we want to go or if we want to merge with other bubbles, all the way to the top of the pot.
Let’s turn, for a moment, to the concept of fire. In order for fire to be present, all the factors that go into that must be in the right place at the right time. If there is no oxygen, the fire cannot burn. If there is no heat, the chemical reaction that produces the fire can’t happen. Finally, if there is no fuel, the existence of the fire lives only in the mind. There has to be a harmony of all factors to ensure that the wanted result happens.
This is part of what Stoicism works towards: living a life of balance and harmony with nature around us. This is done by, as Marcus Aurelius posited, “liv[ing] as nature requires.”
We live in nature and are a result of natural processes, and thus have to ensure we are in flow with its demands and requirements. Let’s use the metaphor of a city to explain this.
In there City of Natura, there are inhabitants, and to become and remain a citizen one must fulfill the duties they are required of and obey the laws set forth by the city’s government.
Similarly, we live in the City of Nature, and as its inhabitants, we have rules to follow if we are to remain in a harmonious state and remain its citizens. This requires active cooperation with the world around us and with others. Through this, we can see the connection to the social nature of humans.
By being social creatures, we are made for each other. Aurelius writes in Meditations 4.3 that
…rational beings are made for each other.
Being made for each other denotes a sense of interconnectedness, and that if an action is taken by one, the effects can be felt by all. As such, we must work together to benefit what’s known as the “collective good” — the state in which we as humans live in harmony and balance.
Examples of Harmony and Balance, or Lack Thereof
In order for the body to even exist, the parts and systems of the body have to be in a state of symbiosis. The heart has to pump at a correct rate to ensure blood is traveling out. The muscles require the oxygen in the blood to function correctly; this is done by the lungs oxygenating the blood. If the muscles can’t function, the body can’t move. If the body can’t move, the veins can’t push blood back to the heart. This then leads to clots forming, which can stop the heart, killing the body.
This is just the bare basics behind the complexity of the body, but I think it highlights the point I’m trying to make. When a person or system is interconnected, any action has repercussions that can either harmonize or de-harmonize the system. As seen with one of the greatest empires in the Western world, the Roman Empire, it was internal strife and civil war that weakened its bonds and allowed outside forces to decimate its lands, ultimately leading to its downfall.
We can even see how this plays out in today’s societies. Imagine if there were no trash trucks to come pick up your trash. How inconvenienced would your life be? Even the U.S. government realizes this importance of the bonds of interconnectedness and has labeled 16 different working sectors to be critical to the survival of the nation, and noted that if one failed, severe repercussions would be felt in the others.
But this is all on the macro-level scale of things. While these are good example to explain the concept of systems, harmony, and interconnectedness, we still have to apply this to our micro, more personal lives.
Action, Balance, and Harmony at the Personal Level
Everything you do as an individual has an effect on someone in some form or fashion. Imagine the first person to create the concept of slavery, that another person could own someone else like they would a cow. Did they think making that idea an actionable reality would lead to where we are today? We never know what the total effects stemming from our choices will have on those around us and the big picture, so it’s crucial that we treat everyone not only with dignity and respect, but in a way that brings harmony and balance to yourself and those around you.
When you’re about to take action, be it to say or do something, ask yourself these questions: will this choice benefit me at the expense of others, or will this benefit me as well as them? What effects will this have down the line? Sometimes, a shift in one’s perception is needed to understand and make the right choices.
It’s important to note here that the “right” decision may not bring positive feelings towards yourself. If you and a significant other aren’t compatible in some way, it may suck to break up with them, but it’s the right thing to do to help you and your partner find the person you’re meant to be with, as well as to preserve and protect your mental health.
This is what I mean by “harmony.” In this line of thinking (i.e., the aforementioned relationship), you’re in such a state of flow and synchronicity that you’re able to, as the adage goes, build an empire with someone. This can’t happen if the two of your aren’t meant to be together, and it will certainly make it more difficult to reach if you find the right person, but aren’t in the right mental state due to staying in an unhealthy relationship for too long.
Concluding Thoughts
Take the time to analyze the choices you’re making. Are they helping only yourself or are they helping both you and others? Are the actions reflecting not only dignity and respect for others, but also for yourself? Remember, because you are part of this interconnected system, what you do to others will also have an effect on yourself; actions and choices made by people often show a view of how they consider and treat themselves.
When we choose to act in a way that brings harmony and positivity towards others, we strengthen the bonds that we have within and with one another, increasing the harmony of all and keeping us in flow and balance within our city of Nature.
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