How Trash-Talk is Ruining Your Life
Stoicism and Caring About How You Feel
“It seemed so to him.” — Epictetus
As a thirtysomething, self-improvement nut, I continue my passionate quest for for new ways to be even happier. Why? I care about how I feel and I think everyone should. We don’t control external events, but we can influence our perception of reality.
Knowing thyself is a responsibility and, I believe, a large part of that responsibility, and an act of consideration for your fellow man, is minding our mood every-single-day. This means striving to mind every feeling that arises, every player that enters the game: anxiety, stress, sadness…the usual suspects.
When I began this conscious practice (about a year ago), I felt like a computer updating Windows each time. It was natural to feel time-anxiety when it came to analyzing each and every little thought and feeling. I had things to do!
While I didn’t have time to mind my mood, I evidently had time to talk smack about people.
Then, as I was exchanging strong opinions with someone else about another someone else (someone that I didn’t even know personally) I began to notice a feeling of satisfaction; a fleeting satisfaction that would slip away until…
