“After all, what point is there in ‘being unhappy, just because once you were unhappy?’”

“After all, what point is there in ‘being unhappy, just because once you were unhappy?’” (Irvine). Although I do not agree with everything Stoic philosophy advocates for, I think that this quote is a quote we should all live by. Just because something terrible has happened in your life, it does not mean that from now on you are doomed to have a bad life. You can always make a beautiful life for yourself even after experiencing hardships like loss and heartbreak. The Stoics say that our happiness depends on how we interpret our circumstances (cf. Irwin). While sometimes it is hard to see the positive side of a situation, other times our sadness comes from idealizing a person or a situation and thinking that nothing better will come along our way. I think that there is always something better or at least something that is equally great waiting for us when something else has ended.

However, that does not mean that we should suppress negative emotions altogether. I think that suppressing those feelings is equally as destructive as living in a constant state of cynicism. We should allow ourselves to be sad and disappointed and furious at times. But we should also allow ourselves to be happy and joyful and hopeful again. There really is no point in being sad forever. Life happens but life also goes on. We should not be lamenting over things we cannot change, as the Stoic would say (cf. Irwin). Instead, I think that we should strive for as much happiness as possible and always try to remain hopeful about the future.