A Proper Frame Of Mind

The Daily Stoic for today, February the 2nd: “A Proper Frame Of Mind”:

“Frame your thoughts like this—you are an old person, you won’t let yourself be enslaved by this any longer, no longer pulled like a puppet by every impulse, and you’ll stop complaining about your present fortune or dreading the future.”
—MARCUS AURELIUS, MEDITATIONS, 2.2

We all like to see ourselves as independent and mature. We don’t like others telling us what to do, or how to behave.

Curiously enough, we don’t apply the same strictness when dealing with our emotions. We usually let them rule over us.

Why?

I think because sometimes we live an straitjacketed existence. Everything in our society today has to comply with certain schedules and rules.

Fitter, Happier

Fitter, happier, more productive. Comfortable. Not drinking too much. Regular exercise at the gym. Three days a week
Getting on better with your associate employee contemporaries. At ease. Eating well. No more microwave dinners and saturated fats
A patient, better driver. A safer car. Baby smiling in back seat
— Radiohead: Fitter, Happier, from their album “Ok Computer”

We have built a society full of rules and social constraints. We all do what we are supposed to do, leave to work early every morning and behave like we are supposed to. Always being politically correct. Never swimming upstream.

Thus, when our feelings explode, it’s a liberation. We probably want them to erupt, and never stop for a moment to consider if they are the ones in charge of the situation. We just want them out.

A Proper Frame Of Mind

In my opinion, there’s an out of balance situation there. If we want to avoid our emotions and feelings making us loose control, we need to allow them to flow in a more natural way.

Thus, my suggestion is practicing political incorrectness from time to time. Allow yourself to be yourself. Additionally, it’s healthy to develop a sense of criticism on other people’s opinions, specially about us.

I know this might seem like a contradiction in terms. Letting go how we are supposed to act, to act more consciously. However, in my case it has proven to be true.

Live by your own rules. Then, you will get to a point where you are no longer constraining yourself, and won’t let your emotions take over your reasoning, because there will be no contained anger or frustration inside of you.

Only tranquility.

Conclusion

In today’s Daily Stoic, “A Proper Frame of Mind”, I explored how being politically correct at all times, in my opinion, makes us vulnerable to exploding under pressure or being controled by our emotions. If we don’t allow others to tell us what to do, we shouldn’t allow our emotions take over us either.

Act according to your own thoughts. Let go the constraints of society to be more in control of yourself.

Thoughts? Comments?