3 Great Untruths (The Stoics Want You To Stop Believing) | Jonathan Haidt

Step-by-Step Tutorial: Embracing Stoic Wisdom in Overcoming 3 Great Untruths

1. Embracing Unpleasant Experiences as Opportunities for Growth:

• Great Untruth #1: Avoid unpleasant experiences.
• Stoic Wisdom: "The impediment to action advances action. What stands in the way becomes the way." - Marcus Aurelius
• Action Steps:
  1. View every challenge as an opportunity to practice virtues.
  2. See frustrating situations as chances to practice patience.
  3. Consider delays as opportunities to develop resilience and other virtues.
  4. Embrace obstacles as resistance training for personal growth.
  5. Cultivate the mindset of anti-fragility to learn and grow from challenges.

2. Questioning the Reliability of Feelings:

• Great Untruth #2: Always trust your feelings.
• Stoic Perspective: Feelings are often misleading and should not be blindly trusted.
• Practical Application:
  1. Acknowledge your initial feelings but question their validity.
  2. Use Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) techniques to challenge and reevaluate your emotions.
  3. Understand that feelings are subjective and may not always align with reality.
  4. Avoid acting impulsively based solely on emotions; seek evidence and rationality in decision-making.

3. Embracing the Complexity of Good and Evil:

• Great Untruth #3: Life is a battle between good and evil people.
• Stoic Insight: Recognize the shades of gray between good and evil in human nature.
• Implementation:
  1. Understand that individuals possess both good and bad traits.
  2. Practice forbearance and empathy towards those who may exhibit negative behaviors.
  3. Acknowledge the common humanity shared with others, even those with differing viewpoints.
  4. Foster alliances based on shared goals and values, rather than divisive moralistic judgments.
  5. Embrace diversity of opinions and collaborate with allies for positive change.

Conclusion:

• By integrating Stoic principles into your mindset, you can navigate through the great untruths and approach life with resilience, rationality, and empathy.
• Embrace challenges as opportunities for growth, question the validity of your feelings, and foster understanding and collaboration with others beyond simplistic notions of good and evil.
• Remember, cultivating virtues such as patience, rationality, and empathy can lead to a more harmonious and impactful existence in a complex world.

By following these steps inspired by Stoic wisdom, you can transcend the limitations imposed by the three great untruths and cultivate a more fulfilling and virtuous life.