Eustatheia

[DISCLAIMER]

As Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT) is informed by Stoic philosophy, this blog entry is part of an ongoing series regarding a book entitled The Daily Stoic: 366 Meditations on Wisdom, Perseverance, and the Art of Living by Ryan Holiday and Stephen Hanselman.

When providing psychoeducational lessons on eudaimonia (a well-lived life), I consider the distinction between Stoicism and Epicureanism. Regarding the major differences, one source—written by Hanselman—expands thusly:

Epicureanism focused on the pursuit of pleasure, within the bounds of moderation, and the avoidance of pain. To the Stoics, who were influenced by both Socrates and the Cynic tradition, equating pleasure with the Good and pain with Evil was just poor thinking.

They took a more austere path to happiness, focusing instead on virtue alone as the way, denying that the Epicurean pursuit of pleasure and avoidance of pain could ever bring true happiness. For their part, the Epicureans rejected this kind of asceticism, but they still were not unregulated hedonists.

They shared the Stoic belief that wisdom and virtues like self-control and moderation are a necessary part of happiness but disagreed that virtue alone could guarantee it.

I’ve found that some people with whom I’ve worked as a psychotherapist and life coach mistakenly believe that unbridled pleasure and minimal suffering will bring them joy, pleasure, happiness, etc. Regarding this Epicurean perspective, I stated in a blogpost entitled Eudaimonia:

Considering the pursuit of happiness, pleasure, and enjoyment, I think about the Walt Disney Company’s 1940 film Pinocchio.

In one scene, Pinocchio and his friend Lampwick visit Pleasure Island, which Lampwick describes as a “swell joint; no school, no cops, you can tear the joint apart and nobody says a word – loaf around, plenty to eat, plenty to drink, and it’s all free!” However, there are real-world consequences to hedonism.

While at Pleasure Island, Pinocchio remarks, “Bein’ bad’s a lot of fun!” After he and Lampwick have their fill of criminal activity, eating, smoking, and amusement, they slowly begin turning into donkeys. In other words, they make asses of themselves.

This alludes to the Stoic virtue of temperance or moderation. An imbalance of idealistically hedonic pursuits and realistic duties in one’s life may seem alluring, though in Pinocchio’s case, he didn’t fare well and his behavior correlated with his father being placed in significant danger.

Given this balanced perspective between pleasure and pain, I value a Stoic approach to life. Still, this doesn’t mean that I completely disregard Epicurean philosophical principles. As an example, I appreciate how one source states:

The Epicureans called εὐστάθεια (eustatheia, “stability”) the psychosomatic balance, which today we call homeostasis (ὁμοιόστασις) and considered it as the basis of happiness.

Steadiness and equilibrium don’t sound like foolhardy pursuits to me. How about you? Finding balance between a Stoic and Epicurean method of rational living may align more with a client’s interests and goals than sole focus on the philosophical tradition of the former.

Regarding this matter, authors of The Daily Stoic state that the “Stoics seek steadiness, stability, and tranquility—traits most of us aspire to but seem to experience only fleetingly” (page 24). Perhaps when thinking about these qualities you envision a scene such as the following photo:

Photo credit, fair use

It occurs to me that some people believe the only way, or perhaps the preferred path, to achieving stability and homeostasis is to sit alone in nature and meditate – far removed from the rest of society. Perhaps, perhaps not. According to authors of The Daily Stoic (page 24):

It’s not by eliminating outside influences or running away to quiet and solitude [that we achieve eustatheia]. Instead, it’s about filtering the outside world through the straightener of our judgment. That’s what our reason can do—it can take the crooked, confusing, and overwhelming nature of external events and make them orderly.

Practicing stability in an isolated space (e.g., meditating in nature) may be cathartic. However, active use of logic and reason may prove more beneficial for the person who chooses to check in, and not check out, of the society in which one lives. Of this approach, authors of The Daily Stoic conclude (page 24):

[I]f our judgments are crooked because we don’t use reason, then everything that follows will be crooked, and we will lose our ability to steady ourselves in the chaos and rush of life. If you want to be steady, if you want clarity, proper judgment is the best way.

We may momentarily avoid pain, suffering, chaos, or the rush of life by checking out in solitary practice of meditation, contemplation, escapism, substance use/abuse, or other means of joy, pleasure, or peace-seeking behavior. Truly, such efforts may provide short-lived cathartic relief.

However, life is lived rationally – despite the chaos – for those who dare to face it. In doing so, you can achieve eustatheia. Stability of this kind may then better serve your desires and objectives toward dealing with, rather than escaping from, a challenging and uncertain existence.

If you’re looking for a provider who tries to work to help understand how thinking impacts physical, mental, emotional, and behavioral elements of your life—helping you to sharpen your critical thinking skills, I invite you to reach out today by using the contact widget on my website.

As a psychotherapist, I’m pleased to try to help people with an assortment of issues ranging from anger (hostility, rage, and aggression) to relational issues, adjustment matters, trauma experience, justice involvement, attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, anxiety and depression, and other mood or personality-related matters.

At Hollings Therapy, LLC, serving all of Texas, I aim to treat clients with dignity and respect while offering a multi-lensed approach to the practice of psychotherapy and life coaching. My mission includes: Prioritizing the cognitive and emotive needs of clients, an overall reduction in client suffering, and supporting sustainable growth for the clients I serve. Rather than simply trying to help you to feel better, I want to try to help you get better!

Deric Hollings, LPC, LCSW

References:

Allen, J. (2022, October 5). Pinocchio (1940) - Pleasure Island/donkey transformation [Video]. YouTube. Retrieved from https://youtu.be/XCSXSJMBvtw?si=a8cbmqQsh7-ZkT8b

Daily Stoic. (n.d.). Translating the Stoics: An interview with “The Daily Stoic” co-author Stephen Hanselman. Retrieved from https://dailystoic.com/stephen-hanselman-interview/

Hanselman, S. (n.d.). Stoicism vs. Epicureanism. Daily Stoic. Retrieved from https://dailystoic.com/stoicism-vs-epicureanism/#:~:text=Epicureanism%20focused%20on%20the%20pursuit,still%20were%20not%20unregulated%20hedonists.

Holiday, R. and Hanselman, S. (2016). The daily stoic: 366 meditations on wisdom, perseverance, and the art of living. Penguin Random House LLC. Retrieved from https://www.pdfdrive.com/the-daily-stoic-366-meditations-on-wisdom-perseverance-and-the-art-of-living-d61378067.html

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