Stoicism, contentment and ignoring social media
Over the last few years I have striven to care less about stuff in a quest for contentment. Not giving a shit about what other people think has been pretty easy as I generally have a low opinion of my fellow humans. When I see friends on Facebook claiming that climate change is a hoax, for example, I used to feel sad that I have some ignorant, or at least easily misled, friends. However, they are generally good people, they aren’t the majority and in every single case which may just be a coincidence but is worth a mention, I have not seen them ever read a book. Or even be near one. I guess it was just the way they grew up. It used to annoy me but now I just feel sad for them in an incredibly patronising way. I am barely on social media these days because I realised, apart from messaging friends about meeting up or keeping vaguely in touch, it is utterly pointless. It used to be more interesting and my feeds were full of science and interesting articles on literature and culture. I have the same friends but now it’s all about Trump, Brexit and climate change. It’s depressing.
If one thing social media has taught me, it is that people are happy to stay in their bubble and if you are the sort of person that won’t be persuaded by facts and figures from thousands of experts across the globe, then arguing on Facebook isn’t going to alter that fact. People who don’t believe in climate change using the above example, often quote that everything is cyclical based on previous climate studies. The fact that the same climate scientists who told them this are the same ones who are now saying that things are changing at an increased rate, doesn’t change their minds as their bubble is full of people who agree with them. Balls to facts! Which is weird to me. What is weirder is how angry they get about people who want alternative energies. Climate change or not, surely it is nicer to not have a lungful of crap every time you breathe in. I live in Bangkok and at rush hour, at street level, the air is thick with pollution. Why is it bad to simply want clean air? I pose these questions to the world at large but – and this is a key point for personal contentment – I don’t give a flying fuck about your opinion.
The stoics believe in being resilient to negative emotions. Don’t let other people bring you down. You are in control of your narrative and only you get to decide how things are going to affect you. Minimise the affect outside stimuli has on you by being emotionally resilient. There is obviously a hell of a lot more to it than this but it is a view that seems to be having something of a resurgence of late. I have mentioned Derren Brown’s Happy before and it introduced me to the stoics. Aim for contentment and not happiness. Spend time doing stuff you like with people you love and don’t spend all your time trying get cash to own a bigger car or whatever, as expensive goodies ultimately aren’t the answer. It is pretty obvious stuff.
This doesn’t mean bollocks to everything. I am Australian, English and have residency in Hong Kong as I was born there and lived there for 21 years. My thoughts are with those whose homes are near fires, will suffer from Brexit, or are placed in danger by proximity to a riot. I care about these places. As a writer and journalist I can write about the issues relating to things I care about. I can give money to charities that help out innocent people and animals. I can help at local places and do generally nice things. I can’t change much as an individual but if everyone generally does good deeds, it helps more than calling someone an idiot on Twitter. How much of my time is spent doing these things in my contentment quest is none of your business.
I am not sure what got me onto this topic today but it is a new year and a new decade and so for the first couple of weeks, introspection and general self-help is the name of the game. Maybe I am becoming more sensitive or maybe my cutting back on beer for the last week is making me more thoughtful. Interesting. I should also note that comments are turned off because in the name of contentment, I don’t care about your opinion. Happy new year.
