Stoicism

pain is perceived as sign of weakness in East Asian culture for several reasons. To begin with, patients in this culture may deny pain and not report the pain until it becomes unbearable. According to Tung’s article, “The Chinese people who value stoicism tend to avoid vocalizing with moans or screams or may even deny it while actually experiencing pain. They may feel that revealing and admitting to pain is a sign of weakness” (Tung, 2010).For example…

traditional tragic heroes of plays do, Brutus suffers a tragedy, his beloved wife Portia kills herself. In Act IV Scene iii, Brutus reveals that Portia is dead, “No man bears sorrow better. Portia is dead” (4.3.146). Brutus practices a philosophy known as stoicism, but this tragedy still seems to trouble him.…

Rome and Han China at their peaks were the largest and most successful empires the world had yet seen. While Rome centered around the Mediterranean Sea in Europe- from the Roman city-state in central Italy- Han China was based in most of present day China, with the Han homeland located east in the empire. Although in no close contact of each other- the Roman Empire and Han China being separated by thousands of miles- both of these great civilizations grew to great heights and shared many…

Stoic philosophy, or stoicism, as described by Luke Mastin, is, “The development of self-control and fortitude as a means of overcoming destructive emotions.” Marcus Aurelius was a man of stoic philosophy, so he was very practiced in self-control. Aurelius believed that in order…

Indirect characterization is seamlessly applied through the author's usage of subtle instances where the protagonist’s key traits and tragic flaws are highlighted in the behavior of another character. Within the novel “Pride and Prejudice” by Jane Austen, the strengths and weaknesses of Elizabeth Bennet are disclosed through her comparisons with Jane, Charlotte, and Lydia; similarly, Hamlet, the protagonist of Hamlet by William Shakespeare, is juxtaposed with Laertes, Fortinbras, Horatio . We…

of Colin Wilson’s Quote Colin Wilson is one of few people who can take a step back from their lives and the world around them and see the bigger picture. Wilson’s quote; “The average man is a conformist, accepting miseries and disasters with the stoicism of a cow standing in the rain,” is a perfect example of this. It is true that most people in the world are followers of whatever they see happening around them. Unfortunately, few are able to recognize their willingness to follow the “norm,”…

A lot of people claim to be things that they are not in order to gain credibility from a particular crowd they might be trying to impress. The same tactic of exaggerating one’s true character is used in Many characters in Shakespeare’s play Julius Caesar claim to be honorable, but they do not always come across as honorable individuals in the audience’s point of view. A lot of main characters are perceived as honorable or claim honor but participate in activities that completely disprove their…

"The average man is a conformist, accepting miseries and disasters with the stoicism of a cow standing in the rain." This is a quote by Colin Wilson. It tells us his views on conformism and the human nature of others. Most people don’t feel that they are independent enough to become a non-conformist. Conformism is something that most people do and Colin Wilson is trying to share that in this quote. Becoming a non-conformist is a little hard because most people want to fit in and roll with the…

As the Middle Ages came to a conclusion and the movements towards individualism and humanism began to emerge with the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries, philosophy and secular thought gradually took the place of theology as central to European life. While Christianity remained influential throughout the Renaissance, it is clear in thoughts concerning the role of education, political theory, human potential, and temporal matters that there was a tangible shift from theocentrism to a reliance on…

in personal enlightenment. “Aristotle also insisted that governments must function in the interest of the state, not in the interest of any single individual or group.(ch 4 pg 111) A stoic might respond to the Buddha’s sermon in agreeance because stoicism and buddhism are vastly similar. From the reading 6.2 and 8.4a it is easily apparent that stoics and buddhist share the same morals, they both believe that one should always focus on their present moment rather than the past or future. “ But…