Hey Heidi,

Thanks for another great insight and thoughtful criticism showing me a blind spot in my thinking— as expected of you :)

I agree that I am speaking from a privileged stance; I am unable to truly know what it means to lose everything and not have the sense of security that in a few hours I will have something to eat and drink again. I also agree that this strategy ignores the fact that people involuntarily go through my “stoic” practice everyday. My stance ignores the dispossessed and is not truly a universal practice that everyone can partake in.

I believe this has stemmed from my belief that in order to change the world, you must change yourself first. If I could change my current self and change my mindset to value the things around me instead of chasing after meaningless desires, I could then focus on helping others out with this newfound compassion and empathy.

If I’m not mistaken, certain Stoics like Seneca or Marcus Aurelius would regularly practice putting themselves in “rock-bottom” situations so that they could practice gratitude and enjoy the things they currently have. They were of privileged status, yet they believed that this practice would humble them and remind them that they should appreciate the privileges they currently have.

This practice can seem selfish compared to the people who are actually suffering and involuntarily starving. It’s definitely a first-world problem — we have the luxury to purposefully starve ourselves to remind ourselves of our ungratefulness.

Now what can we do for the people around the world who are suffering? While this may sound like an excuse, I believe that one can help everyone else around them if they become a better person. If you change yourself and become a better influence to the people around you, they in turn can feel influenced by you and may be more likely to help or show compassion to the people around them, and so it goes… (I know this sounds naive but I guess don’t beat it till you try it :). )

So, while we should be mindful of the suffering around us, we shouldn’t feel bad about our current position because we have it better than others. We can use this practice to try and think about where we stand relative to the rest of the world and reevaluate the things we chase after to determine if they are truly what will bring you fulfillment and meaning in this life.

Thanks again Heidi for provoking me to think further into this. I have to admit, the piece was written on a whim and I wasn’t able to really spend too much time thinking deeply about it. I’m glad that you shared your thought and made me think about my essay from another angle.