So I’ve been reading some stoicism sources, one theme that I came across lately was around contentment, for example as expressed in this quote: “Asked, Who is the rich man?", Epictetus replied, "He who is content.”
Another thing is that I think beeminder works - incredibly well - but motivates using the stick and not the carrot. And I use it for a lot of t hings that make my life better overall that I wouldn’t otherwise do, and certainly not in such a disciplined fashion, to name a few yoga, exercise, meditation, diet, personal study.
And so I would even say Beeminder, and its accompanying stick, pervades my life. Although I benefit greatly from those activities, I am not pleased with the omnipresence of its stick. I’m not entirely sure if or how that relates to the notion of contentedness; maybe I should be content that I’m getting all the benefits bestowed by Beeminder, or maybe I should be content to not achieve those benefits and also not be haunted by Beeminder’s stick!
Any thoughts on stick-life balance would be appreciated
-Neal