How understanding the differences between good, bad, and indifferent things can help you flourish.
Understanding the distinctions between good, bad, and indifferent things allows you to arrive at correct value-judgments about external things or events. With this knowledge, it will be easier for you to stay calm and serene and to flourish even in difficult situations. It will also help you be less attached to things as you know their real value.
Let's jump in and start cultivating the right attitude toward value-judgments.
TL;DR
- Virtue is the only good.
- Vice is the only bad.
- Good and bad are within our control.
- Everything else is indifferent and not within our control.
- The value of indifferent things comes from how we make use of them.
- Applying the right value-judgment to things or events can lead to more serenity and peace of mind.
What's good, what's bad, and what is indifferent from a Stoic perspective?
"Of things, some are good, some evil, and some indifferent. Now the good are the virtues, and whatever partakes of them; and the evil, vices, and what partakes of vice; the indifferent lie between these, as riches, health, life, death, pleasure, pain." Epictetus, Discourses 2.19
- Virtue is the only good and benefits the self.
- On the contrary, vice is evil. It doesn't benefit the self.
- Both are within our power, but everything which is not under our control is indifferent. Indifferent is separated into "preferred indifferent" and "dispreferred indifferent".
For Stoics, only virtue can lead to a eudaimonic life, a life of fulfillment and flourishing. It's the only thing needed for happiness and peace of mind. On the other side, vices will lead to unhappiness and discontent. And as eudaimonia is the ultimate goal of this practical school of thought, virtue is the only good and vice the only bad. Everything else is neither good nor bad. Therefore, Stoics don't attach any value to external things; they are just indifferent. It's how we make use of all those other things that determine their value.
What's the difference between "preferred indifferent" and "dispreferred indifferent"?
For example, preferred indifferent is something that assists us in our pursuit of eudaimonia and brings some pleasures but not too much attachment. Dispreferred indifferent are difficulties or setbacks we must accept as we can't avoid them. They don't impede our path to virtue.
Money, for instance, can lead to moral corruption and could be seen as an unfavorable indifferent. But it can also be used to provide for our families or help others in need. In this case, money is a preferred indifferent.
Let's take a look at a second example, sickness. No one would prefer sickness over health. But sickness can't hinder us from living virtuously. So it's dispreferred indifferent. On the other hand, it can also be used as an opportunity to develop mental strength and resilience. Then it could help us on our path to happiness and becomes preferred indifferent.
You see, it's how we use these circumstances that makes them preferred or dispreferred indifferent. Neither way, they are indifferent, and their value lies in how we use them.
How can this understanding help you?
The practical implications of understanding the differences between good, bad, and indifferent things are huge: You can use this tool to assist you in your pursuit of eudaimonia.
Knowing what's good, what's bad, and what's indifferent should help you understand your value-judgments and how they affect your actions and external elements.
It's about assessing, understanding, and adjusting your value-judgments. This means recognizing when something is indifferent and realizing that focusing on it excessively won't help you in the long run.
As a Stoic, you should always try to focus on the things within your control, like how you react and respond to situations. By doing this, you'll be able to channel your energy into the areas of life where you can make a difference on your journey to happiness.
You may have noticed it already. It's a part of the dichotomy of control. Everything that is not within your control is indifferent. That is why you shouldn't focus on them too much. You can learn to accept things that are beyond your control while focusing your energy on what is within your control. This will help allow life's problems not to become too overwhelming and help you make rational decisions toward indifferent events.
It's an incredibly powerful tool on the Stoic journey to a happy and meaningful life.
How to apply it to your life?
You now know the theory; let's bring it to action and apply it to your life.
Prepare yourself
Start by assessing some things in your life.
- Material things like your car, TV, or anything you believe is extremely necessary for your life.
- Immaterial things like your deserved vacation or the promotion you've been working for so long.
Write them down and assign each one a Stoic value-judgment. For the indifferent: Try to figure out under what circumstances they become preferred indifferent and when dispreferred. Write both situations down.
As a next step, visualize losing or not reaching your indifferent things or events. Imagine you have to let go of all those things you've listed. What happens? Can this hinder you from living a good life? What would be a virtuous reaction?
When something is preferred indifferent: What can you do? What is within your control to increase the likelihood that it will turn out the way you like?
Finally, practice accepting that many things in life are out of your control. And as indifferent events or things are not in your complete control, practice taking whatever fate puts in your hands.
Apply it
When a difficult situation occurs, or you recognize that you are too attached to something, simply ask yourself if this is good, bad, or indifferent.
You can write a Stoic mantra to remember doing so. It can be something like:
"When life gives me a curveball, I'll assign a proper value and accept things outside of my control. I will focus my energy on the things that are within my control."
Reflection
It is crucial to reflect on your past behavior to learn and grow personally. Take some time on a daily basis (or weekly if it fits better in your life) and reflect on what happened during that period. How did you apply the value-judgments of good, bad, and indifferent? Was there an event or situation where irrelevant things clouded your judgment?
It is crucial to reflect honestly and objectively. Doing so will help you to expand your horizons and grow as a person.
Living a happy life is within your reach if you bring this knowledge to life. Now it's time for you. What will you do next? Your Stoic journey awaits!
