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Meditations on Self-Discipline and Failure: Stoic Exercise for Mental Fitness Kindle Edition
William Ferraiolo (Author) Find all the books, read about the author, and more. See search results for this author |
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- LanguageEnglish
- PublisherO-Books
- Publication dateOctober 27, 2017
- File size1347 KB
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Editorial Reviews
Review
Ferraiolo offers a provocative contemporary adaptation of his reading of the Stoic philosophers Marcus Aurelius and Epictetus and other ancient philosophers of similar minds. The book is well-organized and easy to read. It will be welcomed by anyone fascinated with or open to meditative philosophy of the Roman Stoic variety. An interesting and worthwhile read. -- Dr. Hugh Benson, author of Socratic Wisdom: The Model of Knowledge in Plato's Early Dialogues
In this wonderful book of bracing thoughts, questions, and guidance, William Ferraiolo provides a modern version of the challenges presented to us in the ancient past by such philosophers as Seneca, Epictetus, and Marcus Aurelius. You can read just a few pages at a time, and have much to ponder about your life, day-to-day. -- Tom Morris, bestselling author of If Aristotle Ran General Motors, The Stoic Art of Living, The Oasis Within
Meditations on Self-Discipline and Failure will make you pause and reflect, whether or not you agree with any or all of its contents. Written in the style of Marcus Aurelius' Meditations, and with a strong flavor of Epictetus, it confronts the reader with what happens if one looks at reality in the eyes and considers regulating his life accordingly. To do so takes both wisdom and courage, but Ferraiolo argues that it is well worth the effort. -- Massimo Pigliucci PhD, author of How to Be Stoic: Using Ancient Philosophy to Live a Modern Life --This text refers to the paperback edition.
About the Author
Product details
- ASIN : B075ZHCGKV
- Publisher : O-Books (October 27, 2017)
- Publication date : October 27, 2017
- Language : English
- File size : 1347 KB
- Text-to-Speech : Enabled
- Screen Reader : Supported
- Enhanced typesetting : Enabled
- X-Ray : Not Enabled
- Word Wise : Enabled
- Print length : 185 pages
- Lending : Not Enabled
- Best Sellers Rank: #993,679 in Kindle Store (See Top 100 in Kindle Store)
- #1,293 in Cognitive Psychology (Kindle Store)
- #1,637 in Ethics & Morality
- #4,146 in Emotional Self Help
- Customer Reviews:
About the author

William Ferraiolo received a Ph.D. in philosophy from the University of Oklahoma in 1997. Since that time, he has been teaching philosophy at San Joaquin Delta College in Stockton, California. His books include: Cynical Maxims and Marginalia, Meditations on Self-Discipline and Failure: Stoic Exercise for Mental Fitness, A Life Worth Living: Meditations on God, Death and Stoicism, You Die at the End: Meditations on Mortality and the Human Condition, God Bless the Broken Bones: Meditations Over One Botched, Bungled and Beautiful Year, The Exile at Home: Meditations on the Passing Madness, American Exit: Your Personal Secession Manifesto, Fractured Observations: Notes on Odd Stuff from Coffee to Coffins, The Little Book of Mental Toughness: Endure What You Must, Accomplish What You Can, and Embrace the Struggle, and Slave and Stage: Remarks on the Stoic Handbook of Epictetus.
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Top reviews from the United States
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For example, there are suggestions to ignore the law if convinced that the law is wrong, to respond with violence if threatened, to kill oneself if life seems too difficult, to ignore social conventions such as dressing up, to quit a job if the job is bothersome, to treat the opinions of others as irrelevant to success, to treat even libel as irrelevant, and to avoid being concerned about the impact that our words may have on others.
Although directed to the author, the book also contains cognitively distorted references to the reader as a “talking ape,” an “imbecile,” and “a malignacy upon this world that has no need of you,” being “of little use to the world,” and living in a society is “dying.” The rational, empirical approach of modern cognitive behavioral therapy which developed in part from Stoic thinking has documented the risks that this sort of labeling, minimizing the positive, and generalizing about the negative can have on a person’s experience of things.
The reader’s own experiences of suffering and those of others are to be met with indifference. Yet, indifference to one’s own experiences and those of others cuts off many opportunities to make a difference in life that a more mindful, compassionate approach might generate. Empathy can bring more to life than a way to predict what others might do.
I can recommend this book provided the reader is careful to treat Ferraiolo as a Devil’s advocate.
That said, I struggled to get past the first third or so, where the book seems to devolve into less coherent or repetitive passages.
Even so, the book is worth it's cost for the first few chapters without a doubt. I have shared passages of the book with my non philosopher friends, since they are so powerful.
After reading several Stoic pieces, I keep this book along Meditations by Marcus Aurelius, as well as an unlikely entry: Don't Sweat the Small Stuff at my bedside. These three readings can be seen as almost a spectrum from most to least hardline.
In researching the author, I found it interesting that he holds strong pro-gun views that even border on paranoia about gun control.
Initially, I found these strong right-wing views to be antithetical to stoicism. I had associated stoic philosophy towards a centric view of politics. However, upon further reflection, it's less clear; there needn't be a connection between philosophy and politics, particularly in the unfortunate and divisive hyper-partisan atmosphere of today
Not that there is any complex theory presented here for you to absorb, ponder, and then try to apply to your own life in some step-by-step fashion. Just ideas for you to reflect upon. Equally, you won't be extolled to join any organization, or club, or religious cult, or organization that sends newsletters. You will just find meditations in the form of thought provoking essays such as we find in a lot of Western philosophy.
Top reviews from other countries


My conclusion from being on my own journey of discovery is that as a culture we have become addicted to comfort ... the Ego has left our own sense of self in the shadow, and without consistent work we will live our life on the conveyer belt of capitalism, and lose the opportunity to achieve clarity.
For what it's worth ... I've chased pleasure my whole life. Sex, drugs, money ... career ... and only through meditation, exercise and reading have I become a whole person. I thank stoic philosophy for a large part of that progress. I take these lessons into my consciousness... and as if these are the words from a father to a son.
Namaste.
Mike.


