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zoobrix t1_j6amykb wrote

I like how 9 and 10 are essentially saying you should try and be nice even if the person is an asshole but there are limits. Some people are just psychos and will never stop fucking with you no matter what because that's what they enjoy doing, don't bother trying to be nice to those people, it won't make any difference.

Very, very true.

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VeGr-FXVG t1_j6c27qa wrote

> don't bother trying to be nice to those people

I don't think it's saying that; it says to accept their nature but says nothing about giving up on being compassionate. I think 10 is necessary before you can do 9: before you can treat people with an invincible kindness you have to accept that you have no other action (as the other action is tyrannical).

I think stoicism fundamentally is about the process not outcome: we're not kind because we want to change people (outcome), we're kind because that's the only course of action we accept as legitimate. Yes, we might change people, but that's not why we do it.

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