This blogpost is part one of a series of five exploring the Stoic psychological tactics that can be used to rediscover joy in your life and is based on William Irvine’s A guide to the good life.
Some of you might have already heard of the stoics or perhaps even read some of the things they have written. Most well known of the Roman Stoics are Seneca, Marcus Aurelius, Musonius Rufus and Epictetus. What set these people apart from others was their ability to take joy in the simplest of things and at the same time the willingness to give everything up on a moments notice without grief. This was what first got me interested in the stoics, how can it be that they handled negative emotions so well and were able to give everything up so easily. Some of them even gave their lives in this manner.
Negative visualization
Any thoughtfull person will at times think about the bad things that can happen to him. The main reason being to prevent them from happening. But no matter how hard we try to prevent these things from happening there are plenty of bad things that will happen to us. We will get sick from time to time and we most certainly will loose things that are dear to us. The Stoics solved this by negative visualization. Thinking of the bad things that might just happen and thus “He rob present ills of their power who have has perceived their coming beforehand”. Also, misfortune has the biggest impact on those who “expect nothing but good fortune”. Both the Stoics and Buddhists agree on this and state the “all things are perishable”. If we don’t keep this in mind and think the things dear to us will always be there we will suffer considerable distress when it’s gone.
So now we have two reasons for negative visualization:
- To foresee bad things that might happen and prevent them from happening
- To realize that the things we hold dear won’t last forever
Hedonic adaptation
And then there is a third reason, a reason all to familiar to modern consumers. The psychologists Loewestein an Frederick studied what they called Hedonic adaptation. it’s the initial rush of excitement when we finally get something we always wanted followed by a form of depression where we take what we once coveted for granted. Be it a book, a dress, a car, a job or a life partner. (And one for the digital nomads: your passport) Upon reaching the goal we had set we keep looking for bigger things and seem never to be happy with what we have.
How do we break this cycle? This is where the negative visualization has it’s biggest impact. We should try and stop this cycle and in part even reverse it. To illustrate what I mean: how happy are with the computer you are reading this on? How happy were you the first day you used it? There is a difference isn’t there? Where did this difference come from and why are you no longer as happy now as you were back then?
Hedonic adaptation has the power to rob us from all the joy we have in life. In stead of delighting in life’s joys we take everything for granted and lose interest.
To someone who is constantly adapting the glass is half empty.
To a stoic, not only is the glass half full, he also has a glas (it could get stolen or broken) and to top things of it’s a glass and not even a ceramic pot. It doesn’t give a peculiar taste to the liquid inside and you can even enjoy the color of the liquid! What a wondrous thing this glass is that we take for granted.
Going back to the computer, how would you feel about not having it anymore? Perhaps you need to send it in for repairs and you get an inferior model on loan for the time being.
Stoic toolbox
Negative visualization is the single most powerful tool in the stoic toolbox. In the simplest form it’s spending time visualizing loosing the things you value most. In modern times think along the lines of loosing your job, having your car stolen or the death of a loved one.
Why would you want to do this? Seems very depressing doesn’t it. Actually this is a great source of joy believe it or not. Think that your car gets stolen every night and when you wake up and it’s still there you’re thankful that you still have it.
The stoics advise us to live every day like it is our last. This doesn’t mean spending all your money like there is no tomorrow and doing whatever you want regardless of the consequences it has on tomorrow. This is simply an extension of this negative visualisation technique. We should periodically contemplate the fact that we will not live forever and that this day might just be our last. Such thinking will not convert us to Hedonism but will make us appreciate how wonderful it is that we are alive and have the opportunity to fill this day with activity. This will in turn make it less likely that we will squander our days. After all, if this was your last day, would you procrastinate while waiting for the end to come?
Stoic zen and lossing a loved one
Don’t stop planning for tomorrow but keep in mind to appreciate today as well, or as Zen Buddhists would say: live in this moment.
One day in our lives will be the last day, one of our cups of coffee will be the last we ever drink and one kiss we give to our loved one will be the last we ever give them.
How often is it that people become depressed when one of their parents dies thinking along the lines of “I should have told them I loved them more often” or “We should have gone on that fishing trip when we still could.” If you still have your parents and have things you want to do, go do them now! You never know what tomorrow will bring after all.
It sounds depressing perhaps but give it a try. You’ll appreciate everything so much more and will receive joy from the simplest of things. After all, it might just be the last time you can do this, so make it count. Don’t get depressed about it, be thankful that the things we hold dear our in our lives, be thankful that you have a computer to read this post, after all, you’re computer might get stolen tonight.
Negative visualization will stop you from sleepwalking through life.
The posts in the Stoic psychological tactics series:
3. Fatalism
4. Self-denial
5. Meditation
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You are courageous to put out this politically incorrect theory, Christiaan! We’re so often preached to about positive thinking. Very interesting to read the opposite point of view, and I thank you for it.
And must admit, I kind of agree with you ….
What about imagining all the good things that will come from losing your prized possession like not having to worry about it getting damaged or stolen. Freedom from its burdens and finally the ability to dream of getting another wonderful thing that it currently out of reach?
I really like this, I hadn’t studied very much stoicism over the years but I definitely will now.
Another key aspect of Zen, as I understand it, is the concept of non attachment. By focusing so much on a particular desired outcome we exclude the rest of the possible realities to our own detriment. This non attachment does not mean we should ignore unpleasantness, rather is means that we need to acknowledge all possibilities; positive and negative.
i look forward to reading the rest of this series!
This is somewhat embarrassing to admit but I always think like this. I considered it a type of paranoid fear but in reality it grounded me to appreciate every moment of joy I have with loved ones, every step I take, and every breath I have till my last.