Re:Why Is Silicon Valley So Obsessed with the Virtue of Suff...
by darkpuma on Tuesday March 26, 2019 @07:01PM
(#19496744)
The problem is what you're describing has more in common with Catholicism (particularly penances) than it does with Stoicism. The article is poorly argued. For instance, the article provides no real evidence that Dorsy gives a shit about Stoicism, and provides no real evidence that a few anecdotes of penance-like behavior is a trend, let alone has any causal link to a perceived trend of Stoicism.
Other HN commenters have suggested that the discrepancies between the behaviors described in the article and Stoicism are the result of techies corrupting Stoicism, but I think an alternative hypothesis should be considered: that the author has corrupted Stoicism in order to create a palatable narrative.
Re:Why Is Silicon Valley So Obsessed with the Virtue of Suff...
by munificent on Wednesday March 27, 2019 @02:15PM
(#19504098)
For what it's worth, I've seen Stoicism mentioned on HN way more than any other philosophy, except possibly libertarianism. The most frequently mentioned philosophy book is definitely Meditations.
I don't think the author is off-base for claiming it's a thing in SV.
I do think there is something to the article. What do you do when you've been raised with progressive liberal values that rail against inequality but then find yourself wildly rich? How do you feel good about yourself while knowing you have access to power and privilege almost no one else does?
One option is to plow a lot of that money back into programs to help increase the prosperity of everyone. But then you end up poorer and who wants that?
A simpler approach is to find some symbolic hair shirt you can wear, a little token suffering, as a way to assuage your guilt without making any real sacrifices. Of course, the irony is that the only reason these people do any of this "opt-in suffering" is because they are secure in the knowledge that they can stop it whenever they want.
Dorsey's contemplative long walk is a lot less fun when it's your only way to get to work, and Rose's cold shower loses some of its charm when it's because the power's been cut off.