Quote:
Originally Posted by shakespeare47
There are days that I feel like a terrible excuse for a human being. I ruminate on the mean things I have said and done... the dumb mistakes I have made... the times I've expressed biased and/or prejudicial thoughts- or just had them.
|
Stop it.
Quote:
|
Do you struggle with similar thoughts? What solutions have you found? Or if you haven't had similar thoughts, what advice would you give me?
|
I have no such struggles. I see mistakes as learning opportunities. Supposing I made a mistake, I would think to myself, "Why have I made this mistake? What have I done wrong? How can I make the correct choices in the future?" If I'm unable to come up with a solution on my own, I'll ask someone who's better than me for advice on whatever I need help with. Don't look into the past unless it's to help you understand the present and to improve for the future.
If you catch yourself pitying yourself, simply remember that pity never solved the problem. We ought to concern ourselves with the truth, not with protecting our own ego.
Quote:
Originally Posted by shakespeare47
I'm having a hard time coming up with people who didn't also express some biases. I wish there were good examples.
|
Marcus Aurelius. Actually, his journal,
Meditations, has a lot of insights on the matter.
It's a Stoic habit to keep a daily journal wherein you record and reflect on your actions. The idea is not to dwell on the past, but to better understand how you can improve, and also to see how much you've improved over time.