That Mystery Floating Alongside

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  “The side of the ship made an opaque belt of shadow on the darkling glassy shimmer of the sea. But I saw at once something elongated and pale floating very close to the ladder. Before I could form a guess a faint flash of phosphorescent light, which seemed to issue suddenly from the naked body of a man, flickered in the sleeping water with the elusive, silent play of summer lightning in a night sky. With a gasp I saw revealed to my stare a pair of feet, the long legs, a broad livid back immersed right up to the neck in a greenish cadaverous glow. One hand, awash, clutched the bottom rung of the ladder. He was complete but for the head. A headless corpse! The cigar dropped out of my gaping mouth with a tiny plop and a short hiss quite audible in the absolute stillness of all things under heaven. At that I suppose he raised up his face, a dimly pale oval in the shadow of the ship’s side. But even then I could only barely make out down there the shape of his black-haired head. Howev...

Thoughts on Anxiety, Sadness, Anger and Fear

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"When I see a man in a state of anxiety, I say, 'What can this man want? If he did not want something which is not in his power, how could he still be anxious?'" (Epictetus, Discourses 13)

This thought provides a simple readiness against anxiety, pointing that that one who is anxious wants something--what is it? Resolving anxiety involves two questions: 
  1. "What is wanted?"
  2. "Is the object of want withing one's power?" 
This simple lesson might be coupled with another learned just this weekend, touching on Sadness and Anger. 

In times of sadness we could ask, "what is missing?" This is different than anxiety. No attempt should be made to cheer unless one requests cheer; instead, one must process sadness starting with coming to grips with what is lost. 

Anger is never handled well with encouragements to "calm down." This response to anger communicates the idea that the anger one feels is wrong, that it disturbs your peace. Instead of throwing gas on the fire, search out what obstacle blocked a goal that led one to choose frustration that grew into anger. Anger is never objective. One makes ourselves angry, so find deal with the unfulfilled expectation: did it involve something within one's power or control?. 

Fear signals a deep concern so listen. Again, beware of sending the signal that the feeling is inappropriate. Listen. Come alongside. 

In a way all these concerns are related: what is within one's power to control? 

The clear answer is: one's response.