Is having a new experience the same as re-experiencing an old experience we might have forgotten?
Dear friend,
One thing I’ve been doing is looking back at some of my old photos, from 2013-2014 (which were shot on film), and I’m getting so much joy re-experiencing the past joy from the past!
Then I had an interesting philosophical thought:
Is having a new experience the same as re-experiencing an old experience we might have forgotten?
Or,
Is it better to have a new experience, than to re-live old experiences?
Then another thought:
If you have an experience in the past, but don’t remember it — was it worth having in the first place?
And even deeper:
What is the purpose of experiences — especially if you might end up forgetting them one day?
Let’s get deep:
- First of all, regardless if you ‘remember’ an experience or not, it has somehow shaped you into who you are today; conscious or subconscious.
- I don’t think we can categorize an experience as ‘good’ or ‘bad’. Because for example, I grew up with an abusive father, who gambled, and did all this shitty stuff to my mom. But was that really a “bad” thing? In a strange way– he was the ultimate role model for me, because he was the best example of an ANTI-ROLE model (he taught me morals and ethics by teaching me what not to do to women, my future wife, or others). In some ways, I think that traumatic life experiences (if you survive them), actually make you stronger. That which doesn’t kill you makes you stronger (Nietzsche). Or, you can think: “People who try to harm you and if you survive, these people end up benefitting you, because it makes you stronger and more resilient in life”.
- Therefore, all experiences are ‘positive’ in the sense that we can shape/interpret them however we want. For example, whenever something shitty happens to me in life, I always think to myself: “How can this shitty experience make me into a stronger person? Or how will I look on at this experience in the future, and laugh about it, or feel gratitude from it?”
Lesson: Interpret ALL events and experiences in your life in a positive way; and then your life will be ALL upside, no downside #STOICISM
Whether you like it or not, you’re going to die. I think in life, photography is one of the best tools to live more adventurously, more boldly, and to create artwork which can inspire future generations.
Also, photography serves as a good self-therapeutic/self-therapy. Whenever I feel shitty, and look at old photos from the past — it actually makes me feel better! Because it makes me remind myself:
Eric, don’t take your emotions too seriously. You’re probably only feeling depressed because it is dark outside, you’re not getting sunlight, or today is just an off-day (you might have slept poorly). Don’t let your emotion or your mood be an indicator of how good your life is. Soon this negative emotion will pass, and the sun will come out again!
Smile,
ERIC
STOICISM
Become invincible:
- How to Creatively Flourish in Life
- Introduction to Stoicism
- How to Become Stronger
- How to Conquer Depression With Photography
- What Doesn’t Kill You Makes You Stronger
- How to Respect Yourself
- How to Believe in Yourself
- How to Steer Fear
- How to Conquer Pessimism
- How to Conquer Anxiety
- How to Overcome Your Fear of People
- How to Be Optimistic
- Why I Don’t Take My Anger Seriously
- HOW TO BECOME MORE POWERFUL
- POSITIVITY.
- HOW TO BECOME SUPERHUMAN
- How to Give a Fuck Less
- ALL IN.
- Why I Cut My Dad Out of My Life.
- Your iPhone Only Has 5% Battery Left.
- How not to give a FUCK about your REPUTATION
- WHAT IS A HUMAN?
- HAPPINESS.
- The Regret Minimization Framework in Photography and Life
- How to Be a HERO
- Conquer Your Fears by Making Fear Your Slave
- Rule Circumstances; Don’t Let Your Circumstances Rule You
- How to Love Yourself
- How to Turn Shit into Gold
- Your Parents Fuck You Up
- Immortality
- What Kills You Makes You Stronger
- How to Be Patient
- How to Conquer Anger
- How to Bounce Back in Life
- How to Overcome Resistance
- Nothing Unlimited is Good; Nothing Good is Unlimited
- You Have No Limits
- Can 1’s and 0’s Hurt You?
- The Envious Moment is Flying Now
- Tomorrow We’ll Sail the Wide Seas Again
- How to Forgive Others
- Focus on Your Actions, Not the Results
- Everything Will Be Alright
- How to Be a Stoic Street Photographer
- How to Be a Spartan Photographer
- How to Overcome Your Fears in Life
- How to Stop Worrying in Life
- How to Use Photography as Self-Therapy
- How to Free Your Soul From Disturbance
- 3 Stoic Techniques that Can Help You Gain Tranquility
- Can People Weaker than You Hurt You?
- Does a Doctor Get Angry at a Crazy Patient?
- Own Nothing
The Stoic Masters
Learn from the master stoics: