Ethics are Aesthetic

Not sure if any other thinkers have thought this but,

Ethics are aesthetic.

What do I mean?

Assuming that ethics is the philosophy of action (embodied reality, interaction with other human beings in society), then the question is:

How *should* one act in society?

It is ultimately an aesthetic thing. To act what you consider elegantly, beautiful, strong, and in a lofty aristocratic way.

What would John Wick do?

fortis Fortuna adiuvat john wick tattoo

If we consider John Wick as part Stoic and part Samurai, then we think —

When we see how John Wick acts in the film, do we think it is ‘cool’ or badass?

I say so. To speak less (Laconic, like a Spartan soldier). To not complain about pain and suffering. To be one-minded in our pursuits.

Spartan 300

Ethics are public

Abstract red king Leonidas 300 Sparta

I do not think there is such a thing as ‘private’ ethics. When we think about the ‘public’, it has to do with any other human being besides you. For example, how you interact with family members or your children is also the ‘public’.

spartan black and red yellow

Aspiring towards an insanely great ideal

selfie ERIC KIM muscle topless

Then it seems the aesthetic goal we have of ourselves:

Seek some sort of ideal or perfection in terms of our bodily physique, as well as our ethics (how we interact with others).

For myself:

  1. Stoic ideal: To become harder, less petty. Less soft.
  2. Muscular ideal: To become more muscular (Hercules ideal).

STOICISM 101

Become invincible:

  1. Indifference to Pain or Suffering
  2. When is Stoicism Good? When is Stoicism Bad?
  3. Why Others Criticize or Insult You
  4. True Difficulty
  5. What if Covid Never Goes Away?
  6. SUPER STOIC
  7. Anti-Hedonism
  8. HOW TO CONQUER FEAR
  9. ANTI FEAR
  10. It is the Duty of the Strong to Help the Weak
  11. The Goal is to Become Stronger
  12. HYPER STOICISM
  13. HYPER HERO
  14. TRANSFORM EVERY DOWNSIDE INTO AN UPSIDE
  15. STOICISM x Child’s Mind
  16. The Art of Manly Virtue
  17. Resistance Makes Us Stronger!
  18. DON’T LIVE IN FEAR
  19. Emotions are Good
  20. Conquer Your Anger
  21. BLACK EAGLE
  22. DIFFICULTY AWAKENS YOUR INNER-GENIUS.
  23. STOICISM IS ARMOR FOR THE MIND
  24. The Spartan-Stoic Lifestyle
  25. How I Conquered Fear
  26. HOW TO CURE FEAR.
  27. LIFE IS BEAUTIFUL.
  28. The Upside of Poverty
  29. How I Became Me
  30. THE WILL TO POWER, OR THE WILL TO FEAR?
  31. ATTACK REALITY
  32. Living *THROUGH* History
  33. How to Fear Less
  34. Fear is the Ultimate Contagious Disease
  35. STOICISM FOR DUMMIES
  36. Don’t Be Scared!
  37. WHAT CAN YOU CONTROL, WHAT CAN YOU NOT CONTROL?
  38. HOW YOU CAN CONQUER FEAR
  39. YOU’RE STRONGER THAN YOU THINK YOU ARE.
  40. EXPECT THE UNEXPECTED
  41. WHY AREN’T THINGS WORSE?
  42. My Philosophy on Masculinity
  43. A Riskier Life is a Better Life #philosophy #stoicism
  44. How to Creatively Flourish in Life
  45. Introduction to Stoicism
  46. How to Become Stronger
  47. How to Conquer Depression With Photography
  48. What Doesn’t Kill You Makes You Stronger
  49. How to Respect Yourself
  50. How to Believe in Yourself
  51. How to Steer Fear
  52. How to Conquer Pessimism
  53. How to Conquer Anxiety
  54. How to Overcome Your Fear of People
  55. How to Be Optimistic
  56. Why I Don’t Take My Anger Seriously
  57. HOW TO BECOME MORE POWERFUL
  58. POSITIVITY.
  59. HOW TO BECOME SUPERHUMAN
  60. How to Give a Fuck Less
  61. ALL IN.
  62. Why I Cut My Dad Out of My Life.
  63. Your iPhone Only Has 5% Battery Left.
  64. How not to give a FUCK about your REPUTATION
  65. WHAT IS A HUMAN?
  66. HAPPINESS.
  67. The Regret Minimization Framework in Photography and Life
  68. How to Be a HERO
  69. Conquer Your Fears by Making Fear Your Slave
  70. Rule Circumstances; Don’t Let Your Circumstances Rule You
  71. How to Love Yourself
  72. How to Turn Shit into Gold
  73. Your Parents Fuck You Up
  74. Immortality
  75. What Kills You Makes You Stronger
  76. How to Be Patient
  77. How to Conquer Anger
  78. How to Bounce Back in Life
  79. How to Overcome Resistance
  80. Nothing Unlimited is Good; Nothing Good is Unlimited
  81. You Have No Limits
  82. Can 1’s and 0’s Hurt You?
  83. The Envious Moment is Flying Now
  84. Tomorrow We’ll Sail the Wide Seas Again
  85. How to Forgive Others
  86. Focus on Your Actions, Not the Results
  87. Everything Will Be Alright
  88. How to Be a Stoic Street Photographer
  89. How to Be a Spartan Photographer
  90. How to Overcome Your Fears in Life
  91. How to Stop Worrying in Life
  92. How to Use Photography as Self-Therapy
  93. How to Free Your Soul From Disturbance
  94. 3 Stoic Techniques that Can Help You Gain Tranquility
  95. Can People Weaker than You Hurt You?
  96. Does a Doctor Get Angry at a Crazy Patient?
  97. Own Nothing

The Stoic Masters

Marcus Aurelius statue
Marcus Aurelius

Learn from the master stoics:

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