Donald Robertson

Socrates says, do other people all find your mum unbearable? Or do certain people view her differently? Socrates himself, for example, viewed it very differently. He got nagged by Xanthropy, but it didn't really bother him, right? So one of the first questions we ask in cognitive therapy are, are other perspectives available, right? Is this the only way of looking at things?

Socrates says, do other people all find your mum unbearable? Or do certain people view her differently? Socrates himself, for example, viewed it very differently. He got nagged by Xanthropy, but it didn't really bother him, right? So one of the first questions we ask in cognitive therapy are, are other perspectives available, right? Is this the only way of looking at things?

Or, you know, might you potentially see it differently? Epictetus' main example of that, he goes straight for the jugular, right? He says, we're not upset by things, but by our opinions about them. Even when it comes to death, some people aren't scared of dying. Actually, loads of people aren't scared of dying.

Or, you know, might you potentially see it differently? Epictetus' main example of that, he goes straight for the jugular, right? He says, we're not upset by things, but by our opinions about them. Even when it comes to death, some people aren't scared of dying. Actually, loads of people aren't scared of dying.

Or, you know, might you potentially see it differently? Epictetus' main example of that, he goes straight for the jugular, right? He says, we're not upset by things, but by our opinions about them. Even when it comes to death, some people aren't scared of dying. Actually, loads of people aren't scared of dying.

There are many people I've found, it's one of the weird things, particularly younger people, often find it inconceivable. That someone wouldn't be afraid of dying. But a lot of elderly people are resigned to their own death because they've been bereaved many times and maybe they've had many health scales.

There are many people I've found, it's one of the weird things, particularly younger people, often find it inconceivable. That someone wouldn't be afraid of dying. But a lot of elderly people are resigned to their own death because they've been bereaved many times and maybe they've had many health scales.

There are many people I've found, it's one of the weird things, particularly younger people, often find it inconceivable. That someone wouldn't be afraid of dying. But a lot of elderly people are resigned to their own death because they've been bereaved many times and maybe they've had many health scales.

And so over the space of decades, in some cases, if not all, you speak to elderly people and they say, I've got over it.

And so over the space of decades, in some cases, if not all, you speak to elderly people and they say, I've got over it.

And so over the space of decades, in some cases, if not all, you speak to elderly people and they say, I've got over it.

you know I've had years and years to get used to the idea of dying so you know it doesn't really frighten me anymore some elderly people are terrified of dying but others are surprisingly resigned to it Socrates again 71 72 facing his trial he's an older guy living in a society where there's not a lot of medicine you know I think he's the sort of dude that was perfectly resilient.

you know I've had years and years to get used to the idea of dying so you know it doesn't really frighten me anymore some elderly people are terrified of dying but others are surprisingly resigned to it Socrates again 71 72 facing his trial he's an older guy living in a society where there's not a lot of medicine you know I think he's the sort of dude that was perfectly resilient.

you know I've had years and years to get used to the idea of dying so you know it doesn't really frighten me anymore some elderly people are terrified of dying but others are surprisingly resigned to it Socrates again 71 72 facing his trial he's an older guy living in a society where there's not a lot of medicine you know I think he's the sort of dude that was perfectly resilient.

He'd lived through many dangerous... It's hard to imagine how many brushes with death Socrates had had, right? I mean, they tried to execute him, I think, about three or four times altogether under different political regimes. He was involved in battles where thousands of people were killed around him. And he lived through a plague that killed tens of thousands of people in Athens.

He'd lived through many dangerous... It's hard to imagine how many brushes with death Socrates had had, right? I mean, they tried to execute him, I think, about three or four times altogether under different political regimes. He was involved in battles where thousands of people were killed around him. And he lived through a plague that killed tens of thousands of people in Athens.

He'd lived through many dangerous... It's hard to imagine how many brushes with death Socrates had had, right? I mean, they tried to execute him, I think, about three or four times altogether under different political regimes. He was involved in battles where thousands of people were killed around him. And he lived through a plague that killed tens of thousands of people in Athens.

So he was a guy who was well accustomed to the fragility of his own existence. I mean, we live a very, very, very sheltered existence by comparison to that. But it's interesting that Epictetus goes straight for that example. He has Plato's Apology in mind. He's like, you want to know what it means to realize that it's your opinions that shape your fear.

So he was a guy who was well accustomed to the fragility of his own existence. I mean, we live a very, very, very sheltered existence by comparison to that. But it's interesting that Epictetus goes straight for that example. He has Plato's Apology in mind. He's like, you want to know what it means to realize that it's your opinions that shape your fear.

So he was a guy who was well accustomed to the fragility of his own existence. I mean, we live a very, very, very sheltered existence by comparison to that. But it's interesting that Epictetus goes straight for that example. He has Plato's Apology in mind. He's like, you want to know what it means to realize that it's your opinions that shape your fear.