Concepts to Live By

[littlenothing]

I also started making use of the Stoic technique known as negative visualization: I would periodically contemplate the loss of the things and people that mean the most to me. Thus, when parting from a friend, I might make a mental note that this could conceivably be the last time I would see the friend in question. Friendships do end, after all,

Comments

[else_divaricate]

It always seemed to have the opposite effect for me, obsession with loss..but then me, yeah.

[tamara_rose]

It's funny, I've always done this sort of thing too but I had no idea it was a (philosophical? psychological? spiritual?) exercise others did as well.

[hell_katzen]

I would agree, until the people around you tell you you're being too negative for just being honest...
Then you just get tired of sharing period and retreat elsewhere.

[littlenothing]

I think the key word in this paragraph is "periodically", not obsess, or dwell, or anything else. Briefly thinking to yourself, "I should appreciate my mom more because one day she'll be gone", is completely different from obsessing on prior or future loss. This is about not taking impermanent things for granted, not being a mopey goth ;)