November 3rd
FOLLOWING THE DOCTOR’S ORDERS
“Just as we commonly hear people say the doctor prescribed someone particular riding exercises, or ice baths, or walking without shoes, we should in the same way say that nature prescribed someone to be diseased, or disabled, or to suffer any kind of impairment. In the case of the doctor, prescribed means something ordered to help aid someone’s healing. But in the case of nature, it means that what happens to each of us is ordered to help aid our destiny.”
—MARCUS AURELIUS, MEDITATIONS, 5.8.
The Stoics were masters at analogies and used them as a tool to help strengthen their reasoning.
Here, Marcus observes how willingly we will put up with unpleasantness if commanded to by the magic words “doctor’s orders.” The doctor says you’ve got to take this nasty medicine, and you’ll do it. The doctor tells you you have to start sleeping hanging upside down like a bat. You’ll feel silly, but soon enough you’ll get to dangling because you think it will make you better.
On the other hand, when it comes to external events, we fight like hell if anything happens contrary to our plans. But what if, Marcus asks, a doctor had prescribed this exact thing as a part of our treatment? What if this was as good for us as medicine?
Well, what if?
11月3日
遵从医嘱
“我们常听人说，医生为某人开出了特定的骑马锻炼、冰水浴，或赤脚行走的处方。同样，我们也应当认为，是自然为某人安排了疾病、残障，或其他种种身体上的损伤。医生所谓的‘处方’，是为了帮助病人康复而作出的安排；而自然的‘处方’，则意味着我们每个人所遭遇的一切，都是为了促成各自命运的实现而安排的。”
——马可·奥勒留，《沉思录》，5.8
斯多葛哲学家深谙类比之道，善于借助类比来强化自己的推理与论证。
在这里，马可·奥勒留注意到一个有趣的现象：只要冠以“医嘱”二字，人们便会心甘情愿地忍受种种不适。医生让你服下一剂难以下咽的药，你便照做；医生告诉你，从今以后必须像蝙蝠一样倒挂着睡觉，你或许觉得荒唐可笑，但用不了多久，你也会乖乖倒挂起来，因为你相信这样做有益于健康。
然而，面对外部世界发生的事情，情况却截然不同。只要有任何事情偏离我们的计划，我们便会拼命抗拒。
但马可·奥勒留提出了一个问题：倘若恰恰是医生将这样的遭遇作为治疗的一部分开给我们，我们又会如何看待它？倘若这些遭遇对于我们，就像药物对于病人一样有益呢？
那么，何不这样想一想？
读要读顺口，写要写顺手， 擒字如擒虎，解句如解题。 |