Philosophy

How genius/wise people (prominent scientists, philosophers, etc.) dealed with the depression? All this wickedness and suffering in this world and human existence but they overwhlemed their emotions thus became succesful. If you can recommend some literature on this issue would be great.

You're looking at it wrong. You assign value to something that doesn't necessarily have value: human life. Does a dog care about another dog halfway around the world? I hate to say it, I really do, but value is a social construct. I assign value to things, but the method in which I determine what has value and how much may be considered arbitrary by another. The way you react emotionally is up to you.

On an unrelated note, my friend unknowingly found the best answer to the question "why don't people enjoy philosophical discussion anymore?" -

"I don't know"

Without trying to sound like an art critic, it's a fantastic response. It represents the apathetic approach people take nowadays to any thoughtful discussion, even a response to a simple question. The lack of effort to even suggest a reason exemplifies this laziness, which I think is the reason. I thought it was interesting, anyhow. Well, my coffee's done, off to work.

>Does a dog care about another dog halfway around the world? I hate to say it, I really do, but value is a social construct.
You're comparing a dog with human, which is a special animal. Yes, animals don't care about the bad things or other animals. But we do. Whether value is a social construct or not, this is another discussion. We, as humans, have very complex consciousness which makes us open to psychological demolition. What I'm asking is how to live the life as blind to these pain and suffering, both of humans and nature, and focus on self improvement and philosophical achievements.

You have to accept if you have no power to change anything

Depends.

A cognitive scientist would likely deal with depression much better than, say, a marine biologist. Being a scientist doesn't mean you're wise, I have a family member who is a doctor and still struggles with depression, the expertise doesn't necessarily address the root cause. You can be highly intelligent and very well versed in your field and still not know heads or tails of how to handle yourself emotionally. Same would no doubt go for many philosophers, if you're a political philosopher it wouldn't do much for your depression. If you're a stoic philosopher it probably will.

Accept Christ into your life. Pray daily. You'll see real results

t. Former Athiest

It's like saying a sick man; "don't be sick." I know I shouldn't care about the details. After all chaos is in our existence and universe. But how can I do it? I know where I am, and I know where I should go but I don't the way. I need to know the way.

You are a tremendous faggot and your friends don't like you.

You should read camus's an absurd reasoning and the myth of sisyphus. he deals with human need for meaning and our inability to find it

or existentialism is a humanism by sartre.

Related question: I've been looking for an essay I read a long time ago about why the village peasants/normies seems to be much more content than philosophers

iirc it was written by dostoyevsky or kirkegaard or someone like that, does anyone know?

These are the most patrician works I know of that deal with suffering and evil without losing sight of what matters: actual living, breathing people

Persuasion and Rhetoric - Carlo Michelstaedter

Athens and Jerusalem - Lev Shestov

Saviors of God - Nikos Kazantzakis

All of Jakob Boehme's works

The poetry of Giacomo Leopardi

Sickness Unto Death - Kierkegaard

Ages of the World - Schelling (a very technical metaphysics of evil if you're into that sort of thing)

Yeah, I just read it myself, it's an excellent work, I completely forgot to include it in the post above me.

Leo Tolstoy - Confessions

I assign your opinion no value :^)

>just delude yourself through ancient scripture

thanks! i'll check out your other suggestions as well, unfamiliar with most of it

Prozac

These writers were tormented by evil and death because of how much they loved life. A book can't save you obviously but I do hope they help you in some way

Let me try again, perhaps this will be more clear:

You have to face life with a different attitude. One cannot possibly carry the burden of all of humanity, this will pose an unrealistic challenge and you will not find personal happiness down this path. You should instead focus on your life and make it a personal endeavor, improving your life and those immediately around you (family, friends, neighbors).

You won't end a famine, drought, civil war or governmental abuse on your own, but if you make it your purpose in life to help the cause and set personal goals you will find success. Call it moving the goalposts if you'd like, but it's a justifiable action.

I got a (You) out of it, faggot

>2996850
You little (you) whore

I understand what you're saying BUT the problem is how? Yes, I should be hedonistic. However pursuing well being when there's so much wickedness around feels like hypocrisy. Maybe I'm just broken!

No! Do not fall for the cancerous ideology that is hedonism. Living your life to maximize pleasure at any and all expense is a lazy and unfulfilling way to spend your life. Pursue a direction in life, preferably one that is just and beneficial, set and focus on your individual goals in life.

If your dream is to become an astronaut, set your sights incrementally to achievable goals: do well in school, get into a college, get a STEM degree, keep in shape, become a military aviator, get a fighter slot, apply for the test pilot school, apply for an astronaut candidate slot, jump through the hoops, and bam! You're there. Each one is an individual accomplishment and should be pursued and celebrated as such. If you don't get it, keep going in a similar direction.

You cannot sit and think of the bad aspects of humanity or the cold nature of life in general. Focus on you, on your own personal wellbeing and success. That is how you can contribute to better your society, not by trying to move mountains. It's an individual endeavor that has a collective beneficial effect. By doing so you remove yourself as a cog in the machine and improve your life, which in turn can inspire and improve other's.

No! Do not fall for the cancerous ideology that is hedonism. Living your life to maximize pleasure at any and all expense is a lazy and unfulfilling way to spend your life. Pursue a direction in life, preferably one that is just and beneficial, set and focus on your individual goals in life.

You cannot sit and think of the bad aspects of humanity or the cold nature of life in general. Focus on you, on your own personal wellbeing and success. That is how you can contribute to better your society, not by trying to move mountains. It's an individual endeavor that has a collective beneficial effect. By doing so you remove yourself as a cog in the machine and improve your life, which in turn can inspire and improve other's.

My advice on this is the same as Circe gave Odysseus: Let joy lift your courage up. Don´t close your eyes for the wickedness of the world , but don´t stare too long into the abyss and thus don´t close your eyes for the joy of the world.