In Part 1 of Are You Guided by Reason or Passion?; we discussed the challenges of finding a middle way between reason and passion. As the psychologist, Jonathan Haidt explained in the elephant and the rider metaphor. Today’s meditation explores practical strategies from Stoicism and modern psychology to help us find the balance between reason and passion.
“Don’t let the force of an impression when it first hits you knock you off your feet; just say to it: Hold on a moment; let me see who you are and what you represent. Let me put you to the test.”
— Epictetus
Imagine yourself in a small boat floating along peacefully through life. Then, an “impression” seemingly emerges out of nowhere and begins to rock your boat. This happens to us all — often. It can be challenging to accept that nothing necessarily needs to trouble us, at least not for long.
What is an impression? How does one begin to test their impressions?
Testing Impressions
Epictetus (and the Stoics) suggested that these impressions or pre-cognitive judgments originate from our previous experiences or subconscious thinking. Because these impressions (or perceptions) are not always accurate or wise, they must be tested.
