Well. Yes. This is true though. And that’s a ‘problem’ with a lot of things; they can be ‘true’ when looked at from a certain perspective, but not necessarily useful in any meaningful way. For instance, pain is a sensation, and that sensation is not, by itself a ‘bad’ thing. It’s just sensory information. Pain in the context of BDSM can evoke positive judgements in the person experiencing the sensation. An identical sensation experienced in the context of being physically abused by an intimate partner will likely evoke a negative judgement. Your judgement about those sensations is based on your context and past experiences.

But at the same time, looking at a larger picture here, if times are getting tougher, then rather than looking inward to the self and your own perception, it makes more sense to look outward to community, to try and change circumstances in a way that is positive for the entire greater community.

There have been a couple of debunking videos about stoicism lately. I think there is a danger in the deterministic nature of some teachers to consolidate conservative thinking. But you can also put a progressive spin on it. There are some stoic teachers who tell you how to look at the world from a mainly objective point of view, but act nonetheless. “Yes, I know the world is tuff, yes I am in pain/hurt/weak, but I will do what has to be done anyway.” It is a sort of call for action that doesn’t depend on motivation.