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14Introduction
prosoche(προσοχη)-whichisapracticeofconstantattentionto
ourdeedsandbehaviours.Weshouldmaintainanattentiveness
toourdesires,apermanentstateofmindfulness.Bybeingattentive,
wecouldbehavemorallyandaccordingtothelawsofthenature
andattainhappiness.HAttention(prosoche)isthefundamentalStoic
spiritualattitude”(Hadot1995:84).Wecanalwaysappealtoreason
toavoidillusionsandsurrenderingtoemotions(MarcusAurelius
2002,Book2.8).
Thefollowingquoteisconcisesummaryoftheconceptof
attentivenessanditssubject:
Discardyourmisperceptions.Stopbeingjerkedasapuppet.Limityourselftothe
present.Understandwhathappens-toyou,toothers.Analyzewhatexists,breakit
alldown:materialandcause.Anticipateyourfinalhours.Otherpeople’smistakes?
Leavethemtotheirmakers(ibid.:7.29).
Inthisquotationweseeveryimportantfeaturesofthestoic
philosophy:indicatingourlimitationsandgivingexhortations(theidea
ofbeingthesubjectofillusions,dependenceontheopinionsofothers,
thenecessitytoanalyzethecausesofthings,theideaofgettingused
todeathandtheideaofbeingnon-judgmental).
Stoicismtellsustocontrollustanddesires:
Uponeveryaccident,remembertoturntowardyourselfandinquirewhatfaculty
youhaveforitsuse.Ifyouencounterahandsomeperson,youwillfindcontinence
thefacultyneeded;ifpain,thenfortitude;ifreviling,thenpatience.Andwhenthus
habituated,thephenomenaofexistencewillnotoverwhelmyou(Epictetus,The
Enchiridion,10).
Controllingone’semotionsanddesiresiscompatiblewiththe
lawsofnature.Tocontroltheiremotions,thestoicsdevelopedsome
contemplativetechniques.Procheironisatechniqueofmemorizing
quotationsandsayingstokeepathandprescriptionsforsolvingsome
issues.Weshouldalwayshavetheserulesathandtoapplytheminthe
everydaylife.Thus,contemplativepracticesaretoolsthatservetokeep
lifegoingaccordingtotheharmoniousprinciplesoftheworld.The
philsosophicalmaximsthatwerememberandhaveathandcanbeused
inmomentsofanger,sadnessorfear.Hypomnemataisanothertechnique
connectedwithwritingtheexhortationstoourselvestobehavemorally
andaccordingtoreason(Hadot1998:30-34).Weshouldanalysewhat
dependsonusinaconcretewayandwhatdoesnot,andabandonthe
thingsandproblemsthatdonotdependonus.Thisisoneofthebasic
rulesofstoicism.Thingsthatdonotdependonusbelongstothenatural