exciting laugher

Thought

July 15th

Exciting laughter is a form of obtaining power.

Today, I went to school and took illustration classes.

I was focusing on my illustration, listening to others classmates talk.

I usually do not try to make others laugh, but I realized that some classmates especially, men, try to make others laugh. I think it is because it will make us feel some form of control over other people. It might be to attract opposite sex.

I need to read some research on why people try to excite laughter. In my case, I do not especially need to excite laughter and do not need to feel jealousy when someone attracts more attention because reputation and response of others are things that WHICH ARE NOT IN OUR CONTROL. If we desire anything which is not in our control, we are disappointed.

It does not mean I never make others laugh. You know we crave power. It is nothing wrong with obtaining power. We like to have social reputation, have sex, being accepted by others, have money. It is nothing wrong with these. Stoic virtue is to live according to nature.  Repressing our needs for power is not according to nature, but against it. Problems happen when we are obsessed with illusion or imagination that power will make us happy, free, as a human being. Obtaining power might feel happy in the beginning, but it is just emotional reaction, and emotion is like a wind or ocean waving. It comes and goes. Once we are controlled by emotion, we will not be able to abstain tranquility of the mind.

What do I want really in the end?

 power? women? fame? money?  reputation? laughter?  

NO!

What I really want in the end is tranquility of the mind

Quotes 

I

These are things which are within our power, and there are things which are beyond our power. Within our power are opinion, aim, desire, aversion, and, in one word, whatever affairs are our own. Beyond our power are body, property, reputation, office, and in one word, whatever are not properly our own affairs.

Now the things within our power are by nature free, unrestricted, unhindered; but those beyond our power are weak, dependent, restricted, alien. Remember, then,  that if you attribute freedom to things by nature dependent and take what belongs to others for your own, you will be hindered, you will be lament, you will be disturbed, you will find fault both with gods and men. But if you take for your own only that which is your own and view what belongs to others  just as it really is, then no one will ever compel you, no one will restrict you; you will find fault with no one, you will accuse no one, you will do nothing against your will; no one will hurt you, you will not have an enemy, nor will you suffer any harm.

Aiming, therefore, at such great things, remember that you must not allow yourself any inclination, however slight, toward the attainment of the others; but that you must entirely quit some of them, and for the present postpone the rest. But if you would have these, and possess power and wealth likewise, you may miss the latter in seeking the former; and you will certainly fail of that by which alone happiness and freedom are procured.

Seek at once, therefore, be able to say to every unpleasing semblance,"you are but a semblance and by no means the real thing. " And then examine it by those rules which you have; and first chiefly by this: whether it concerns the things which are within our own power or those which are not; and if it concerns anything beyond power, be prepared to say that it is nothing to you.

Enchiridion, epictetus