MenuForum NavigationForumMembersActivityLoginRegisterForum breadcrumbs - You are here:Stoicism ForumStoicism Discussions: General DiscussionIs Stoicism Making Us Less Human?Post ReplyPost Reply: Is Stoicism Making Us Less Human? <blockquote><div class="quotetitle">Quote from <a class="profile-link highlight-default" href="https://stoicplanet.com/user/10">Ocean</a> on February 9, 2025, 11:57 am</div><p>Your friend thinks that complaining and feeling frustrated are just part of being human, but for the Stoics, what truly makes us human is our ability to <strong>reason</strong>. Animals act on instinct, but humans were given reason as a gift from the gods. Ignoring it and giving in to emotions isn’t “being more human”—it’s rejecting what makes us different from animals. Using reason doesn’t mean ignoring emotions; it means understanding them, controlling them, and not letting them take over.</p> <p>As Epictetus said, <em>“Remember that you are an actor in a play, which is as the playwright wants it to be: short if he wants it short, long if he wants it long. If he wants you to play a beggar, act that part well; and so if your role be a cripple, an official, or a layman. For this is your duty: to play well the part assigned you. But to choose it is another’s affair.”</em> You didn’t choose to have reason, but it’s your duty to use it well. Letting a friend vent is one thing, but encouraging them to stay stuck in frustration instead of helping them see clearly isn’t kindness—it’s failing to live up to your role as a rational person.</p></blockquote><br> Cancel F.A.Q About The Forum How To Create an account Change Your Nickname on the Forum How to change your profile picture