Hello comrades! Repurposing some information from an unpublished interview from the author and editor Francis Gasparini. This was originally due on another publication. It was a fun Q&A, and thought it would be useful to share some more information about my journey with Stoic Philosophy, and way of living. Be well.
Why choose Stoicism?
Ryan Holiday’s book - The Perennial Seller. I found it in a bookshop in London about 7/8 years ago. The book wasn’t necessarily about Stoicism but focused on successful people and how to market products. As a music intern at the time, I was looking for inspiration. There were most likely some references to Aurelius, and Seneca in there. I found that I resonated with the words spoken about them and the quotes about them. Almost like a door had been unlocked in my mind.
So, I began googling them and came across a lot of content based on “Stoic Philosophy”. I signed up for a few newsletters and kept reading quotes and articles online that came to my inbox. The fact that I don’t identify with any religion, drew me to Stoicism.
There was something there that I could use as a staple in my life, to hopefully keep me on the right path. What I mean by the right path, is having a code of ethics, which helps me aim at being a better person and a valuable member of society. It’s a practical Philosophy, anyone can pick it up, and take something away from it - if they so choose.
You're an experienced music industry professional. How has Stoicism informed your work?
Over the last number of years, as I’ve taken on more work, and mainly worked as a freelancer, Stoicism is undoubtedly the driving force in why I challenge and push myself forward every year. I like the freedom. Although recently I’ve been an integral part of building a new pro audio company, called Wavetick.
If you know anything about Philosophy, you’ll be familiar with the term “Virtues”. In Stoicism, there are four main cardinal virtues. Derived from Socrates/Plato, these virtues are; Justice, Courage, Wisdom and Moderation.
If you look into these, you’ll find a lot of information on what they mean when broken down from the original greek terminology. Throughout my time in the music business, I’ve used these as a reminder to act accordingly. Particularly, where Courage and Wisdom are concerned, as they allow me to progress and hopefully stay on track with the right decisions for me.
Using biographical information from the Stoics (well, the little we have), I try to aim to be a person of good character and reliability from example. In the music industry, and especially electronic music, there is a lot of excess and consumption. If you’re not careful you can get sucked into this world quite easily. In my opinion, being thrown around by every impulse and peer influence will ultimately be more detrimental to your well-being over a long period.
At a big music event, there can be a sense of being swept up in a social experience, sharing an immersive moment with thousands of strangers. What does a Stoic make of that feeling?
Yeah absolutely, and that feeling is super unique. I’m incredibly fortunate that I’ve experienced this feeling in a crowd, and from the artists’ perspective on stage. Marcus Aurelius, the Roman Emperor, and Philosopher King wrote about an exercise called the view from above, whereby you take a step back from everything and picture the world from above.
Ultimately, to gain perspective on your current standing or the situation. It’s particularly useful as a type of meditation, especially if you’re frustrated about something and need to change your viewpoint.
Well, when you’re on stage at a festival and look out into a sea of thousands of people you can almost see, and certainly feel the energy, if that makes sense? There is a sense of community and unity in these crowds, as people are (usually) there to share the same feeling for an artist or a style of music.
That’s actually one of the key things I’ve learned through Ancient Philosophy in general, that we’re all part of a cosmopolis, and aside from borders most of which are invisible, we’re all sharing the same space.
Back to what I was talking about, the crowd’s energy, and what they give to the band/artists is really fed back to the people and crew on stage. Similarly, if you are a part of the crowd, you can get the same sense of energy and movement. Time seems like a construct when you experience this. Everything moves at its own pace. It’s that 1-2 hours of true joy (most of the time), which is an important part of Stoicism.
Which Stoic (or other ancient writer) would most enjoy a massive festival?
Haha, that’s a wonderful question to think about. I’ll stick to the Stoics here because that’s who I think about most often. Not sure what any of them would think of the type of sound coming out of the speakers. Although, Seneca the Younger apparently enjoyed a bit of revelry and would have been used to big crowds, and audiences, so perhaps him?
Marcus Aurelius was used to fanfare and huge gatherings being an emperor, but after reading about him in depth, I think he’d prefer a bit of solitude in truth.
Epictetus, even though he didn’t write anything, seemed to have been a hardened old character with a leg impediment however, given his history of being enslaved, perhaps he would find it liberating or euphoric to his senses.
As for Zeno, Cleanthes, and Chrysippus - the founding Greek Stoics - I’m not sure I could picture them at an electronic music festival because of their stature in the Philosophy world. You would love to see it though.
I’d like to say that Cato the younger would enjoy the festival, as he’d probably have used it as a way to practice his Stoicism, dealing with large groups of people. Since he led troops into battle and mixed well with his legions, you could imagine it would be a good bonding experience and downtime for them all.
From a non-Stoic angle, Diogenes the Cynic could have been interested in this festival, as he tended to lean towards a bit more chaotic, and free-flowing life. Just make sure he is aware of where the bathrooms are, I read he liked to pee anywhere and everywhere.
When was the last time you screamed your lungs out for any reason?
Oh, that’s a great question. Anyone who knows me personally will know that I don’t have a habit of barking too loudly. In one sense, I was probably singing along to something in my office. In another sense, I was most likely venting to myself or my partner about something trivial in a subdued way. (At least, I like to think I am being subtle).
Bonus question: What should we have asked you, and what's the answer?
I’m still a sucker for book recommendations when reading/listening to interviews. So I’d ask about this. (It’s the question I get the most also).
I’d recommend, picking up any book on Stoicism by Massimo Pigliucci, Donald Robertson, or William Irvine - they are my modern guides. You’ll find out quickly if Stoicism is for you, or not after digesting one of their books.
I’d suggest reading any biography or watching interviews of the people you look up to the most. If they aren’t in the public eye, you could send them an email or ask them how they live their life in person- if you are fortunate enough to be surrounded by these people. We can learn so much from real everyday people, and I am constantly seeking inspiration or a trinket of motivation from those around me.
Don’t be afraid to ask questions and absorb information, part of being successful, and moving forward is about asking questions and listening to the answers. As Zeno of Citium is known to have said: “We have two ears, and one mouth - so we should listen twice as much as we speak.”