"World on our side"

Correspondence of a psychologist Marina Melia with political prisoners

The psychologist Marina Melia corresponds to Russian prisoners and shares fragments of this correspondence with the “new”. We publish excerpts from the next letter of Marina, reflecting on how the philosophy of the Stoics can help us in difficult times, and the answers to this question from the places of imprisonment.

"Stoically accept any outcome"

Letter of Marina Melia
The philosophy of the Stoics like no other helps to find strength in difficult times. What does Stoicism teach us?

Seeing in adversities a way to strengthen the strength of the spirit. Our thoughts affect our emotions and indirectly on the supply of energy that we have. Calmly succumbed to emotions means to waste energy. The alternative is to deal with internal attitudes in advance, that is, “establish” for ourselves some meaningful rules that we will adhere to when something bad happens. Installation on resistance is expressed by the phrase "I do not want to be spared." The opposite position to her: "I am a victim and deserve pity." The Stoics suggested looking at the hardships as a challenge, or, as they would say now, Chellenge: can I deal with him? And this, in turn, fills us with excitement - who?! - And gives energy.

Make efforts to what we can influence. The Stoics offer to constantly ask themselves the question: what can I influence and what is not in my power? We cannot control external forces. Not everything depends on us. Therefore, it is so important to stoically accept any outcome, including the worst. Both parts of this commandment are equally important here:

1. make efforts to what we can influence

2. Do not spend them on the fact that it is not in our power to change.

Look into the eyes of the worst. We often drive thoughts about the bad, so as not to "get onto." The Stoics practice "anticipation of troubles." If we mentally draw our most terrible threat to ourselves, this will help prepare for it. Anxiety leaves when we have an action plan. Uncertainty in itself enhances fear, and when we understand what exactly awaits us, the fear decreases or generally comes to naught. Some of you in your letters wrote to me about how you managed to prepare for the detention, and despite the fact that the shock was still from the arrest, with subsequent anxiety managed to cope precisely thanks to the preparation.

See the situation from the outside. Let's try to get rid of a sense of our own exclusivity - misfortunes are inevitable, the Universe has no favorites. A look at our problem as a stranger will help us not to sour. Imagine that a close friend had similar to our trouble. What will we tell him? What will we advise? Thus translating the focus of attention, we will be able to see our situation from the side, expand the field of perception and, perhaps, treat what happened to us.

To do the right thing, no matter what. The Stoics distinguished four main virtues that should be guided by in any circumstances: practical wisdom (the ability to make decisions that improve life worthy from the point of view of ethics), courage (courage to accept the world as it is and act), justice (attitude to others without prejudice, even if they are wrong), restraint (the ability to control impulses).

Often commitment to principles brings great disasters on us. The ancient Greek Stoics openly criticized the rulers, accepted their revenge as a fee for the right to “live virtuously” and as a means that helps to temper the character. For the rest, their manifestations of courage and honor served as an excellent example.

Be selective when choosing friends. The Philosopher-Stoik Epictete said to his followers: "Feast with outsiders and uninhabited to wisdom reject." Close communication significantly affects us. We ourselves do not notice how alien stereotypes, installations and even phrases penetrate into our consciousness. It seems to us that we can control the incoming flow of information, but in fact - no. We can only track what our attention is concentrated with at the moment, everything else comes to us, bypassing consciousness.

The cynical, panic, depressive sentiments of other people are “contagious”. If people are not wise, not honest and behave unethical, it is better to avoid them, the Stoics teach. And you should never go down to the level of such people, do not reflect their thoughts and ideas or pay them with “the same coin”.

To thank fate for what we have. The habit of wanting more motivates with a desire for a goal, but exhausts during the crisis. Today we compare our position with what happened before the trouble happened, and this is being out of the rut. But we are alive, and if we generalize what we still have, we will understand that it is a lot.

Gratitude to the world for support gives additional energy and confidence that the world is on our side. This allows you to focus on opportunities, and not on obstacles. Confidence that support will be provided, helps to move on and not feel lonely.

***

The main bonus that we receive, following the covenants of the Stoics, is that at the time of the tests we spend energy not on anxiety, but for action. As the ancient Greek philosopher Epicteet noticed wisely, it is important not what happened to us, but how we react to it. And the best answer to the blow of fate is not to fuss, not to be angry, not to fall into despair, but to calmly evaluate the remaining opportunities and choose the best of them.

"The worst should look into the eyes"

LETTER
Vyacheslav Abramov

The defendant of the case about the telegram channel "What to do!". He is accused of declining to riots and exciting hatred with an organized group, as well as in drug storage. According to the prosecution, “a group of persons consisting of at least 11 participants of 7 constituent entities of Russia created a network of Telegram channels aimed at organizing riots in the territory of the Russian Federation in the days of a single vote from September 17 to September 19, 2021.”

The philosophy of the Stoics is also very close to me. Although I have never read them, but internally I live (try) to live that way, one might say, intuitively.

For example, four main virtues that the Stoics highlight. Wisdom, courage, justice, restraint. I try to make these qualities prevail and always improve them. There are enough practices for this :)

LETTER
Mikhail Babintsev

A resident of Buryatia, in October 2023, was sentenced to the 1st Eastern District Military Court to 13 years in prison for the arson of the military enlistment office in the Muhorshibirsk district, which, according to the investigation, occurred in the fall of 2022. There were no victims of Babintsev’s actions.

With the concept of stoicism, the philosophy of the Stoics, I am a little familiar, superficially. I read about the French Revolution, in those days Stoicism was very relevant and helped many with the dignity of passing tests.

The worst should look into the eyes, and then it becomes not so worst. Excellent advice from the epictate to reject "feasts with people outsiders and not involved in wisdom." Alas, in conclusion to follow it is very difficult, almost unrealistic. But from someone else's bad influence, of course, it is possible. Ignoring and not consuming strength to empty anxiety, fear and anxiety.

LETTER
Igor Baryshnikov

The Kaliningrad journalist, in the summer of 2023 he was convicted by the Soviet District Court of the Kaliningrad Region to 7.5 years in colony for pacifist posts in social networks.

It so happened, I was going to read your letter, and at that time one person began to worry about the time spent in captivity. He has a long term, close to mine. The other began to convince him that nothing in vain. Read, develop, do. And he’s well done, somehow he brought his thought to the guy, reassured him. And then I read the lines of your letter - here, after all, all the answers to questions (and requests!) Of this person. Do not fuss, do not be angry, not to fall into despair, but to calmly choose the best opportunity.

"Adhere to your line of behavior"

LETTER
Oleg Belousov

The 55-year-old search engine from St. Petersburg was sentenced in March 2023 to 5.5 years in a general regime colony for “fakes about the army” and “calls for extremism”.

I remain faithful to my beliefs and only strengthened in them. In addition, the administration and employees helped in this: all these professional accounts “inclined to escape”, acts of reprimand, schizo, “malicious offender”, placement in the SUS - as they would say with this lie and meanness - yes, this is a criminal regime, and we want you to have no doubt!

As there will be no longer, we move on without illusions, ready for everything, in any situation, the main thing is to remain a person.

LETTER
Evgenia Berkovich

The theater director, together with a colleague, screenwriter Svetlana Petriychuk, was convicted in July 2024 by the Western District Military Court for 6 years in the colony for the play “Finist Yasny Falcon”, in which the investigation was seen by the “justification of terrorism”.

Thanks for the Stoics. Now I know what is the name of what I am trying to achieve within myself! Only now with courage and gratitude to the world is not yet very. I will still try!

LETTER
Nadezhda Buyanova

In November 2024, the Tushino court of Moscow condemned a 68-year-old pediatrician to 5.5 years in a colony in the case "On the public distribution of knowingly false information about the use of the RF Armed Forces."

It is impossible to disagree with the interpretation of thoughts about the Stoics, which is reported in a letter. I absolutely agree. And this somehow it turns out to adhere to its line of behavior. If a person is deeply convinced of something, then nothing can change this.

I give it to read the article about the Stoicism to women with whom I maintain good relations here. One of them can be accurately attributed to the Stoics.

LETTER
Andrey Galchevsky

The Kaliningrad entrepreneur in the fall of 2023 was sentenced to 11 years in a maximum security colony on charges of Gosizmen. The accusation claimed that Galchevsky tried to join the Foreign Legion of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

I would not call Franca the Stoic. Not because he did not have enough will - few people compare with him. And simply because he had nothing in his camp at all that he could influence. So, for this reason, he stopped worried and worried? No. Put on the brink of survival, he fought with himself, and not with external circumstances (which was impossible). He hated himself because thoughts were busy with a wretched camp routine. And all that he could do is mentally talk with his wife or represent himself for reading lectures at the department. “The dagger is good for who it has it,” the character of the famous Soviet film witnessed. Or otherwise - when there is a material choice. When there is nothing to choose from, all philosophical exercises can be if you can’t throw it out, then, probably, to take out the survival formulas as brackets. Although by and large there is always a choice. For example, when and if you value internal freedom so much that at any moment it is ready to make an absolute choice. But is this a way out? Personally, the Frankclay method is closer to me: to analyze what prevents or helps to live only inside itself. An interesting question arises here: is everyone able to make a choice against himself? Indeed, internally freedom often means self -restraint not only and not so much material as internal. And he suggests in the absence of any opportunity to change something or to influence anything, to look for meaning in paradoxically not in life, but in suffering or even death. “I am most afraid to be unworthy of my suffering,” he quotes F.M.D. In confirmation of your idea. I must say that the book of Frankl has already passed into the category of desktop, and the chapter “Inner Freedom” into something very close to prayer.

The ability to make an internal choice regarding oneself, one that, in fact, no one except you will find out - the highest manifestation of the spirit.

"The game until I breathe, it will not end"

LETTER
Alexey Dmitriev

A resident of Ufa, an Opolaryngologist, a participant in the Marxist circle. Accused of terrorism.

Glad to get your next letter. In the philosophy of the Stoics, I like a lot (if not more). Although the real world is richer than any concept. Even the installation on resistance is unlikely to be reduced to one coordinate from “I am a victim and deserve pity” to “I don’t want to be spared”.

I adhere to dialectical materialism, no matter how perverted and vulgarized this science. Probably, if you sincerely think about issues of such a order as “what is the truth?”, “What is the source of development?”, You come to the diamat. The main thing in science in general and philosophy in particular is not to be a dogma. Do not lose the romance of the search for answers to worldview questions. In any case, the word “problem” I understand dialectically - not as a nuisance, but as a task that requires a creative approach. There should not be problems in this sense! Without them, development will stop.

About the "call" - I agree. Calling the circumstances (not necessarily adversity). And even, expressing himself in Hegelian, his own denial of himself. I agree with the phrase that "if people are not wise, are not honest and behave unethical, then it is better to avoid them." But in the walls, similar to those where I am, this is not always possible.

LETTER
Dmitry Ivanov

The author of the telegram channel “Protest MSU” in March 2023 was sentenced by Timiryazevsky by the Moscow court to 8.5 years in prison in the case of “spreading fakes about the actions of the Russian army in Ukraine”.

With the main virtues of Stoicism, everything is clear. But Maxim “always look into the eyes of the worst”, it seems to me that sometimes it can be demoralizing. It is good when it is the "worst" in our power and, anticipating the event, we can prepare in advance for it. But after all, there are such events that, if you prepare in advance, you can go crazy. Well, let's say, take people who dig bunkers and make reserves in case of nuclear war ... anticipating the worst, I do not want to become like them-there should be some kind of balance. Personally, hope for the best helps me to preserve the mood, and if they do not happen as they wanted, but as always, I act according to the situation.

LETTER
Boris Karelitsky*

Sociologist. According to the deputy of the Republic of Komi Leonid Krasnoperov, the FSB opened a criminal case against Kagarlitsky for the video published by him under Part 2 of Art. 205.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (public justification of terrorism, committed using information and communication networks, including the Internet).

Thanks for the letter about the Stoics. Their philosophy was always very close to me, I even discussed this topic in another correspondence - one of my colleagues translating texts for Ratco, in the main specialty, an antiquity researcher, although in recent years I switched to the Middle Ages. I learned a lot about her about the late Byzantium, and at the same time about the Greek emigration in Italy of the second half of the 15th century (after the fall of Constantinople). God, how familiar everything is! The Internet, it turns out, is not needed to conduct blogs and condemn colleagues in emigration. In a sense, here, in the camp, is morally safer. Thank you very much for the modernization of Stoicism in your letter.

LETTER
Jan Katelevsky

Journalist from Lyubertsy. Sentenced by Lyubertsy City Court by 9.5 years in prison in a maximum security colony. A colleague of Yana Kalevsky Alexander Dorogov, the court appointed 10.5 years in prison. Journalists were investigating corruption among security forces and in the funeral service sector in the Ramensky district. The court found them guilty of extortion.

Thanks for the interesting letter about the Stoics. I read to myself. The only one of the whole school did not want to be a pioneer and did not help numerous persuasion and threats. At the same time, the school did not, although they promised. All friends and relatives smoked and offered, but did not persuade. With a circle of communication, too, to the point. Feeling that alien ideology begins to penetrate my subcortex, I rush to the “factory settings” and re -check the foundations, does the incoming new formation correspond to my “commandments” or not? If not, then it makes no sense to further to trash, the base was known and enough, I met. I perceive everything that happens as another milestone for subsequent moves, and the game, until I breathe, will not end, will not wait.

"You need to hold your face"

LETTER
Nikita Kolomiyko

A resident of Ufa, sentenced to 9 years of general regime. In April 2024, the Central District Military Court found him guilty under articles on training in order to carry out a terrorist attack, prepare a group of persons, and participation in the activities of the terrorist community. There are three more defendants in the matter. The human rights center "Memorial"* considers all four political prisoners.

I agree with you that when trouble comes, you need to look for its solution and not regret yourself. Even from the will, I kept the rule that the one who spares himself was a weak man, and always tried not to do this and not give the other on himself. It is necessary to make a situation to solve the problem, plan everything for this and everything will be fine with God's help, and sit, regret and do nothing, it is at least stupid and irrational. Looking at the problem as a challenge - the idea is interesting, the main thing is not to overdo it with this, you can overestimate your capabilities and take on as much as you cannot take away. Прилагать усилия к тому, на что можно повлиять, очень важно, а то, что не в твоей власти, — не твоя забота. На воле тоже так двигался. Есть что-то общее со стоиками у меня, оказывается.

LETTER
Евгения Конфоркина

Инструктор по верховой езде, зоозащитница, жительница подмосковных Люберец. В октябре 2024 года Мещанский районный суд отправил ее в СИЗО по обвинению в госизмене. Суть обвинения неизвестна даже пожилым родителям, которых возили на допрос и спрашивали об их отношении к СВО.

Мне очень понравились размышления о стоицизме. Со своей позиции хочу сказать, что тюрьма дает массу возможностей, неиспользование которых — банальная человеческая лень. Несмотря на грозящий мне огромный срок, к делу и к своему пребыванию здесь я отношусь пока скорее с исследовательским любопытством. Как-то с самого начала была спокойна и не истерила. Может, причина этого в том, что я сталкивалась с тюрьмой на воле и плюс-минус знала какой-то быт и процедуры не из пошлых сериалов. Ну и добавляет спокойствия то, что здесь нужно быть готовым ко всему и в любой момент, при этом «держать лицо». Тяжелее всего не отвлекаться на то, что «засоряет» эфир — глупые негативные сплетни, домыслы, пустословие и многословие. К сожалению, здесь нет возможности выбирать окружение, так что не всегда попадаешь в компанию, которая близка тебе, и не всегда оказываешься среди людей, у которых можно учиться, несмотря на статьи, которые нас объединяют.

LETTER
Никита Олейник

Обвиняется в попытке теракта (якобы планировал подорвать самодельную взрывчатку в районе ТЭЦ в Тюмени). Дело слушается в Центральном окружном военном суде Екатеринбурга с мая 2024 года. На скамье подсудимых, кроме Никиты Олейника, еще четыре человека.

Философия стоицизма и правда спасает, я не помню точно, но вроде у Марка Аврелия еще на воле вычитал такую строку: «Ты должен быть несокрушимым, как скала» — в этом очень много силы, хотя, казалось бы, очень простая фраза.

LETTER
Петр Опальник

Новгородский строитель получил 8 лет лишения свободы в колонии общего режима по обвинению в сотрудничестве с иностранным государством и «в организации приготовления к добровольной сдаче в плен». Свою вину не признал.

Хорошую тему сегодняшнего письма вы выбрали — стоицизм… В пятой книге Марк Аврелий намекает на пословицу, согласно которой три вещи гонят человека из дома: дым, протекающая крыша и сварливая жена. Есть еще одна вещь, которая многих выгнала из своих домов: «Плохо, когда закон давит, но еще хуже, когда его нет совсем!» Но и в этой же книге есть изречение Эпиктета: «Нет насилия, которое бы могло лишить нас свободы выбора».

LETTER
Карина Цуркан

Бывший топ-менеджер «Интер РАО», приговорена к 15 годам тюрьмы по обвинению в шпионаже в пользу Молдовы. Признана правозащитными организациями политзаключенной.

Благодарю за замечательный текст про стоиков, вернее, адаптацию их философии к нашим тревожным реалиям. Поделюсь любимыми цитатами из Сенеки, из писем к Луцилию:

• «Нельзя уподобляться злым оттого, что их много, нельзя ненавидеть многих оттого, что им не уподобляешься».

• «Имеет ли значение, как тебе живется, если ты полагаешь, что плохо».

• «Кто не считает себя блаженней всех, тот несчастен, даже если повелевает миром».

• «Нет врага хуже, чем толпа, в которой ты трешься. Каждый непременно либо прельстит тебя своим пороком, либо заразит, либо незаметно запачкает».

• «Пусть изнутри мы будем иными во всем, снаружи мы не должны отличаться от людей».

• «Сделай свою жизнь приятной, оставив всякую заботу о ней».

Спасибо большое, что дали повод вспомнить многое из любимого — Сенеки, Эпиктета, Афинодора. Это очень своевременно, учитывая мою ситуацию.

Подготовила Ирина Родина

* Власти РФ внесли в реестр «иноагентов»