Introduction

The ego.

It is common knowledge that an oversized ego can lead us astray.

We often hear phrases like:

"Having a big ego”
" Not knowing how to set aside one's ego".

... if the others, I mean other people, didn't exist; would the concept of “ego” itself exist? Would the word "ego" have ever been invented or listed in the dictionary with a definition like … "Someone's ego is their sense of their own worth. For example, if someone has a large ego, they think they are very important and valuable." ¹

This is a very deep topic that I won't go into now - it's far too complex; but what I was getting at is the awareness we can have of ourselves precisely because of the very exitence of others.

In my, opinion,
the ego is above all a construction we make of ourselves in relation to others. This is the point of view of Jean-Paul Sartre and his existentialism ²: our self-perception is often a reflection of the way we're perceived and treated by others;
  so without others,
    our self-perception
      would be
        quite
          different.

Here we come to the purpose of this program:
If our perception is distorted by the way others look at us - why can't you, as a truth-seeker, get rid of it? Why can’t you free yourself from the judgment of others and focus on yourself. Not in an egotistical way, but in the sense of Socrates' Know thyself, which asks you to know yourself, regardless of what others think of you, in order to understand who you really are; so that you can answer the questions that will put you on the right path:

What do you love?
What are your plans?
What are you good at, what aren’t you so good at?

These questions allow you to shape your life according to your inclinations and not according to what others expect of you.

Between you and me: who cares about what others expect of you? Neither your parents nor your friends should have any influence on your decisions. Freed from their judgment and pressure, only you know what the right decisions are for you.

Philosophy tells us that Humans are sick.
Humans are sick because they don't know. Because they are ignorant. When you free yourself from the judgment of others, you can see things as they're: naked, in their raw, elemental state.

In this program, we'll explore together {{username}} various conceptual texts around the notion of "freeing oneself from the judgment of others". Mostly I'll draw on original texts, many of which are Stoic, but sometimes I deviate from it to be inspired by other spiritual or philosophical traditions or delve into the world of psychology, but always with the stoic principles rooted in the depths of my being: I try to be a fair and honest human being who acts in accordance with nature.

I hope this course will give you what you're looking for;
it is an organic, non-linear course. It doesn't follow a logical progression to give us the freedom to wander individually and put the pieces of the puzzle together in our own way, so that to form a coherent whole which resonates with us.

Thanks for being here {{username}}.

See you soon,
mmmarcus.