I went with a slightly different approach on this one; instead of spelling everything out I thought it would be interesting to present a few meditations on Stoic philosophy (see description for sources) and juxtapose them with visual hints and quotes from The Shawshank Redemption; in doing so leaving it up to you to interpret how exactly it all ties into each other. I would love to hear your thoughts!

" it is better to direct your actions towards a goal with an uncertain outcome than to experience the fear that arises from a life without a purpose" DAMN!!

This film saved my mother's life. My father died, and she retreated into drunken stupors. Nothing could reach her. She told me afterwards, while watching this film in a drunken stupor, she was hit like lightening by the line of Andy: "...I guess it comes down to a simple choice....get busy livin' ....or get busy dyin' ". THAT'S GODDAMN RIGHT.

The protagonists in Shawshank go through so much suffering, and I need a belief system to make the chaos of life meaningful. It took a me a long time to accept that the world was just unfair, that sometimes so much senseless injustice happens to good people, and that sometimes bad people get away with their crimes. I think Stoic philosophy helps me not to put excessive judgements on reality, wanting to always change the world for a utopia it could be, and instead truly emotionally accepting how things really are. Psychologically I think one component of stoic philosophy can be translated into the following: Allow yourself to feel negative emotions without judging yourself, and allow yourself to feel positive emotion without the desire to cling to it. Thanks for the upload.

I've lost count of the number of times I've come back to this video. Thank you

"To love someone is within your control. The judgement that this love should be returned and it should be so forever is not". Absolutely beautiful.

This channel is the elixir of life for me.. After suffering for ages from the venom of post-modern worldview... The stories of the old are salvaging my fractured identity. I have nothing but immensely passionate gratitude to offer you, sire.

10 and a half minutes of pure wisdom.

Marcus Aurelius was way ahead of his time , his writings will touch and have a lasting impression on the mind for centuries to come

I just experienced a personal existential crisis today which weighed me down considerably and the nihilistic feelings emerged again...and then this video popped up in my feed and brought me back from the threshold of that abyss, thank you.

When life dishes out injustice, heartache and pain in your life, don't be a victim and don't be bitter...strive to find happiness and purpose in your life and try to make this world a better place

Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a battle you know nothing about. You always manage to make me rethink my philosophies that I live by. I find that watching your videos gives me this sense of calmness and understanding of how we should treat each other, including ourselves. Thank you for such beautiful videos that always take me on a trip inward.

"Embrace the beautiful foolishness of acting without expectation" Wow! I think the most beautiful quote of this masterpiece video essay actually belongs to the narrator. Well done LSOO, as close to perfect as a KZfaq clip can ever be. Congratulations and thank you, thank you very, very much.

What got me was 8:15 "stress instead about the virtue of your commitment and embrace the beautiful foolishness of acting without expectation" (Marcus Aurelius).

Disclaimer: you'll have to watch at least twice to understand the ultimate context. P.S- such gripping voice. Beautiful lessons.

I think that this film might be my pick for most inspirational of all time, and this video really captures that for me. I'm forever impressed by your willingness to explore new formats and try different things with your videos. Congrats on 50K subs, I'm sure soon you'll have ten times that amount my friend.

This is why being in the school system for so long is detrimental to the soul.

I heard this everyday when I was in my personal prison; this got me through some hard times, and I still revisit this to keep up with the lesson learned

the movie is about being aware of the system, being bullied by the system and escaping the system to take control of your life....

Stoicism-Advaita Vedanta-Buddhism-Taoism 4 gems of the world!

I come back to this everytime I hit a road block! You don't know how you have helped me :) Thank you !

If I had known there's a channel like this I would have spent my life searching for it. Pure goodness. Love you creator.

Beautiful, man. You took one of my favorite stories and made it stunningly relevant to my life. Thank you, sincerely.

I gotta give it to the Stoics, they did a great job defining enlightenment from a western perspective. I wonder if it was simply an ideal, or if they were able to truly live up to that ideal.

There is something magical about this video. It calms me soul.

This video LEGIT helped me lost 130lbs. I came back to it so many times. Wrote the quotes out. My transformation is in my KZfaq channel if anyone cares. But most importantly yeah this video essay is in my heart. Thank you.

I watch this movie once every month or so. Movies like this, inception, interstellar, Batman trilogy, lone survivor, saving private Ryan, sea of trees.. I’m sure I’m forgetting others but I can’t explain my love for these films

I am so glad I found your channel. The timing couldn't be more perfect. Some of what I have watched already are the exact things I needed to hear in this moment in time.

Man, finally ❤️ my personal best movie of all time gets covered by you in such a beautifully deep way. I actually love this format, although on first minutes I was confused because it is unusual of you. But your selection of Stoic quotes and the way you recite them.. man! Awesome!

your videos always make my eyes swell with tears, but your channel title makes me smile as it makes me reminisce of Denethor to Faramir "...like a king of Old" .. just beautiful

A bath of sage teachings that purges much illness that effects any soul, and reconciles the light as the healer and ancient of all ages, all our days written in our very essence. A kindness is paid with the same vocation, thank you for these videos which can make all the difference in the world, even if it were only one, that one wouldn't be forsaken, its clear truth that we are never really alone. Blessing for Blessing to your house prospers as such, an overflowing Spring of primordial waters.

I have only recently discovered your channel and I have to say it is the best thing I have watched on YT. Thought=provoking, insightful, moving and many other wonderful qualities. I am starting to work my way through your catalogue. Deep and sincere thanks LSOO. Blair.

I loved it! A year a go I got really inspired by the stoic philosophy and I adapted it in to my life. I have to say that it really changed everything, my relationships, my goals, my interests and the type of choices I was making but especially the way I saw the world. I read a lot of Marcus Aurelia's at the time, I loved meditations. Honestly both your videos and nerdwriter1 are inspiring me to make my own video. Cheers and thanks for the video.

This video is beautiful & I'm not ashamed to say tears were streaming down my face by the time it ended. Amazing work!

This has been my #1 film since I first saw it. And whenever it appears on TV, no matter how late it is, I cannot help but sit and watch. Thank you for this thought provoking video essay on a brilliant, emotionally effective film.

one thing I learned from this movie is "hope is dangerous thing, keeping faith is good"

Stunning. One of the best KZfaq videos ever made. Thank you. I feel I am a better person for watching.

This is just so uplifting & beautiful, it really brought tears to my eyes. This ancient wisdom is a source of inspiration & hope, and it reminds all of us to just enjoy life, be courageous, follow our conscience, not stress about society's expectations & ultimately not worry about those things that we can't control. We can't control the world but we can control ourselves & how we feel & act. We can't prevent greed, injustice & evil in the world, but we can prevent it in ourselves. Balance & honesty, in all things, is so important. So much unfiltered truth & wisdom in this wonderful video, it's such a pleasure to watch this channel. Thank you so much for sharing this with us, much respect, love & admiration to you!

I've only recently discovered your channel. I am currently going thru your library and these past 2 days am starting to feel a strange calm. I think I found your content just in time. Thank you!

I thank you from the core of my heart. You have shown me hope in this difficult time of mine. Every word, every quote was a respite from the harshness of life, like a guide showing me the direction and the correct way to tread the path of life. Thank you again ! Take care.

This presentation is a straight up masterpiece. I think it’s perfect

Lsoo... you have no idea the profound help that this 2 part series has provided me. thank you, from the bottom of my heart

I’ve never imagined I could be this moved by a YT video. Thank you for such beautiful collaboration!

Great concept! Love seeing you experiment with what video essays can achieve.

Wonderful format! The video essay part of youtube is getting very inflated and stale so new ideas like this is exactly what is needed to stick out, keep it up!

I have so many adjectives to tell your purity but I'm simply speechless!! I wish you luck to continue LSOO to the eternity!!

I cry in joy every single time I watch this video. Thank you.

Added this to my list of favourite videos. Beautiful. Just... Beautiful.

This channel is pure gold. Keep it up man, you re doing an amazing job!

I've watched this video 200+ times now. I come back to it every time I need some inspiration

I listen to this everyday as a prayer.

Thank You "Like Stories of Old", Your channel has helped alot through the darkest times of my life, taught me to how to keep living with the worst of all odd comings in life. I often used to confuse myself with Expectation and Hope, which aren't in anyway same things to look upon. Inevitable curcumstances always made do things that i don't want to do, more like something on the inside rejects the very doing of it but still it's inevitable to do it anyways. "Without Expectations" - so true, But With Hope, and always there will be, a little spark of it is enough to satisfy the mind's eye and soul to move forward. Hope can be a dangerous thing, it can drives a man crazy enough but still it's a good thing, no good thing shall ever dies, even in the abbys. Mastering thyself is far greater than controlling over things those are not in my control. A free man who is master of himself can always live up with this dangerous thing called Hope. Thank you again, Sir...

This is a great video. I’ve watched it at least 20 times in the last 2 days. Thanks for posting

Amazing! I was so excited to see you were doing a video on Shawshank and then doubly excited when I saw that you were integrating it with the philosophy of stoicism. Truly superb job!

Discovered this channel day before yesterday...... The best gift I could give myself this year.

I’m here filled with emotions. Your channel is exceptional. A hidden gem. I’m surprised you don’t have over a million subscribers. Keep up the incredible education you offer to your subscribers.

When I was a child watching this film I would say to myself, this characters are really serious.......this is a serious movie, it must be good (it was really good)

I've watched this video 20+ times since 2020

Best channel in youtube by far. Your wisdom has enriched my soul so much, for that I thank you.

Always good to have these videos. They feel like gifts. I don’t know how to feel for this, but these videos provide a bit of a calm feeling where I feel some hope for once. Thanks for that. Thanks so much.

Going through an incredibly tough time the last 12 days, videos like this give me hope, one of my favorite movies, you did this video Justice great job thank you again you gave me the perspective I needed after 12 days in the Darkness

One day you will have more subscribers than you will know what to do with :) I'll be there to see it :)

As a writer, I am finding so much inspiration from your video's...everything from character development...to world-building., and towards life in general, your missives are confirming many of my thoughts and beliefs in how life should be viewed and shared. Thank you so very much.

Always able to have me well up some tears that almost fall out. It's a very magical feeling. Thank you

I was taken by a pleasant surprise :) Stumbled upon a beautiful and one of the most enlightening video .

Beautiful. I am not having the best of time in my life at the moment, but this really offered some perspective on how to possibly make things better.

Sometimes I lose my way, but you are a reminder to me how I want to live my life. Well done sir.

Thank you for bringing us the wisdom of the ancients in such a beautiful and inspiring way!

I love this channel, thank you for your words of knowledge within basis on insightful films

dude you're fucking brilliant! I can't get enough of your videos! never stop doing what you're doing right now.

Absolutely incredible. This video is more emotionally charged than a lot of movies I see. Please keep up the good work!

This is still one of the most beautiful and insightful videos i literally have ever seen. Thank you for analysing a philosophy that grows all the more relevant, especially in these trying times, through possibly one of the most beautiful movies ever made. I really feel enlightened, thank you.

What a great channel, glad to have stumbled upon it

Beautiful. I practice stoicism. Thanks Marcus Aurelius

I've known this channel for a good while and I've read several books on stoicism. It took me quite long to discover you've done this video and I must say it's absolutely brilliant. Thank you!

Thank you so much for this! You brought me to tears, and again you showed me that every wise person in the world essentially has the same message. Over times, places, cultures, it's all the same wisdom forever. Why then is it so hard for us to grasp it? What a great movie! A true masterpiece.

Living without a purpose is one of my biggest fear and I'm feeling that now.

This is beautiful, I might even consider making my own video essay breaking this down in my own interpretation.

I love the narrator on this - I could swear I’m listening to the late Bruno ganz. Brilliant , profound content too. Great job & thank you.

First time here, and all I see was perfection! The movie clips, the overtones and the quotations just nailed it!

Beautiful video. I made these discoveries for myself sometime ago and find all of this to be accurate. Nice choice of classic movie to blend with Stoic philosophy.

this video is part of my daily routine.

Im so glad i clicked on this... Loved the approach, the symbolism and juxtaposing of Shawshank and Stoicism. Thanks man.

Oh my! This video, the content and the way you put it, took my breath away just like the first time I watched the moive.

What about the work of Arthur Schopenhauer’s, “On the Sufferings of the World”? Or "Discours de la servitude volontaire" by Étienne de La Boétie?

The Shawshank Redemption is always a win. Merci. In France We call this Movie : Les Évadés. But I prefer the original title : The Shawshank Redemption. ;)

Somehow your videos continuous to overwhelm me with insight, I love it; keep up with what you do since it's what you seem to love.

Why are you so amazing. Why are you so great. Everything you touch is gold. Today I am grateful for you.

i love hearing Elmur Fudd talk about movies and philosophy

dude , you , Now You See It and The Discarded Image in the same day? my skull is going to burst after my brain finishes processing all three videos in a row

Once again, I am without words. Thank you so much for sharing your mind with us.

Wow, this was powerful. I wasn't expecting to become emotional watching this but I did. I love this movie and you've made it even more powerful. Thank you.

03:49 "The task then is to align our opinions with the transformations of the universe, to let the things beyond our control become exactly those things we desire." 05:42 "We can find happiness in love and beauty as long as we experience it without desiring more than is within our control." Aren't these statements at odds? Can someone clarify what LSOO means?

work hard, and live in your current circumstances with presence and diligence, fulfillment is yours.

Sir, you are nothing short of a modern day philosopher, albeit a small one. You have my ear. It is always a blessing to come across great thinkers living at the same time as myself.

Thank you for taking the time, energy and effort into making this video.

This is the greatest thing since slice bread

"expecting nothing", well that's kind of impossible. When you walk on the ground, you expect it to be stable and not trip you or stab you. If you fall into a sinkhole, trip face-first, or step on a lego and not feel some annoyance at the breaking of your expectations, you may not be human. As an ideal, I understand that Aurelius is saying that we should not hold our expectations to things which are beyond our control. You can try to live up to it but to be it fully is impossible. From a more pragmatist perspective in the vein of Charles Sanders Peirce, expectation or belief is the entire basis for any action we take in our lives, and without them you are incapacitated.

When you quoted Marcus Aerelius, it gave me a kick. I could understand who you were quoting without ever looking at my screen - without ever searching the quotes up. Meditations is taking me forever to read, definitely worth it as I‘m striving more and more to adhere to stoic belief everyday

Stoicism is the perfect philosophy for those suffering from our current seemingly postmodernist society. You will come out on top while others flounder asking others to fix their situation for them