MORRIE SCHWARZ’S THEORY OF DETACHMENT

The theory of detachment is similar to Master Zhaung’s literature piece, Zhuangzi Master Zhuang Zhou is the pivotal figure of classical philosophical Daoism, even after his death in 286 BC. He was described as an “antirational, follower of a mystical Laozi'' (Hansen). He composed the Zhuangzi, a thirty-three chapter anthology described as “a distinctively Chinese, naturalist blend of Daoism and Buddhism with its emphasis on focused engagement in our everyday ways of life” (Hansen) and promotes “detachment from official life” (Liu) By encouraging thorough engagement in one's everyday life, Zhaungzi and Morrie’s theory of detaching from emotion in order to enjoy a worry-free life are similar.

Instead, he endorsed, “All right it’s just fear, I don’t have to let it control me” (Albom 105). By prohibiting his emotions from taking control of his life, as many individuals allow such emotions to consume them, his theory related to the Zhuangzi concept of detaching from entrenched norms and emotions.

Morrie’s theory of detachment promotes separating from emotions in order to properly identify them and allow them to complete their course Similar to the Stoic method of detachment, he found himself capable of detaching emotions from their origins, in order to evaluate them and move forward Whenever he found himself enduring an emotion he did not want to feel so extremely, he would identify the emotion, and psychologically separate from it. Before separating from the emotion entirely, he would allow himself to feel the emotion entirely and then move on from it, as to have no remaining emotions left over to burden him Morrie admitted, “Envy comes to me, I feel it, and then I let it go That’s envy, I’m going to separate from it now” (quoted in Albom 119).

Leading up to his death, Morrie began to detach from his material goods and favorite pastime hobbies Without attachment to his emotions, or even to his material goods, Morrie followed the Zhuangzi in a more personal way throughout the rest of his days. This assisted him in becoming peaceful and grateful for the rest of the time he had left Additionally, Zhaungzi promotes readers to become “detached from entrenched practices and norms and the constraints they place on the lives of ordinary people” (Liu) Morrie did not allow emotions to consume him as frequently as social norms consume individuals.

Detachment, in the religion of Stoicism, can be described as detaching emotions from their external causes in order to properly, and fully, heal and move on from them. Furthermore, it is defined as, “detachment from emotions from the thought of their external cause” (Becker), allowing followers to become aware of the cause of an emotion by stepping back from it, and analyzing it from a different perspective. Additionally, detachment is also considered “an appropriate response in periods of public crisis and private misfortune” (Becker). By detaching, the emotion becomes less extreme and heavy on the mind, creating a sense of emotional freedom Detachment in both Stoicism and Morrie’s theory offers “freedom resilience to the vicissitudes of the strongly felt, unstable