When I learned about Parmenides in class for the first time, I did not understand what good his theory provided. After all, his conclusion that all we can state about the existence of anything is that “it is” is not practical in any sense. Unlike Plato’s Theory of Forms or Aristotle’s Four Causes, “it is” led me nowhere.

Until today. It struck to me that applying Parmenides’ theory to our struggles in life could possibly help us emotionally overcome those difficulties. One of the emotional struggles I am having now is the fear of the mock interview for my COMM 202 course. The fact that it is my first interview in English in a Western job market setting has amplified my fear. Whenever I think of the upcoming interview on November 30, I feel my body becoming tense. What should I do if my mind goes blank during the interview? What happens if I fail the assignment?

Despite all my worries, however, Parmenides’ theory would suggest that the interview is just “is”. Imagining this was soothing. Thinking of a negative event as “it is” detached the unnecessary emotions of fear and anxiety from the actual event. It also helped me compare the event to all other things in my life that “is”. Parmenides’ theory of “it is” brings everything to an equal level. There are no positives and no negatives. You end up facing the subject with no way to describe it in words, but to acknowledge its existence. Thus, all negative emotions cease to exist once you learn to look at the subject as “it is”.

Although Parmenides probably did not intend to use his theory in a therapeutic way, it is still a useful application of his theory.