Anger is a weakness. True strength is being able to hold yourself together and maintain the ability to reason regardless of what happens externally.
Continue readingCategory: Stoicism
Love Fate: An Antidote to Disappointment
The stoics ask us to go even further than acceptance though. They tell us not just to accept fate, but to love fate. Realize that in so many moments in our life, the thing that we thought a curse, is, in fact, a blessing.
Continue readingWhat me Worry?
After ejection … I whispered to myself: I’m leaving the world of technology and entering the world of Epictetus …
Continue readingAttitude: It Takes no Talent to Hustle
Recently, I was present to overhear someone explain a Stoic idea to children, and I nearly laughed out loud at how simple the concept could be (and how complicated I often make it). Instead of talking about…
Continue readingThe Man in the Arena
We can become so internally focused, we begin to avoid the external; for fear that it will damage our stoic Ataraxia. We hermitize ourselves in order to avoid that which may cause us harm.
Continue readingBetter Every Day: What to do when you have no idea what you’re doing…
Ensuring that everything in our lives makes us happier, richer, or most importantly, better is a simple idea, but it is no easy task. It requires introspection, clarity, and no small amount of discipline.
Continue readingMarcus Breaks it down: Perception, Action, Will
Marcus Aurelius makes it easy today. He lays out the three basic pillars of his entire take on stoicism
Continue readingWhat is the fruit of these teachings?
Stoicism teaches acceptance, not of all things (there is a time to fight, and I time to flee) but of most things. Because if we reflect on our day, our week, our year and if we are truly honest with ourselves, most of the times we got angry, or hurt, or defensive, in the grand scheme of things, it was over nothing.
Continue readingThe Dichotomy of Control and Why I don’t Mind Getting my Butt Kicked in Jiu Jitsu
The idea is simple to explain, but as with so many other things, it is hard to put into practice. It is the infamous Dichotomy of Control. “This is, of course, the idea that Stoics distinguish between things that are completely under control and things that are not, advising us to let go of the latter and focus on the first.”
Continue readingHasten then to thy purpose which thou hast before thee
Marcus tells us to stop wandering aimlessly and get down to business. So many of us, myself included, spend inordinate amounts of time “preparing” to do something.
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