Blog Posts
- Ancient Stoicism in Plain English
Your Judgement is the Sole Cause of Your Distress
1. Only your choices can cause you distress. 2. We tend be distressed because we have been following the wrong course of action since our childhood. 3. We have been brought up from the beginning to believe that external things cause us distress. So, we behave like children.
- Ancient Stoicism in Plain English
Nothing External Can Harm You
1. News is concerned with external things. So, it cannot harm you. 2. You should be concerned only about things over which you have real choice. 3. The way others behave is up to them. It is no concern of yours.
- Ancient Stoicism in Plain English
Train Yourself to See Things as they are
1. Everything that happens, happens in accordance with reason. People who are wealthier pay a price for being wealthy. So, it is reasonable that they have what they have. 2. Don’t add judgments to events and make them worse.
- Ancient Stoicism in Plain English
Train on Your Principles Before Venturing Out
1. Either you influence your friends, or they influence you. 2. The stronger will influence the weaker. If those who talk nonsense have stronger convictions, they will influence you. 3. Therefore, until you train yourself strongly in your principles, be careful who you associate yourself with.
- Ancient Stoicism in Plain English
Approach Everything Carefully
In everything you do, consider what comes before and what comes after and only then act.
- Ancient Stoicism in Plain English
Get Rid of conceit and Diffidence
Ascetic practices should bring you some benefit. Otherwise, they are ridiculous.
- Ancient Stoicism in Plain English
Train Yourself in Three Areas of Study
1. Not everything that is difficult is suitable for training. We should train hard on things that are important to us. 2. Training should be tailored for each person, depending on where they are weak now.
- Ancient Stoicism in Plain English
Remind Yourself of the Basic Principles
Whoever regards things that are not under their choice as good will be subject to envy and desire. They will flatter others and will be troubled. Whoever regards things that are not under their choice as evil shall be full of sorrow, will grieve, will lament, and will be unhappy.
- Ancient Stoicism in Plain English
Train to Deal with Illness
1. The purpose of training is to prepare you to face hardships, including illness. 2. Illness is a part of life. We should have our judgements ready and available to us when we need them – as when we get sick.
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