The Stoic Magazine Library

“How many of us can say with certainty that all our present thoughts, actions and attitudes are virtuous?”

“We shouldn’t overly focus on heavy duty metaphysics. Finding out what the world is really like is not really our area of expertise anymore. Physics, chemistry, and evolutionary biology take care of that. The one job we have is to remain Stoics whatever the world is like.”

“Favour “living the questions” over marshaling arguments to advance or defend cherished or conclusive points of view.”

“The Cynics firmly established the responsibility of each individual to live a moral life, and the importance of self-discipline and indifference to pleasure or pain in the pursuit of virtue. They also established a tradition of questioning the validity of every assumption until proof can be found.”

“We can choose whether to go with the world the way it is, or be dragged along kicking and screaming.”

“To maximize your ability to do good in the world, don’t find motivation through anger or bitterness. Allow yourself to be happy, and share your happiness with others.”

“The Stoics have offered us invaluable lessons in the dangers of failing to discipline our passions.”

“We accept that we in fact control far less than our predecessors believed they could. We accept that we “lose” control of some mental territory.”

“I still grieve for my cat companion, to the point of feeling sadness and shedding tears, but I can also deliberately choose to shift my mind’s focus to the wonderful memories of the life we shared together."

“While the Stoics encourage us to allow for a natural release of emotion in the form of grief, they also remind us that in our mourning we should not become so overwhelmed that it prevents us from flourishing.”

“In plain English, we might say that a Stoic must balance the following: what is useful to the world and society, and what your strengths and interests are.”

“Give all your attention to the task, and don’t look back. Ask yourself in moments of contemplation, ‘how could I be better? How could I serve better?’ ”

“We have been richly endowed with cognitive and social abilities, but it’s up to us to make the most of them.”

“I had to move past mourning for my old life, and figure out how to make the most out of this life. It is up to me to play the hand I have been dealt.”

“What can we do to better understand our role in the world once we realize how illogical it is, and how little we can influence and shape events? How can we move forward while refusing to give up or give in?”