The Stoic Magazine Library

“So here’s to “what you make of it,” no matter what “it” is.”

Great wisdom traditions tell great stories. Stories help us learn and remember difficult or elusive ideas. Stories humanize complex concepts. And stories about people are relatable – especially if we can put ourselves in the shoes of the story’s character(s).

“Everything has two handles, the one by which it may be carried, the other by which it cannot. If your brother acts unjustly, don't lay hold on the action by the handle of his injustice, for by that it cannot be carried; but by the opposite, that he is your brother, that he was brought up with you; and thus you will lay hold on it, as it is to be carried.” - Epictetus, Enchiridion, 43

“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.”

“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?”

“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?”

The ‘mind palace’ and the ‘inner citadel’

Take a moment to look around, and see, from an outside lens, the workings of this festival unfolding all around us.

The ancient Stoic practice of reviewing our day could help us, centuries later, keep track of our choices about our most precious resource: time.

“The fool’s life is empty of gratitude and full of fears; its course lies wholly towards the future,” quotes Roman Stoic Seneca, in a passage he attributes to Epicurus.

In spite of the stories we tell ourselves, “legends” can be broken by stepping further back, seeing the bigger picture, and realizing what we’re really dealing with when we see and experience the things all around us.

The lore of the Stoic sage

The lore surrounding the “Stoic sage” runs deep in ancient Stoic texts.

At its core, Stoic strength is about recognizing that only certain things are in our power, and those are the things that matter most: our thoughts, opinions, motivations, choices, and our intentions.

At the end of the day, in the spirit of Stoicism, what we always remind ourselves is that we have to make judgments in the moment as best we can, act on what’s possible for us.

Don’t set your mind on things you don’t possess… but count the blessings you actually possess and think how much you would desire them if they weren’t already yours. - Marcus Aurelius, Meditations, 7.27