What is your favourite Stoic principle? Ask a hundred people this question and you’ll get a hundred answers—well, maybe not a hundred, but certainly many. People encounter Stoicism at different moments in their lives, and the ideas that helped them most at the beginning often matter more than the rest. Not that the other principles are any less weighty, but what appeals to us is what helped us when we needed help. By understanding which Stoic principle appealed most to others and why, we can broaden our appreciation of Stoicism. With this in mind, I asked our contributing editors to tell us what their favourite Stoic principle is.

Dichotomy of control

Let me start with my favourite, the dichotomy of control: some things in life are under our control, and some things are not. Ignore what you cannot control and work on what you can. This simple, obvious principle has saved me from anxiety and worry when things looked bleak. When I ask myself whether something is within my control, the answer is usually no. So why worry about it?

Memento mori (Remember death)

We should remember that death is inevitable and is always stalking us. When we fully realize this, we become less petty. The reality of death reduces anxiety and fear, encouraging us to act with greater courage and authenticity. Learning how to die teaches us how to live, as each day becomes a finite and valuable opportunity. (Shirley Kwosek Sciacca).

The Stoic pause

When something happens, we are quick to react and perhaps regret acting that way. The Stoic pause asks us to pause for a moment and examine our first reactions (or impressions). It is simply the decision to wait a moment before responding, to create just enough space to observe what is happening internally as well as externally. We cannot help how we immediately feel, but we can pause and and act rationally. (Andi Sciacca)

The pause and how to use it

1. Give yourself time before responding—especially when a situation triggers a strong emotional reaction.
2. Ask questions—of others and of yourself. What am I feeling right now? Why am I feeling this? Could I be seeing this incorrectly? Why am I reacting the way I am?

Simply by pausing and challenging the impressions, we can arrive at better decisions. (Glenn Citeroni)

The discipline of action

 Act rightly, and let go of what follows. You don’t control whether the world rewards you for doing the right thing. But you do control whether you do it. And that's the discipline of action: doing something because it is right rather than looking for rewards. (Brandon Tumblin)

Cultivating excellence (aretḗ)

Everything has its own excellence or aretḗ. The aretḗ of an acorn is to become a thriving oak. The aretḗ of your phone is to let you call others. As humans, we should strive fo excellence as human beings. (John Kuna)

Every choice has an impact on our lives

Your choices matter. Every choice you make makes you better or worse as a person. Be careful about the choices you make in life. (Greg Sadler)

Premeditio malorum to get rid of fears

What if the way to deal with fear is not just learning to “manage” it? What if we could eliminate most worries instead of accepting them? What if we could neutralize the causes instead of treating the symptoms? Premeditio malorum addresses just this issue. (Philippe Belanger)

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