The Stoic Magazine Library

“Small things form habits, habits shape our character and our character, well, is who we truly are. This is the place to grow.”

“Knowing ourselves and our talents will be a guide in choosing the roles which correspond to us, and will also allow us to fulfill our potential.”

“It is easy to say that one should not get offended when someone says something upsetting to you, but it can be difficult to do when it happens.”

“Regret and remorse aren’t good in themselves, but they may be a sign that there’s more work to do.”

Our focus decides our experience

“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?”

“There is a limit to the time assigned to you, and if you don’t use it to free yourself it will be gone and will never return.”

“...built-up stress is a lot like anger: once you let it get the better of you, it’s hard to regain control of yourself...”

Marcus Fronto, the tutor of Marcus Aurelius, talks about the pandemic that has been devastating the country. He says that death would be preferable under these circumsannces. Marcus Aurelius points out that death is a human experience common to every one of us and therefore cannot be good or bad.

“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?”

“As a Stoic, that spark comes in the everyday opportunities for virtue: kindness, apologizing, and courage”

“The goal of Stoicism is to live a flourishing, satisfying, and joyful life.”

“You think that you will get there amid riches and accolades. This is to say that you seek joy in the midst of anxiety! You go after those things on grounds that they will bring you happiness and pleasure, when in fact they are causes of pain... ”