The Stoic Magazine Library

This is the second article in the series on HOW TO BE A STOIC WHEN YOU DON’T KNOW HOW, a 10-week training course that is currently being developed by The Stoic Gym.

This is the third article in the series is based on HOW TO BE A STOIC WHEN YOU DON’T KNOW HOW, a 10-week training course that is currently being developed by The Stoic Gym.

This is the fourth article in the series based on HOW TO BE A STOIC WHEN YOU DON’T KNOW HOW, a 10-week training course that is currently being developed by The Stoic Gym.

Big idea 3 

Don’t worry about things you don’t control 

There is only one way to be happy. Keep this thought ready for use morning, noon and night. Give up the desire for things not under your control. 

Epictetus, Discourses IV.4.39 (Chuck Chakrapani. Stoic Freedom, Ch. 4) 

Attachment to external things makes you a slave 

Most of us understand that one of the basic ideas of Stoicism is to ignore what is not under our control. However, the cor-ollary of that idea, “act on what is under your control” is of-ten ignored by many practitioners. 

Recognize that you control your reactions

Some impressions are not difficult to judge. For example, yesterday you got into an accident and had whiplash. Clearly you cannot go back and avoid that accident (you can take no action) or not have whiplash (change the outcome). So, it is pointless to keep worrying about it. It doesn't make anything better. You can take no action and the outcome is not under your control. It is nothing to you.

Big idea 6. Be just 

When we deal with others, we need a second skill—justice. What is justice? It is giving what is due to others, being fair in your dealings with them, and not taking anything that belongs to them. This is the second “wall” of our Stoic house. 

When we are in the grip of negative emotions, worries, and anxieties, fear can still take hold of us and cloud our judgment, even if we practice Stoicism regularly. We can deal with these problems by knowing that we have resources available for whatever life may throw at us and remembering that we are more resilient than we think.

Learn the fundamentals of Stoicism in ten short weeks

Learn the fundamentals of Stoicism in ten short weeks