The Stoic Magazine Library

You can practice Stoicism and also have a good time... For a Stoic, these sorts of things are all matters of rationality and proportion.

“If you do desire possessing quotes that you can stock up within your mind, the best, the most reliable, the most intelligent way to do that is. . . don’t focus primarily on quotes."

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

“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."

“Each occasion of failing offers an opportunity to exercise those dimensions of the virtue of courage that the Stoics called perseverance and industriousness.”

The Stockdale paradox 

Last month, I was interviewed by a reporter who was writing about the COVID-19 pandemic crisis, what resources Stoic philosophy can contribute, and what has come to be termed the “Stockdale paradox.” Jim Collins came up with that term in his management book, Good To Great, and used it to describe something that isn’t really a paradox in any genuine sense of the term. 

Widespread shutdowns 

At the time that I write this, midway through March, responses to COVID-19 have shut down a good part of Milwaukee. As in many other places, students have been sent home from schools, colleges, and universities and classes have shifted online. Concerts and sporting events have been cancelled. Libraries, community centers, health clubs, even courthouses have been closed. Many office buildings have emptied, allowing employees to work from home. 

Is the Joker Stoic? Is Batman?

There’s no straightforward answer to the question