The Stoic Magazine Library

When people face extreme situations, there is a body of evidence to show that Stoicism helps.

When something happens in the world and it raises an impression in you, take a beat. Before committing to your immediate response, ask yourself: Can this affect my capacity for being a good person? Is this even true?

All we have is this pain we are suffering now and even that will not last long. There is no need to saddle ourselves with imagainary scenarios that can only add to our pain.

We cannot choose our limits in concerns to our physical fittess. Nor can we choose how oſten we fall victim to illness during our lives. Neither, finally, can we choose how or when we will die (suicide notwithstanding). However, we can always choose to do what we’re able to choose to do.

My earlier self made a brief appearance, thinking, “Oh my God… We drove all this way, for this?!”– but she was quieted by a calmer, happier, more Stoic version of myself who thought, “Well, let’s keep going and see what we find out. These things do happen. Best not to react just yet.” And so we did.

Caring about and being concerned for our fellow human beings is an integral part of what the Stoics assert to be our rational and therefore social nature. It’s not a question of whether or not Stoics can or should care about others. Instead, it’s a matter of HOW.

Remember: the present moment is all we have. Life is fleeting; moments slip away with every breath. Even when pondering the future, you are still forced into the present moment – you are simply trying to bring that very unceryain future right here and now, which cannot be done.

Let's consider for once that it's always today, i.e., that the only natural state of the world is the one we observe in the present moment.

“Don’t just say that you’ve read books, show that through them you have learned to think better, to be a more discriminating and reflective person.”

Stoic quotes for every day of the month