Four Habits of the Stoic Mind 1. Accept only what is true. 2. Work for the common good. 3. Match your needs and wants with what is in our control. 4. Embrace what nature has in store for us. Why Stoicism Matters Practiced by the rich and the impoverished, the powerful and the struggling alike in pursuing the Good Life. The Stoics were pioneers of the morning and nightly rituals: preparation in the morning, and reflection in the evening. At the heart of The Daily Stoic is the philosophy of Stoicism. This school of thought emphasizes the four cardinal virtues: Wisdom, Temperance, Justice, and Courage. Marcus Aurelius, the Roman emperor, was a firm believer in Stoicism and his writings reflect his commitment to this philosophy. He believed that by understanding the nature of reality, one could free oneself from the worries of life and live in harmony with the universe. “What have all these great men and women found within Stoicism that others missed? A great deal.” — Ryan Holiday Three Disciplines of Stoicism 1. The Discipline of Perception: how we see the world around us. 2. The Discipline of Action: the decisions and actions we take and to what end. 3. The Discipline of Will: how we deal with the things we cannot change, attain clear and convincing judgment, and come to a true understanding of our place in the world. The Discipline of Perception 1. Clarity The single most important practice in Stoic philosophy is differentiating between what we can change and what we can’t. Education—reading and meditating on the wisdom of great minds—is not to be done for its own sake. It has a purpose. Knowledge—self-knowledge in particular—is freedom. One of the hardest things to do in life is to say ‘No.’ The more you say no to the things that don’t matter, the more you can say yes to the things that do. All you need are these: certainty of judgement, action for the common good, and an attitude of gratitude in the present moment for anything that comes your way. Having an end in mind is no guarantee that you’ll reach it—no Stoic would tolerate that assumption—but not having an end in mind is a guarantee you won’t. Have you taken the time to get clarity about who you are and what you stand for? You must reclaim the ability to abstain because within it is your clarity and self-control. You don’t control the situation, but you control what you think about it. Every single thing that is outside your control—the outside world, other people, karma—still presents a corresponding area that is in your control. You’ve got just one thing to manage: your choices, your will, and your mind. So mind it. Man is pushed by drives but pulled by values. Tranquility: “believing in yourself and trusting that you are on the right path, and not being in doubt by following the myriad footpaths of those wandering in every direction.” Ask yourself: Is this really the best way to do it? Know why you do what you do—do it for the right reasons.” Just begin the work. The rest follows. There is clarity (and joy) in seeing what others can’t see, in finding grace and harmony in places others overlook. Whoever we are, wherever we are—what matters is our choices. What are they? How will we evaluate them? How will we make the most of them? Those are the questions life asks us, regardless of our station. What happened yesterday—what happened five minutes ago—is the past. We can reignite and restart whenever we like. The more things we desire and the more we have to do to earn or attain those achievements, the less we actually enjoy our lives—and the less free we are. “Take a good hard look at people’s ruling principle, especially of the wise, what they run away from and what they seek out.” — Marcus Aurelius, Meditations, 4.38 “At every moment keep a sturdy mind on the task at hand… You can do this if you approach each task as if it is your last.” — Marcus Aurelius, Meditations, 2.5 "Everything lasts for a day, the one who remembers and the remembered." - Marcus Aurelius Seven Clear Functions of the Mind: 1. Choice—to do and think right. 2. Refusal—of temptation. 3. Yearning—to be better. 4. Repulsion—of negativity, of bad influences, of what isn’t true. 5. Preparation—for what lies ahead or whatever may happen. 6. Purpose—our guiding principle and highest priority. 7. Assent—to be free of deception about what’s inside and outside our control (and be ready to accept the latter). 2. Passions and Emotions Today, when you find yourself getting anxious, ask yourself: Why are my insides twisted into knots? Am I in control here or is my anxiety? And most important: Is my anxiety doing me any good? Think before you act. Ask: Who is in control here? What principles are guiding me? The next time you are afraid of some supposedly disastrous outcome, remember that if you don’t control your impulses, if you lose your self-control, you may be the very source of the disaster you so fear. The next time you find yourself in the middle of a freakout, moaning and groaning with flu-like symptoms, or crying tears of regret, just ask: Is this actually making me feel better? Is this actually relieving any of the symptoms I wish were gone? Here’s a funny exercise: think about all the upsetting things you don’t know about… What’s your reaction? You don’t have one because you don’t know about it. Practice the ability to have absolutely no thoughts about something—act as if you had no idea it ever occurred. Or that you’ve never heard of it before. Let it become irrelevant or nonexistent to you. It’ll be a lot less powerful this way. “Whenever you get an impression of some pleasure… guard yourself against being carried away by it. After that, bring to mind both times, first when you have enjoyed the pleasure and later when you will regret it and hate yourself. Then compare to those the joy and satisfaction you’d feel for abstaining together.” — Epictetus, Enchiridion, 34 There is nothing so certain in our fears that’s not yet more certain in the fact that most of what we dread comes to nothing. Life (and our job) is difficult enough. Let’s not make it harder by getting emotional about insignificant matters. “Remember to conduct yourself in life as it is at a banquet… Does it pass you by? Don’t stop it. It hasn’t yet come? Don’t burn in desire for it, but wait until it arrives in front of you.” — Epictetus, Enchiridion, 15 It is the privilege of the gods to want nothing. To want nothing makes one invincible—because nothing lies outside your control. When it comes to your goals and the things you strive for, ask yourself: Am I in control of them or are they in control of me? “I begin to speak only when I’m certain what I’ll say isn’t better left unsaid.” — Plutarch, Cato the Younger, 4 Don’t set your heart on so many things. Train your mind to ask: Do I need this thing? What will happen if I do not get it? Can I make do without it? "The person who does wrong, wrongs himself." - Marcus Aurelius 3. Awareness We have a choice: to stand with the philosopher and focus strenuously on the inside, or to behave like a leader of the mob, becoming whatever the crowd needs at a given moment. No slavery is more disgraceful than one which is self-imposed. As you walk past your possessions today, ask yourself: Do I need this? Is it superfluous? What’s this actually worth? What is it costing me? Listen and connect with people, don’t perform for them. “If a person gave away your body to some passerby, you’d be furious. Yet you hand over your mind to anyone who comes along, so they may abuse you, leaving it disturbed and troubled—have no shame in that?” — Epictetus, Enchiridion, 28. Maintain control over your mind and perceptions, they’d say. It’s your most prized possession. “You must choose whether to be loved by these friends and remain the same person or to become a better person at the cost of those friends.” — Epictetus, Discourses, 4.2.1; 4-5 “Whenever someone has done wrong by you, immediately consider what notion of good and evil they had in doing it.” — Marcus Aurelius, Meditations, 7.26 Ego and self-deception are the enemies of the things we wish to have because we delude ourselves into believing that we already possess them. Yesterday’s the past, tomorrow’s the future, but today is a gift. That’s why it’s called the present. “There is nothing good or bad outside my own reasoned choice, and that we shouldn’t try to lead events but to follow them.” — Epictetus, Discourses, 3.10.18 “Wherever you go, there you are.” Is there anything sadder than the immense lengths we’ll go to impress someone? We buy things we don’t need, to impress people we don’t like. "The best way to avenge yourself is to not be like that." - Marcus Aurelius