Stoic Wisdom for Daily Life
Accept the Cyclical Nature of Life and Impermanence
By nature, things come and go; do not get too attached to them or you will suffer for no reason. The only thing which you can control is you, put your attention there!
Understand Things Do Not Trouble Us, But Our Representation of Them
The fact that certain words hurt me is because I give them value; if I don’t, these words do not have any power over me. We suffer more in our mind than in our reality.
Identify What is Within Your Control
Change what you can and accept the rest, but to do so you need to know what is in your control.
Use Each Opportunity to Appreciate Destiny
Amor Fati! You can either detest external events or accept them; why would you transform purposefully unexpected events into suffering?
Act for the Common Good
Humans are social creatures; we live in a society, for it to remain as it is and for us to keep living in this peaceful order, we need to act for the common good. Why would your interests prevail over others’?
Respond to Evil with Good
War is bilateral; if people harm you, respond to them with kindness and show them their mistake. Why would you create more harm than needed?
Aim for Justice and Virtues for Happiness
Does happiness rely on material goods? If so, it can leave you anytime! Focus on acting fairly and see how much better your life gets.
Act Without Expecting Rewards
Does your foot ask you for a reward because it walks? So, why do you want a reward when you help others? This is what you are meant to do; this is your reward.
Strive to be a Good Person
Don’t make this world worse than it is. Making the people around you happier is partly your responsibility; bear your cross!
Seek Impassibility for Clarity of Mind
Don’t let your emotions dictate what you do; you are going to regret it in the future!
Seek Action Aligned with Nature and Reason
For the reasonable animal, acting according to reason corresponds to acting according to nature. Don’t destroy yourself by indulging in bodily impulses.
Cultivate Intellect as Primary Activity
Most people consider pleasure as the primary end of human life. Imagine for a second that your only purpose in life is to stay in bed; this does not sound very heroic!
Look Inward for Self-Knowledge
Know thyself! Solitude is not the enemy; it is the key from the prison that your mind imposes on you.
Avoid Being Governed by Pleasure
Freedom does not mean that you can do whatever you want. Freedom is choosing what you actually want. A brain enslaved to pleasure is not free.
Keep Thoughts Free from Passions
If love is the only driving force in your life, how will you cope when this love fades away? Reason is the only thing that does not leave you.
Overcome Resistance with Intelligence and Reason
Resistance comes from the mind; overcome your mind to overcome resistance.
Eliminate Desire to Reach Freedom
A free man is not influenced by anything, including desires.
Maintain Total Concentration
Whatever you do, bring your whole attention to it. You can’t regret effort!
Care for the Body as a Reflection of Truth
People will instinctively associate your physical state with your thoughts. If you look unhealthy, they will consider what you say unhealthy.
Understand Mastering the Mind is Victory
The pleasure of victory is linked to avoiding defeat. How do you avoid defeat? Conquer your mind and overcome yourself!
Delay Decisions to Prepare
Why rush things when you can take your time? Prepare in advance and do your best every time you have the opportunity.
Learn Instead of Persisting in Folly
Fool me once, shame on you; fool me twice, shame on me.
Remember Personal Faults to Understand Others
Are you perfect? So why judge other people when they are not perfect?
Reduce Material Stimulation, Cultivate the Mind
Keep your bodily needs satisfied based on utility; indulging excessively in comfort will make you a slave.
Observe Others’ Actions to Understand Values
Words don’t mean anything, but values reflect your hierarchy of behaviors. Lying shows that you favor short-term comfort over the truth.
Educate or Tolerate Others
If someone hurts you, educate them. If they persist, you can’t do anything else, so tolerate them.
Benefit from Interactions
Take the best out of everything that comes at you!
Be Patient with Others’ Faults
Treat other people with compassion; they will respond much better to your values.
Draw Inspiration from the Actions of the Ancients
Follow the great people who existed before you and strive to do better than them!
Speak Less, Listen More
You have one mouth but two ears, so listen twice as much as you speak.
Ensure No Regrets in Interactions
It might be the last time you talk to that friend; who knows? So make it count!
Seek True Friends as Support Against Challenges
Shallow friendships are the best recipe for hatred. It is better to have one true friend who is a shield than two swords directed towards you.
Focus on the Present, Prepare for Adversity
Prepare for the future but keep your mind busy with what you are doing now.
Live Each Day as if It Were the Last
Do your best every day; you never know what can happen. Make the world the best place possible at all times and at all costs.
Act Immediately, Avoid Procrastination
Time can never be gained back; whatever is wasted now is wasted forever.
Recognize All Judgment, Desire, and Will are Within
You control all these; make sure that you aim in the right direction.
Accept and Let Go Freely
When things are freely given to you, accept them. When they want to leave, why bother preventing them? Is anything truly yours?
Reflect on Actions for Constant Improvement
Take time every day to look at what you have done better and apply these lessons tomorrow.
Show Gratitude for What You Have
You can always have more, but you can always have less. Focus on what brings you the most benefits!
Be Thankful Before Feeling Resentment
Things could be worse; people have worked hard for you to be in this world. Be thankful before being bitter!
Avoid Thinking the World Revolves Around Personal Problems
Sometimes, you need to hurt one part of the group to make everyone healthier.
Accept that True Ownership is of the Intellect
Do you control your body? No, you have no control over your heart, for instance. Can you control your mind? Absolutely!
Act Purposefully, Not Randomly
Why do something if there is no reason behind it? Don’t you have anything better to do with your time?
Recognize Everything is Opinion and Under Our Control
Nothing is inherently bad; things are bad because you want them to be that way.
Use Failures as Learning Opportunities
There is always an opportunity in adversity. Look carefully, learn the lesson, and move on!
