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There's a chapter of the Discourses of Epictetus titled "On Anxiety". It includes a quote I like to remember:

>For this reason when Zeno was going to meet Antigonus, he was not anxious, for Antigonus had no power over any of the things which Zeno admired; and Zeno did not care for those things over which Antigonus had power. But Antigonus was anxious when he was going to meet Zeno, for he wished to please Zeno; but this was a thing external (out of his power). But Zeno did not want to please Antigonus; for no man who is skilled in any art wishes to please one who has no such skill.

If you're anxious when you're giving a presentation, it means you're nervous about getting something that isn't in your control. It could be acceptance or praise from your audience, or maybe a good grade from your teacher. The Stoic advice would be to focus on your own actions, and accept whatever results you get without attaching too much value to them- of course if you prepare well, you'll probably get positive results too.

But you'll probably need to practice this all the time, not just when you're already anxious - to think this through before you assent to the impression that gives you anxiety, not after.

As others have noted, it's Sam Torode's <em>The Manual</em> translation of Epictetus' Enchiridion. I'll add that you can read it for free, alongside three more tradition translations, on this handy page.

You've got some heavy shit to deal with. Lots of serious situations, all going down at the same time. I can offer some perspectives & procedures that have helped me, and maybe help you.

1- You are NOT your thoughts. Your thoughts are instantaneous electro-chemical impulses that are so transitory, they can barely be said to exist. They will rise. They will fall away.

They're like a massive cascading waterfall- the trick is to position yourself behind the waterfall

2- Acknowledge your feelings. Allow them to pass. The physiological effects of emotions on your body can be profound- but even the strongest ones pass in moments. Unless you continue to regenerate them. "Noting"... the act of recognizing a thought or emotion... is often enough to dispel it. Note what you're feeling in a depersonalized way ("That's anger", "That's anxiety"... NOT "I'm angry" or "I'm anxious").

3- Focus on what you CAN control, Accept what you can't. This is one of the pillars of Stoicism. There's no profit in getting twisted up about things you can't change. Viktor Frankl said that even in the worst situation, each individual has the ultimate power, "The last of the human freedoms: to choose one's attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose one's own way"

4- The Obstacle is the Way Understand that every crisis, every hardship, is an opportunity to develop some other virtue. Patience, Endurance, Compassion, Courage, Resourcefulness... skills that would lie dormant unless you were challenged.

5- See things as they are, not as you wish, not as you fear. Optimism and Pessimism are for suckers. Realism is the way to go. Your fortunes will rise and fall. Determine that no matter what happens, you'll be able to handle it, with competence and dignity.

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I wish you well.

I think most Stoic advice on procrastination is unhelpful, because, like nearly everyone else, Stoics tend to view procrastination as a character flaw (laziness), or as evidence of a lack of motivation or discipline, to be addressed primarily through willpower.

But recently, psychologists have developed a more helpful theory: procrastination is a coping mechanism for strong negative emotions induced by a task. Essentially, we avoid that which makes us uncomfortable. The solution, according to this theory, is to develop better emotion regulation skills, such as distress tolerance. (Here's a decent non-paywalled article on the idea.)

If you think of procrastination this way, then Stoicism has a lot to offer, because Stoicism 101 is dealing with negative emotions.

>If there is any external thing that causes you distress, it is not the thing itself that troubles you, but your own judgement about it. And this you have the power to eliminate now.
>
>-- Marcus Aurelius

As you immerse yourself in hedonism, the amount of pleasure you derive from it progressively decreases at some rate.

This is a phenomenon referred to as "Hedonic Adaptation" by William B. Irvine in "A Guide to the Good Life."

Following this concept to its natural conclusion, you would eventually cease to enjoy such a lifestyle.

However, lets consider the scenario in which you are for whatever reason someone that could enjoy the hedonic lifestyle indefinitely.

You would then need to confront the problem that your fame and fortune, which is what presumably enables that lifestyle, is impermanent.

If your fame and fortune is lost, you are then in a position where you may have developed a reliance on the hedonist lifestyle for happiness and can no longer sustain such a lifestyle.

Thus, you will presumably suffer.

I cannot speak for all Stoics of course and Stoics can understand Stoicism differently. My understanding of Stoicism though tells me that a person in this situation can enjoy themselves but should not rely on its continuance for their happiness.

In my studies of Stoicism, I don't believe I've found anything that suggests you should close yourself off, not get angry, happy, fall in love, or do irrational things. This is a common misconception of Stoicism. Instead, it advocates that we "take steps to prevent negative emotions and to overcome them when our attempts at prevention fail..." (Irvine, A Guide to the Good Life)

The more you read, the more you may realize that Stoicism is a very positive life philosophy, not one that requires you turn off and tune out.

Another relevant quote from Irvine:

"The joy the Stoics were interested in can best be described as a kind of objectless enjoyment—an enjoyment not of any particular thing but of all this. It is a delight in simply being able to participate in life. It is a profound realization that even though all this didn’t have to be possible, it is possible—wonderfully, magnificently possible."

>Don't neglect your friendships.

In a recent interview, Nancy Sherman, (new book: Stoic Wisdom: Ancient Lessons for Modern Resilience), points out that a problem with stoicism (with a small "s"), the life hack version of stoicism, is that it focuses on the self exclusively. It is in the self help genre that has been popular for many decades in the West. Ancient Stoicism emphasized cosmopolitanism, being a citizen of the world, engaging with others, as a necessary part of living a life worth living. And this was certainly a response to the Epicureans insistence of removing themselves from others.

I think it is wise to add a clarification in that it is best to chose our friends with wisdom. To not allow childhood familiarities (the dysfunctional kind), circumstances, loneliness, peer pressure, or a myriad of other factors to chose our friends for us. In other words, to use reason as the sole determiner for who we consider our friends.

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>For Stoics, wisdom therefore consists in our ability to grasp the nature of the supreme good, i.e., the goal of life. Put differently, it’s the knowledge of what is good, bad, and indifferent. You can therefore also describe wisdom as the ability to know what helps us flourish and achieve fulfillment (eudaimonia) in life, or what harms us in that regard. The Stoics use the word prosoche (attention) to describe the practice of continual mindfulness regarding our ruling faculty and its use of judgements in daily life, especially the way our value judgements shape our desires and emotions. Wisdom requires “Stoic mindfulness”, in other words. Article by Donald Robertson.

Instead of giving you advice, I have the perfect book recommendation that will come pretty close to directly answering your question. I read this years ago, but only just found it again and am giving it another read through.

The book is called 'So good they can't ignore you: why skills trump passion in the quest for work you love' by Cal Newport.

The author actually has a computer science degree funnily enough. In it he uses empirical evidence to argue that the common advice of 'follow your passion' is flawed and unrealistic, and generally bad advice. After arguing that he puts forward his arguments about what the best course of action is if you discount the passion hypothesis. Its full of examples of people he interviewed who took different approaches to end up doing what they love, why some failed at it and why some didn't. I really can't recommend this book more highly actually, I think it will be perfect for you.

Here is the amazon link https://www.amazon.com/Good-They-Cant-Ignore-You/dp/1455509124

"In your actions, don't procrastinate. In your conversations, don't confuse. In your thoughts, don't wander. In your soul, don't be passive or aggressive. In your life, don't be all about business." - Marcus Aurelius, Meditations 8.51(The Daily Stoic)

Did this come from Art of Living by Sharon Lebell? She liberally translates (interprets) Epictetus, so I am hesitant to accept this as Epictetus's exact thought.

That's the trick though isn't it? Meditation isn't concentration on nothing. It is simply being present in the current moment, and not letting your mind wander forward into the future(anxiety) or dwell on the past(depression). As thoughts wander by, acknowledge that you them and let them go. Do not dwell.

Something that helps me, specifically with the breathing, is focusing on one body part for each breath, and how it feels to inhale upwards, and exhale downwards. For example, I meditate on my back, so I breath in my upper chest, and out my shoulderblades. Then I breath in my abs, and out my lower back. In my forehead, out the back of my skull. Really feel the breath move your body.

In m humble opinion, anyone interested in meditation should read Buddha's Brain by Rick Hanson. It's a fascinating look in to how your brain actually reacts to meditation, how inhaling and exhaling release different neurochemicals, and looks into the science of buddhist meditation.

Massimo Pigliucci has written a couple of books.

• How to be a Stoic

• A Handbook for New Stoics: How to thrive in a world out of control 52 week-by-week lessons.

I purchased the last book. Each week encourages doing an exercise to be a Stoic.

Good luck.

The other day in Amsterdam I finally got to meet Spinoza, one of my all time heroes. (I quoted him in the introduction to my latest book, How to Think Like a Roman Emperor: The Stoic Philosophy of Marcus Aurelius.) Spinoza barely mentioned the Stoics, although his philosophy is often viewed as strikingly similar to Stoicism. Leibniz called him one of the pioneers of the "sect of the new Stoics". I was able to visit the Spinoza museum, the house where he used to live, in which we inspected the list of his personal collection of books. Spinoza had been reading the works of Cicero, Seneca, and Epictetus, among others. So I think Leibniz was right that he was probably more influenced by Stoicism than he let on. It's possible that Spinoza perhaps chose not to mention the Stoics because that would have simply incurred more religious persecution against him and prejudice against his writings.

Scott Adams, the creator of Dilbert, is actually a damn good source for learning some less intuitive practical wisdom. I highly recommend his book "How to Fail at Almost Everything and Still Win Big." I'm particularly fond of his concept of Goals vs. Systems.

I think the point of Stoic acceptance is happiness, cheerfulness, and contentment, rather than neutrality.

>This is the rod of Hermes: "Touch with it what you please," as the saying is. "and it will be of gold." I say not so: but bring what you please, and I will make it good. Bring disease, bring death, bring poverty, bring abuse, bring trial on capital charges: all these things through the rod of Hermes shall be made profitable. "What will you do with death?" Why, what else than that it shall do you honour, or that it shall show you by act through it, what a man is who follows the will of nature?

>"What will you do with disease?" I will show its nature, I will be conspicuous in, it, I will be firm, I will be happy, I will not flatter the physician, I will not wish to die. What else do you seek? Whatever you shall give me, I will make it happy, fortunate, honoured, a thing which a man shall seek.

https://standardebooks.org/ebooks/epictetus/discourses/george-long/text/book-3#chapter-3-20

I just wanted to drop by and say that I really appreciate this sub. I've been lurking a long time and I've recently started doing a bit more active reading thanks to some recommendations and just the general conversations that happen here. So thank you all for being awesome.

Also, for those who use e-readers, here is a great deal for you: The complete works of Seneca, in both English and Latin, for $2.51. It's a huge book, so I haven't been thorough in checking, but so far it's pretty awesome. This also includes his tragedies, by the way. Enjoy!

The Four Agreements are as follows:

1. Be impeccable with your word.

2. Don't take anything personally.

3. Don't make assumptions.

4. Always do your best.

They are from a very short book by Don Miguel Ruiz, and it's definitely worth a read.

Your article reminds me of Scott Adams' book 'How to Fail at Almost Everything and Still Win Big'. One of his main points is to not have goals, but to have systems instead to make it more probable to achieve success. We don't control outcomes. But we control what we do every day, what Adams calls a system. If you have a good system, you make it easy for success to find you. I highly recommend his book, which always seemed fundamentally stoic to me. It's probably the best book on success I have read, and it helps that it's written by a very successful man.

VPNs work by essentially attaching your computer at home to a private network managed by somebody else. Typically this is your office network, for accessing files and whatnot that aren't public. However it can also be used to mask where you are.

For example, your public IP address at home is 123.1.2.3. When you visit Reddit, they can see that you are coming from 123.1.2.3 and they can associate that with a particular geographical region. Your ISP can even tell authorities specifically which account holder was using what IP at what time.

Some VPN companies, such as NordVPN or PrivateInternetAccess, will let you tunnel your Internet traffic through their network so that Reddit no longer sees your home IP. They instead see an IP owned by the VPN provider.

Anonymity on the web is going to be a multi-layered effort, though. Masking your IP with a VPN is only one part. Many web sites can use browser fingerprinting to help identify you.

Cookies are another way that websites can track and ID you.

Yes. It's pretty short, you'll probably be able to clear it in an hour if you don't constantly stop to think about the paragraph you've just read - I'd recommend reading it through all at once, and then re-reading one portion at a time and taking the time to meditate on each concept.

By the way, you don't have to buy it. The book is in the free domain (copyright has expired) so if you prefer an electronic format, you can access it for free at Project Gutenberg:

https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/14209

Or if you prefer PDF format, here's a pretty well-formatted PDF:

http://www.yogebooks.com/english/atkinson/1908kybalion.pdf

The book itself is pretty short, but there's a whole ton of books on the Hermetic philosophy out there. This is just considered the central one.

Also, check out /r/Hermetics/ while you're exploring the Hermetic philosophy ;)

Yes, I agree 100%. I'll add that vanity, greed, and a host of other ills are all born of the same error.

Like you said, experiencing our happiness in terms of comparison with others is madness. We can go a half-step further and say that experiencing our happiness in terms of any external thing is madness. Our happiness properly depends on internal things alone.

>... show me a man who is fashioned according to the doctrines which he utters. Show me a man who is sick and happy, in danger and happy, dying and happy, in exile and happy, in disgrace and happy. Show him: I desire, by the gods, to see a Stoic. ... Let any of you show me a human soul ready to think as God does, and not to blame either God or man, ready not to be disappointed about anything, not to consider himself damaged by anything, not to be angry, not to be envious, not to be jealous...

https://standardebooks.org/ebooks/epictetus/discourses/george-long/text/book-2#chapter-2-19

Read So Good They Can't Ignore You.

We all need to separate our actions from the outcomes. "Where you are going in life" is not under your control, as the pandemic has shown us. You can never be sure of it. Even if you're one of the lucky few that realizes X is what they love to do, study X for years, then find a job doing X for a good company, there are no guarantees. Maybe someone invents an app that does X 1000 times faster than humans, and the whole profession is obsolete overnight.

A better approach is to take on today with wisdom, courage, temperance and justice. As Viktor Frankl wrote, you shouldn't ask the Universe about your purpose, the Universe is asking you. What good can you do today that helps those around you?

Justice has always been the trickiest of the 4 cardinal virtues for me, too (with the other three being practical wisdom, courage, and self-mastery/temperance). As usual, I think there is an issue of translation. "Justice," in its modern American flavor, implies the Justice System in which judgments of good and bad are handed down from on high. Whereas I think Justice in the Stoic sense is almost opposite that notion: it's about seeing others' capacity for wisdom and virtue (although they seldom display it) and withholding judgment about their intentions or wrongdoing.

What clarified Justice for me were the subordinated virtues of Justice, which are the following:

-- Piety (service to the gods) -- Kindness (doing good to others) -- Sociability (seeing others' capacity for wisdom and virtue) -- Companionship (associating with others without judgment)

There is a nice table of virtues and subordinated virtues in Matthew Sharpe's paper "Stoic Virtue Ethics": https://www.academia.edu/5610675/Stoic_Virtue_Ethics

I recommend this whenever sleep is mentioned:

Why We Sleep: The New Science of Sleep and Dreams

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Well worth a read, a bit frightening at times but has made me treat my sleep a lot more seriously

Sorry to hear about your diagnosis. I would suggest to try to read Meditations by Marcus Aurelius. There are different versions of it but a simpler version (I think) is labeled as "A New Translation". It might be difficult to get started for the first few chapters/pages but it progressively gets better and better.

Stoicism will help you deal with whatever gets thrown your way. Good luck!

Three things, from Discourses 2:17:

>Give me one young man who has come to the school with this intention, who is become a champion for this matter and says, “I give up everything else, and it is enough for me if it shall ever be in my power to pass my life free from hindrance and free from trouble, and to stretch out (present) my neck to all things like a free man, and to look up to heaven as a friend of God and fear nothing that can happen.” Let any of you point out such a man that I may say, “Come, young man, into the possession of that which is your own, for it is your destiny to adorn philosophy: yours are these possessions, yours these books, yours these discourses.”

>Then when he shall have labored sufficiently and exercised himself in this part of the matter, let him come to me again and say, “I desire to be free from passion and free from perturbation; and I wish as a pious man and a philosopher and a diligent person to know what is my duty to the gods, what to my parents, what to my brothers, what to my country, what to strangers.” (I say) “Come also to the second matter: this also is yours.”

>“But I have now sufficiently studied the second part also, and I would gladly be secure and unshaken, and not only when I am awake, but also when I am asleep, and when I am filled with wine, and when I am melancholy.” Man, you are a god, you have great designs.

Probably not very helpful, though.

In all seriousness, you need to read and understand, and practice in real life. Here are some excellent starting points:

https://www.reddit.com/r/Stoicism/comments/pimttg/weekly_faq_link_introduction_beginners_qa_and/

I think the stoic response would be to not care at all that he thinks he knows everything. Personally, I call my friends out if I think they are wrong about something, not maliciously, but because I feel doing so improves them and enables deeper discussion. Though sometimes I don't, because having deep discussions all of the time can get irritating, or turn into a game of one-upsmanship, or hurt my friends' egos. Not really stoic perhaps, but hey, I'm not a sage.

I remember reading in "A Guide to the Good Life" by William B. Irvine, that a good way to overcome insults is to laugh them off or even agree with them in the form of self-deprecating humor. I suggest you give that book a read.

I don't follow this advice either all the time because the fact is that I can get emotional. And it's okay to insult someone back from time to time in my book. Just don't let that dynamic rule your life.

Stoicism can be polarizing for "depressive" people. It's easy to mis-read the intent and either take offence, or worse, take away that life is pretty pointless.

I'd be tempted to go with something like Viktor Frankl's "Man's Search for Meaning". The first section is a cracking read, it's hard (I think) to misinterpret, and Frankl's personal experience gives the whole thing a lot of weight. Although his 'logotherapy' isn't exactly Stoicism, it's a fairly close cousin. If she enjoys that, introduce some stoic works further down the track.

But before you do anything: do you know if she wants to change? Some people enjoy their rut, and take great offence at people attempting to bump them out of it. She may be looking for sympathy more than solutions...

When I was in high school, I was close with one of my teachers. When I graduated, she gave me this book with a nice message written inside the front cover.

I didn't touch it for about 2-3 years, but once I did, it changed my life.

I agree. Brute discipline based on willpower is overrated as far as changing oneself. Changing perceptions by making things automatic habits is way more effective and less stressful. People imagine being disciplined as being in a giant battle everyday, but I think it's more important to just transcend the battle. Rather than focus on willing yourself to do the thing that you want to be disciplined at, it's easier to transform yourself into the kind of person who would effortlessly do that thing. I recommend "Power of Habit" by Charles Duhigg, and "How to Fail at Almost Everything and Still Win Big: Kind of the Story of My Life" by Scott Adams.

EDIT apparently I can't type

This is adapted from Irvine's "A Guide to the Good Life"

• Negative visualization - imagine something that you fear will happen has actually happened (a loved one dies for instance). This will help you be grateful for what you have and also take some of the sting out of bad things because you have prepared yourself for bad things to happen.

• Dichotomy of control - through out the day, keep in mind what you can control and what you can't control (and what you can partially control). Any time you are frustrated or angry or upset, think of things in these terms. Hint, you can't control the past.

• Self-denial - similar to negative visualization, you are consciously deciding to not enjoy something for a time. Go camping, do without alcohol and drink only water, don't use the dishwasher. This will help you be grateful for what you have but also keep you from attaching your happiness to having things that are ultimately not entirely in your control.

• Meditation - think about how you have dealt with each day in light of your stoic principals. This helps to reinforce them. I really liked the Happiness TED talk posted here a few weeks ago - one practice could be to write 3 things you are grateful for each day (different each day) for a month. This can be a good meditation, and reminds us that no matter what happens to us (that is not in our control) we have it in our control to find 3 new things to be grateful for each day.

It is a magnificent book.

Here's a different translation (George Long) of your Quote 2, it helps to compare different versions sometimes:

>I will show you this first in the matter of assent. Can any man hinder you from assenting to the truth? No man can. Can any man compel you to receive what is false? No man can. You see that in this matter you have the faculty of the will free from hindrance, free from compulsion, unimpeded." Well, then, in the matter of desire and pursuit of an object, is it otherwise? And what can overcome pursuit except another pursuit? And what can overcome desire and aversion except another desire and aversion? But, you object: "If you place before me the fear of death, you do compel me." No, it is not what is placed before you that compels, but your opinion that it is better to do so-and-so than to die. In this matter, then, it is your opinion that compelled you: that is, will compelled will.

https://standardebooks.org/ebooks/epictetus/discourses/george-long/text/book-1#chapter-1-17

"Moral purpose" and "will" are different ways of expressing the same idea.

Show me your friends, and I'll show you your future.

>If a man has frequent intercourse with others, either for talk, or drinking together, or generally for social purposes, he must either become like them, or change them to his own fashion. For if a man places a piece of quenched charcoal close to a piece that is burning, either the quenched charcoal will quench the other, or the burning charcoal will light that which is quenched. Since, then, the danger is so great, we must cautiously enter into such intimacies with those of the common sort, and remember that it is impossible that a man can keep company with one who is covered with soot without being partaker of the soot himself.

https://standardebooks.org/ebooks/epictetus/discourses/george-long/text/book-3#chapter-3-16

Nothing does matter, except what we decide matters. Each of us can create meaning by making meaningful choices. In the end, literally the only thing we have control over is the choices we make and how we choose to feel about them. I think it’s more about aligning our will with what is, rather than railing against any system.

If the Stoics aren’t helping you find that connection, try one of my other favorites Man’s Search For Meaning by Viktor Frankl.

Man's Search for Meaning. Here's another great quote:

>What was really needed was a fundamental change in our attitude toward life. We had to learn ourselves and, furthermore, we had to teach the despairing men, that it did not really matter what we expected from life, but rather what life expected from us. We needed to stop asking about the meaning of life, and instead think of ourselves as those who were being questioned by life—daily and hourly. Our question must consist, not in talk and meditation, but in right action and in right conduct. Life ultimately means taking the responsibility to find the right answer to its problems and to fulfill the tasks which it constantly sets for each individual.

There's a good lecture by Epictetus about this.

>When I see a man anxious, I say: What does this man want? If he did not want something which is not in his power, how could he be anxious? For this reason a lute player when he is singing by himself has no anxiety, but when he enters the theatre, he is anxious even if he has a good voice and plays well on the lute; for he not only wishes to sing well, but also to obtain applause: but this is not in his power. Accordingly, where he has skill, there he has confidence. Bring any single person who knows nothing of music, and the musician does not care for him. But in the matter where a man knows nothing and has not been practiced, there he is anxious. What matter is this? He knows not what a crowd is or what the praise of a crowd is. However he has learned to strike the lowest chord and the highest; but what the praise of the many is, and what power it has in life he neither knows nor has he thought about it. Hence he must of necessity tremble and grow pale. (...)

>For this reason when Zeno was going to meet Antigonus, he was not anxious, for Antigonus had no power over any of the things which Zeno admired; and Zeno did not care for those things over which Antigonus had power. But Antigonus was anxious when he was going to meet Zeno, for he wished to please Zeno; but this was a thing external (out of his power). But Zeno did not want to please Antigonus; for no man who is skilled in any art wishes to please one who has no such skill.

>Well, then, it is you who must introduce this consideration into the inquiry, not I; for it is you who know yourself, how much you are worth to yourself, and at what price you sell yourself; for men sell themselves at various prices. ... Only consider at what price you sell your own will; if for no other reason, at least for this, that you sell it not for a small sum.

https://standardebooks.org/ebooks/epictetus/discourses/george-long/text/book-1#chapter-1-2

Found it. It is from Ryan Holiday's "The Daily Stoic", August 27th entry. He quotes Seneca, " Heraclitus would shed tears whenever he went out in public - Democritus laughed. One saw the whole as a parade of miseries, the other of follies.And so, we should take a lighter view of things and bear them with an easy spirit, for it is more human to laugh at life than to lament it." Holiday goes on to say "The Stoics saw little purpose in getting angry or sad about things that are indifferent to our feelings."

I'm not qualified to give you a proper and foolpropf advice, but I can say that I used to feel all the same feelings as you do. I still feel them sometimes but they do not bother me as much as they used to. The point of stoicism is not about being an unemotional robot, to me it's about dealing with you emotions by applying your ability to reason. I think it was Musonius Rufus who told > in order to protect ourselves we must live like doctors and be continually treating ourselves with reason

Try asking yourself questions like: Why am I feeling all these emotions? Is there anything I can do about them? Why do I consider all these things to be bad? If you have never read any stoic literature than perhaps you should start with something simple like 'Teach Yourself Stoicism and the Art of Happiness by Donald J. Robertson' and 'A Guide to the Good Life: The Ancient Art of Stoic Joy by William B. Irvine' These books contain practical advices and they are quite easy to read.

If anyone is interested in a fantastic book to learn to wilfully step out of depression. This book truly changed my life. It's almost like this author tricks your mind out of depression.

>How can I control my emotions?

You can't control your emotions and this is also not what you are supposed to do.

The FAQ has an entry about suppressing your emotions among other mandatory reading.

What you can do is acknowledge them, reflect on them and to passively guide them. Thoughts keep arising and disappearing involuntarily and emotions keep arising and disappearing as a reaction to your automatic judgements about external things.

Living in the present is a Stoic thing to do, since the only thing we can control is our ability to make rational decisions in the here and now (hic et nunc). A Stoic accepts that most things are outside of his own direct control, including automatic judgements and thoughts that lead to emotions. He cannot prevent the external things and thus the emotions and thoughts from occuring, but he can give assent to them. He can decide whether or not these emotions are a proper response the stimulus or if this is not the case.

This is the concept of the discipline of assent. The process of being aware of and not being blinded by one's own thoughts and emotions is Stoic mindfulness, or Prosoche. The ability to be resilient and devlop tranquility of mind is known as the inner citadel, pupularized in Pierre Hadot's book of the same name.

Apart from that I recommend the classical Stoic literature: Epictetus' Enchiridion and Discourses, Marcus Aurelius' Meditations, Seneca's Letters from a Stoic and On the Tranquility of Mind.

> What if your virtues are not virtuous?

Well... that's obviously contradictory. Presumably, if you are a stoic (or any other sort of virtue theorist), you will consider your virtues to be virtuous.

It might be better to cast this as an epistemological worry. As in, I think a more fruitful way to phrase your worry might be "How do we know what the virtues are?"

Practically speaking, I think we can just start off with some obvious examples: It is virtuous to be kind, to be honorable, to be honest, etc. If you want something more specific, I'd recommend looking at Nicomachean Ethics; Aristotle is no Stoic, but he does provide some argument for why we should consider certain things as virtuous. For a more modern perspective, you might want to check out some of the work of Martha Nussbaum on virtue ethics.

As far as the Epicurean stuff goes, Seneca actually talks about them a bit. Here is a previous thread, that points to further previous threads, on this topic.

Hope this helps!

From 'The War of Art': "The amateur, on the other hand, overidentifies with his avocation, his artistic aspiration. He defines himself by it. He is a musician, a painter, a playwright." ....or a philosopher.

Letters from a Stoic is a brilliant and easy read. It is my morning read- as each letter is short, concise and filled with valuable wisdom for the day.

I would also recommend these books, if they are readers and do not yet have them, and they already have the core writings of the sources of Stoic philosophy:

A Guide to the Good Life: The Ancient Art of Stoic Joy The Daily Stoic: 366 Meditations on Wisdom, Perseverance, and the Art of Living The Obstacle Is the Way: The Timeless Art of Turning Trials into Triumph Stoicism: Ultimate Handbook to Stoic Philosophy, Wisdom and Way of Life

Looks like the links didn't go through in the above.

The charities can be found here: https://www.charitywatch.org/charitywatch-hot-topic/hurricane-harvey-relief/76

And this is Airbnb's program: https://www.airbnb.com/disaster/hurricaneharveyevacuees?locale=en

Another neat part of the Stoic take is that the angering idea of “they could have done otherwise, they didn’t have to do that” is always going to run against reason, because they couldn’t have made any other choice than the choice they made.

> What is the cause of assenting to anything? The fact that it appears to be true. It is not possible then to assent to that which appears not to be true. Why? Because this is the nature of the understanding: to incline to the true, to be dissatisfied with the false, and in matters uncertain to withhold assent. What is the proof of this? Imagine (persuade yourself), if you can, that it is now night. It is not possible. Take away your persuasion that it is day. It is not possible. Persuade yourself or take away your persuasion that the stars are even in number.182 It is impossible. When then any man assents to that which is false, be assured that he did not intend to assent to it as false, for every soul is unwillingly deprived of the truth, as Plato says; but the falsity seemed to him to be true. Well, in acts what have we of the like kind as we have here truth or falsehood? We have the fit and the not fit (duty and not duty), the profitable and the unprofitable, that which is suitable to a person and that which is not, and whatever is like these. Can then a man think that a thing is useful to him and not choose it? He cannot. https://standardebooks.org/ebooks/epictetus/discourses/george-long/text/book-1#chapter-1-28

From the Discourses Book 1 Chapter 2:

>But in order to determine the rational and the irrational, we use not only the estimates of external things, but we consider also what is appropriate to each person. For to one man it is consistent with reason to hold a chamber pot for another, and to look to this only: that if he does not hold it, he will receive stripes, and he will not receive his food; but if he shall hold the pot, he will not suffer anything hard or disagreeable. But to another man not only does the holding of a chamber pot appear intolerable for himself, but intolerable also for him to allow another to do this office for him. If then you ask me whether you should hold the chamber pot or not, I shall say to you that the receiving of food is worth more than the not receiving of it, and the being scourged is a greater indignity than not being scourged; so that if you measure your interests by these things, go and hold the chamber pot. “But this,” you say, “would not be worthy of me.” Well then, it is you who must introduce this consideration into the inquiry, not I; for it is you who know yourself, how much you are worth to yourself, and at what price you sell yourself; for men sell themselves at various prices.

It's entirely up to her to decide if it's appropriate for her to deal with the press or not. Each choice has a different price that needs to be paid. For example dealing with media means you start to become a celebrity - this isn't a path everyone is interested in.

It isn't perfect but "A Guide to the Good Life" by William Irvine is one of few books that gives a modern take on the practical application of stoicism while still going over all of it's main concepts and historical contexts. He goes over the history of the major figures. It's an easy and quick read and in most Barnes and Nobles. The original books like meditations, the enchiridion, letters by Seneca, etc. are also all pretty cheap on amazon.

I thought this little blurb was interesting.

Emotions are a natural part of humanity, our brains are built such that certain mental states do help us cope with trauma, and I don't think it's irrational to acknowledge that. In a sense, certain actions like crying could be viewed as a tool to use to help you move on and let go of the past. You don't want to confuse that acknowledgement with permission to let those emotions drive your behavior, of course, and it doesn't sound like you are.

Epictetus - Discourses, Fragments, Handbook translated by Robin Hard is the best modern translation of Epictetus. It's worth getting the Discourses and fragments along with the Enchiridion.

I also would recommend this 4 modern books about stoicism that deserves a reading

• The antidote
• A Guide to the Good Life
• The Obstacle is the way
• The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck

I compiled a list here http://arandomquote.com/articles/top-4-modern-books-about-stoicism/

Well first I'll say the trichotomy is not really a sound concept, I think. Epictetus's original dichotomy holds up quite well, and changing it to a trichotomy doesn't add anything and might actually take away some from the concept. It sounds like you got this from William Irvine's book A Guide to the Good Life, which is a good introduction, but has quite a few mistakes and presents Stoicism differently from how it actually is.

With regards to goals, the most important is just doing your best. I don't mean that in an excuse fashion, where people say "at least I did my best". I mean actually putting all the effort you possibly can into having the best character. Treating other people with love and kindness. Helping society. Trying to learn as much about philosophy and about the world as you can. Having a strong, resolute mind that doesn't bend to externals. These are the things we should strive for.

And you can break these further down into smaller goals. Working towards learning a language. Trying to treat a specific person in your life better. All focusing on cultivating wisdom, good character, and virtue. But what does it get you, for instance, to say, "I'm going to make $100,000 dollars"? Nothing! Why pick $100,000 over $100,001, or $100,002? And there's no ending the cycle. It just isn't a rational basis for action. And it gives yourself to random chance. Ultimately you don't get to decide things like that.

If you're interested in this "follow your passion" myth then you should check out this book: So Good They Can't Ignore You. The author basically asked the question, "How did masters of their craft find the work they love?" His thesis is that passion is something that needs to be nurtured, and develops alongside growing expertise and insight. Half of the book is spent arguing against the conventional advice to "follow your passion!"

The Stoics said that emotions and beliefs were tightly coupled together, and one source says that they saw them as actually being the same thing. One way to look at it is to say that an emotion is the feeling of being aware of a belief.

Our beliefs, in turn, are derived from our previous beliefs, and this ties in directly to what you've just said; our feelings, based on our prior beliefs, influence our current beliefs.

If I get bitten by a dog, I'll believe that dogs will bite. The next time I see a dog, a fearful emotion will accompany my newly-triggered awareness of this belief. This feeling will color everything I see and will likely lead me to further error.

This is why false beliefs are especially harmful to us, not only for the damage they directly cause on their own, but also because they fool us into assenting to new false beliefs, and the mess grows like a cancer.

The flip side of this is that correct beliefs have the same power, leading us to adopt additional correct beliefs as we go.

>Now reason, for what purpose has it been given by nature? For the right use of appearances. What is it then itself? A system of certain appearances. So by its nature it has the faculty of contemplating itself so. Again, sound sense, for the contemplation of what things does it belong to us? Good and evil, and things which are neither. What is it then itself? Good. And want of sense, what is it? Evil. Do you see then that good sense necessarily contemplates both itself and the opposite? For this reason it is the chief and the first work of a philosopher to examine appearances, and to distinguish them, and to admit none without examination.

https://standardebooks.org/ebooks/epictetus/discourses/george-long/text/book-1#chapter-1-20

Helping improve the world is a part of social duty but "tricks" to persuade are more manipulation. Constantly telling people they're wrong will also come off in an unproductive fashion. And really, you have to recognize that not everything is within your control as it is. The best you can do is be honest, open, kind, and, above all, be a good example.

Also, I think A Guide to the Good Life is a decent introduction, but much in it is not Stoicism. It is more Epicurean than Stoic. Once you finish, see this for more information: https://philosophy-of-cbt.com/2013/05/17/review-of-irvines-a-guide-to-the-good-life-the-ancient-art-of-stoic-joy-2009/

Here is another passage from Epictetus in addition to the ones the others are mentioning:

>Never call yourself a philosopher, nor talk a great deal among the unlearned about theorems, but act conformably to them. Thus, at an entertainment, don't talk how persons ought to eat, but eat as you ought. For remember that in this manner Socrates also universally avoided all ostentation. And when persons came to him and desired to be recommended by him to philosophers, he took and- recommended them, so well did he bear being overlooked. So that if ever any talk should happen among the unlearned concerning philosophic theorems, be you, for the most part, silent. For there is great danger in immediately throwing out what you have not digested. And, if anyone tells you that you know nothing, and you are not nettled at it, then you may be sure that you have begun your business. For sheep don't throw up the grass to show the shepherds how much they have eaten; but, inwardly digesting their food, they outwardly produce wool and milk. Thus, therefore, do you likewise not show theorems to the unlearned, but the actions produced by them after they have been digested.

>But now, when it is in our power to look after one thing, and to attach ourselves to it, we prefer to look after many things, and to be bound to many things, to the body and to property, and to brother and to friend, and to child and to slave. Since, then, we are bound to many things, we are depressed by them and dragged down. For this reason, when the weather is not fit for sailing, we sit down and torment ourselves, and continually look out to see what wind is blowing. "It is north." What is that to us? "When will the west wind blow?" When it shall choose, my good man, or when it shall please AEolus; for God has not made you the manager of the winds, but AEolus. What then? We must make the best use that we can of the things which are in our power, and use the rest according to their nature. What is their nature then? As God may please.

https://standardebooks.org/ebooks/epictetus/discourses/george-long/text/book-1#chapter-1-1

According to data from Google Books, references to Stocism, or to Stoic authors like Epictetus, declined progressively until around the late 1970s/early 1980s when it started to rise once again in popularity. That may be partly because of the rise in popularity of CBT, the founders of which explicitly refer to Stoicism as their philosophical origin. It's also due to other factors, of course. You can have hours of fun checking relevant keywords using Google Books Ngram Viewer online: https://books.google.com/ngrams/graph?content=Stoicism%2C+Epicureanism&amp;year_start=1900&amp;year_end=2008&amp;corpus=0&amp;smoothing=3&amp;share=&amp;direct_url=t1%3B%2CStoicism%3B%2Cc0%3B.t1%3B%2CEpicureanism%3B%2Cc0

As requested

The Modern Stoicism guys and gals very kindly did the whole course under the following license: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/

So I can distribute it to you. However, I know Donald Robertson Peruses this forum and if he wants me to take this down I will out of respect to the hard work done by himself and his team.

https://onedrive.live.com/redir?resid=728093899C7BEE8!668&amp;authkey=!AKoPQgN98Kkgfx8&amp;ithint=folder%2c

I'll leave the Stoic insight to all the others, since I'm sure there are lots of other aspiring sages on /r/Stoicism. But I'm a writer, so I'll critique the straight-up writing.

I guess first I should ask, what translation of Marcus are you reading? Because this sounds like it was inspired by one of the not-good "Verily forsooth" versions. I mean, it's abundantly obvious that you spent some time with a thesaurus for this one. (That, or you're a biologist.) There's really no need for such a pretentious vocabulary; I'm sure you could find some simpler words. The sentence structure also seems like it's trying to sound wise. Maybe I'm just a jaded and hypercritical old man, but that one other famous reddit self-quote sprang to mind as I read this. I highly recommend the Hemingway Text Editor for self-editing of future projects.

On that note, I really do love the symbolism and the thought behind this piece. It's a new take on something that I already like to think about, and I'll be meditating on it later. Thank you for sharing, /u/AlbinoNeutrino! :)

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07D2C5NNV/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_awdb_t1_dlT2_7Q82FbQMP50QK

Full disclosure, this is only on Kindle or e-reader format and only available for a 24 hour period. Happy Holidays you guys :)

Two of my favourite books on the subject are written by women:

Art of Living

Stoicism and Emotion

"Leisure without study is death - a tomb for the living person." - Seneca, Moral Letters 82.4

"...Take a day off from work every now and then, but not a day off from learning...

...But the purpose of retirement is not to live a life of indolence or run out the clock, as easy as that might be to do. Rather, it's to allow for the pursuit of your real calling now that a big distraction is out of the way. To sit around all day and do nothing? To watch endless amounts of television or simply travel from from place to place so that you might cross locations off a checklist? That is not life. It's not freedom either." - Ryan Holdiday's 'The Daily Stoic,' September 26th.

I've been reading this book, The Daily Stoic, and it hit me rather immediately that this system made sense where others in the past didn't. I spent years hanging out with Zen Buddhists and always thought Zen the most clear and practical and rational strain of Buddhism. Stoicism is even simpler. It's the same meta cognition and pointing to the origin of your mental anguish without any mysticism or paradoxes at all.

(Actually the primary sources of Stoicism do have some fluff and some of it does tend toward an unhelpful and joyless asceticism. But the core philosophy shines through well enough.)

I think you have a lot to overcome after experiencing such a troubling adolescence. But know that you are not the same person you were as a child and you have gained some wisdom since your youth. Most importantly, you are not the person that others perceive you to be, nor should that be important to you.

Being cool or validated by others does not bring upon inner tranquility and should not be sought. These are all arbitrary standards created by arbitrary people. Instead, seek virtue; seek wisdom, justice, compassion, temperance, etc. I think the best you can do for yourself on the Stoic path is to ignore the chaos and noise around you and focus on what you want to do for yourself.

A parting quote from Meditations by Marcus Aurelius (3:4): > Do not waste the remainder of your life in thoughts about others, when you do not refer your thoughts to some object of common utility. For you lose the opportunity of doing something else when you have such thoughts as these.

GF cheated/broke up with me. 3 weeks before finals. Couldn't study/eat/sleep. Someone told me to read "A Man's Search for Meaning".

>Everything can be taken from a man but one thing: the last of the human freedoms—to choose one’s attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose one’s own way.

I googled that (or something similar), looking for a wallpaper (I needed to be reminded often).

Google suggested to search "stoicism".

Looking back, it was a clever recommendation.

You're not too simple minded. It's a challenge that has had a lot of people stumped for a long time. The application of any idea is more important than consuming endless books but reading can be extremely helpful.

If you haven't read anything or don't read often I think Ryan Holidays "The Obstacle is the Way" is a great primer that will allow you to more easily dive into some of the ancient texts.

"Meditations by Marcus Aurelius" is a collection of short quotes, very easy to read and filled with great ideas.

"Letters from a Stoic by Seneca" is probably the easiest to read of all the ancient texts, it's a series of letters that Seneca wrote on life.

"Enchidrion by Epictetus" is a short handbook complied from some of his lectures.

Pick any of those to start out, find one you like or that most appeals to you. It will set you in the right direction but again application is more important.

Shameless self promotion:

I have a podcast that I just launched you can listen to (8 episodes are already posted). Each week I present an idea and give examples from my life to drive the message home.

https://stoicmettle.libsyn.com

You are my target demographic, someone who has heard of stoicism, wants to implement it but has no idea where to start. I would like my show to eventually be a bridge that will allow people to dive into learning about Stoicism on their own. It is meant to be 100% practical and how to implement it in real life, not an academic debate or a history of Stoicism.

None of the books you cited are recommended Stoic works. Check the sidebar for a list of the usual items. My recommendations include:

• Stoic Life by Tad Brennan

• Meditations by Marcus Aurelius

• Discourses and Handbook by Epictetus

• Seneca's dialogues, including On the Brevity of Life, On a Happy Life, On Anger, On Providence and some others

Just about all the works you cited are theology, not philosophy.

All non-fiction:

• Victor Frankl - Man's Search for Meaning (His portrayal of how people in the worst of conditions can maintain their sense of meaning and purpose is impressive.)
• Henry David Thoreau - Walden, or Life in the Woods (first 100 pages if it gets boring. The discussion of human needs and the praise of simple living can be liberating.)
• Thomas Hurka - The Best Things in Life (shows how there are many ways to be happy and lead a good life. Also, a good intro to moral philosophy.)
• Alain de Botton - Status Anxiety (about how the public understanding of success can be damaging for individuals and what we can do about it. Relevant in your friend's situation, imo.)
• Seneca - On the Shortness of Life (about what is really important in life. Helped me when I was struggling.)

The pressure to "find your passion" is immense in our times. All the best, and good luck.

So Good They Can't Ignore You by Cal Newport. Obliterates the "follow your passion" advice and gives sold guidance on approaching your job with a different mindset. It helped me break out of how your friend felt.

I admire your will power, but I'll echo what others have said through a quote from Viktor Frankl's book Man's Search for Meaning:

>Is this to say that suffering is indispensable to the discovery of meaning? In no way. I only insist meaning is available in spite of--nay, even through suffering, provided . . . that the suffering is unavoidable. If it is avoidable, the meaningful thing to do is to remove its cause, for unnecessary suffering is masochistic rather than heroic. If, on the other hand, one cannot change a situation that causes his suffering, he can still choose his attitude.

I am attracted to Stoicism for the same reason I'm attracted to Bhuddism: they both seem to start with the premise that a fair amount of misfortune is inevitable in life and therefore the best way to deal with it is by changing your reaction to it. This is pretty much the opposite of most attitudes today that suggest that buying something or achieving some specific goal will give you permanent happiness.

PS It seems like Irvine's "A Guide to the Good Life" is basically the only modern non-academic entry into Stoicism. It was effective for me.

I have posted this before. While not in the traditional canon of Stoic writings, I think Boethius' The Consolation of Philosophy has some excellent sections in it.

I am on mobile so I cant post the whole section, but the first part of book 2 is something I go back and read often.

https://www.gutenberg.org/files/14328/14328-h/14328-h.htm

I highly suggest reading it. The wound is fresh and you are in shock. Steel yourself for the coming storm.

Check this out:

>why then are we angry with the many? They are thieves and robbers, you may say. What do you mean by thieves and robbers? They are mistaken about good and evil. Ought we then to be angry with them, or to pity them? But show them their error, and you will see how they desist from their errors. If they do not see their errors, they have nothing superior to their present opinion.

>Ought not then this robber and this adulterer to be destroyed? By no means say so, but speak rather in this way: This man who has been mistaken and deceived about the most important things, and blinded, not in the faculty of vision which distinguishes white and black, but in the faculty which distinguishes good and bad, should we not destroy him? If you speak thus, you will see how inhuman this is which you say, and that it is just as if you would say, “Ought we not to destroy this blind and deaf man?” But if the greatest harm is the privation of the greatest things, and the greatest thing in every man is the will or choice such as it ought to be, and a man is deprived of this will, why are you also angry with him? Man, you ought not to be affected contrary to nature by the bad things of another. Pity him rather: drop this readiness to be offended and to hate, and these words which the many utter: “these accursed and odious fellows.” How have you been made so wise at once? and how are you so peevish? Why then are we angry?

https://standardebooks.org/ebooks/epictetus/discourses/george-long/text/book-1#chapter-1-18

Similarities would include a focus on impermanence and thus detachment from sense desires; the reduction of suffering; "mental training" -basically self-motivated cognitive behavioural therapy [as I understand it].

In terms of application, its just a matter of mental training. Try and establish habits of thinking that are conducive to the behaviour you wish to enact. I would include things like contemplating death, focusing on what is in your power. Although its not explicitly stoical I like Aristotle's golden mean as something to bring the mind back to. https://www.ecosia.org/images?q=Aristotle%27s+golden+mean

Meditations by Marcus Aurelius. Easily accessible and probably one of the most profound and influential books I've ever read, and I only bought it a couple months ago. It's incredible. If you want a starting point, or just a fascinating book that might give you a new perspective and change your life, in large ways or small, go with Meditations.

Ask yourself: Do you need the riches and wealth?

No, you are as rich as you want to be. Epictetus said, "freedom isn't secured by filling up on your heart's desire but by removing your desire." "There are two ways to be wealthy—to get everything you want or to want everything you have. Which is easier right here and now?"—March 25th, The Daily Stoic

Tim Ferriss has done an experiment where he lived off beans and rice, and realized one can subsist on very little. What do you REALLY need a good job for? For me, it's social affirmation from parents, peers, and future dates.

Ask yourself: Would you rather have hundreds of acquaintances you barely know or a few deep friendships?

One will give you a shallow feeling of satisfaction and put you on a hedonic treadmill that leaves you empty. The other is more satisfying. You know deep down that quality > quantity.

You're totally right!

All of those excerpts are from Napolean Hill's two works Think and Grow Rich and The Master key to Riches. I suppose then his thoughts somewhat resembled stoicism! ha.

Thanks for pointing that out. I wonder if I should delete this thread.

Something about that book bothered me too. You my friend, have highlighted what it was.

It feels cheap. A good gimmick to make cash off an idea.

I am reading 'The Daily Stoic' however which is just a good way to consistently remind yourself of the direction you should be facing everyday.

Here's an excerpt from William Irvine's A Guide to the Good Life (which I highly recommend to anyone) detailing how fatalism can help you deal with that particular thought: > > When the Stoics advocate fatalism, they are, I think, advocating a restricted form of the doctrine. More precisely, they are advising us to be fatalistic with respect to the past, to keep firmly in mind that the past cannot be changed. Thus, the Stoics would not counsel a sick child to be fatalistic with respect to the future; she should try to nurse the child back to health (even though the Fates have already decided whether the child lives or dies). But if the child dies, they will counsel this woman to be fatalistic with respect to the past. It is only natural, even for a Stoic, to experience grief after the death of a child. But to dwell on that death is a waste of time and emotions, inasmuch as the past cannot be changed. Dwelling on the child's death will therefore cause the woman needless grief.

You should be fatalistic in respect to your past behavior, as it has already happened and nothing can change this fate. Like the mother needlessly grieving for the child, you are suffering over an event that has already happened. See it as an event that can be fruitful, what can you do next time to prevent such confrontations? How can you better handle negative emotions? Try to turn your wrongdoing into an advantage for further interactions.

Focus on the process, not the outcome. Process, in this case, is a kind of outcome, but much simpler. You're not focusing on "being ripped", or "being healthy". Choose things that lead to those goals, but concentrate on current moment, not expectations about the future.

Thinking this way your goals are going to be very short-term. "I'm going to eat salad today", "I won't eat this hambuger, and eat this omelette instead", "I will do those five pushups now" etc. You can motivate yourself by remembering, from time to time, why you're doing this, but don't let this be your sole motivation.

There's a good book, not stoic in almost any way, but very useful: How to Fail at Almost Everything and Still Win Big by Scott Addams.

Also, good luck. :)

Have you read any books on stoicism yet? Meditations by Marcus Aurelius is good for beginners.

One of, if not the most important, parts of stoicism is to lead a virtuous life. What other people think of you cannot prevent you from doing this. Also, it is not in your control, therefore it is not something that has any value in concerning yourself over.

This is the most basic way to put it. I am not the best at wording these concepts on my own. Hence the book recommendation.

Aside from the book already recommended, I would also love to add a few to the list that I have found most useful :)

• Stoicism and the art of happiness by Donald Robertson - He might repeat himself a bit during the book, however he does a very good job on making the idea behind the philosophy accessible to anyone new to it.

• Meditations by Marcus Aurelius - A classic text recommended by most (and it really is good and very inspirational!)

• Enchiridion by Epictetus - A good collection of short memorable mantras and general stoic wisdom that one can use to repeat during his/her day.

And yes, even the greek and roman stoics emphasized the need for practice and implementation. Stoicism is a philosophy that really should be lived more than studied :) The entire idea behind a philosophy of life is to live a certain way in order to improve your life, so what good is it if it is not lived? ^_^

I've been practicing it for some years now, and I really can say that it has slowly but surely made a difference in my life. I'm more confident, barely jealous anymore, I have reduced my fear of tests (like exams, driving tests, whatever) a LOT, and have become a more open and social person. It has lead me to so many great changes and a big improvement in happiness and overall appreciation of life. It is such a freedom to slowly be able to let go from all the petty things in life that so many people seem to spend all their life on (like unnecessary drama, petty competition, being hung up in past events or future events, and the list goes on).

If you find that you can agree with stoic ideas, I am certain you have so much good to gain from the philosophy if you just practice it consistently! :)

Yes.

Discourses 3:2:

>Of these topics the chief and the most urgent is that which relates to the affects [perturbations]; for an affect is produced in no other way than by a failing to obtain that which a man desires or a falling into that which a man would wish to avoid. This is that which brings in perturbations, disorders, bad fortune, misfortunes, sorrows, lamentations and envy; that which makes men envious and jealous; and by these causes we are unable even to listen to the precepts of reason.

Epictetus straight-up says (here and elsewhere) that the sole cause of human distress is this, and this alone.

1:27:

>For the origin of perturbation is this, to wish for something, and that this should not happen. Therefore if I am able to change externals according to my wish, I change them; but if I cannot, I am ready to tear out the eyes of him who hinders me. For the nature of man is not to endure to be deprived of the good, and not to endure the falling into the evil. Then, at last, when I am neither able to change circumstances nor to tear out the eyes of him who hinders me, I sit down and groan, and abuse whom I can, Zeus and the rest of the gods.

Reminds me of this excerpt from Discourses 4.12 (it’s worth reading the full chapter though):

> What then? Is it possible to be free from fault altogether? No, that cannot be achieved, but it is possible ever to be intent upon avoiding faults. For we must be satisfied, if we succeed in escaping at least a few faults by never relaxing our attention. 20. But now, when you say, “Tomorrow I will pay attention,” I would have you know that this is what you are saying: “Today I will be shameless, tactless, abject; it will be in the power of other men to grieve me; I will get angry today, I will give way to envy.” Just see all the evils that you are allowing yourself! But if it is good for you to pay attention tomorrow, how much better is it today! If it is to your interest tomorrow, it is much more so today, that you may be able to do the same tomorrow also, and not put it off again, this time to the day after tomorrow.

Worth checking out Discourses 1.18 and 1.28: https://standardebooks.org/ebooks/epictetus/discourses/george-long/text

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The Stoics argued that money, reputation, and similar things are not good, and that misunderstanding this and attaching improper significance to these things leads inevitably to disturbance when they are threatened or heaped on. They also argued that wrongdoers act out of ignorance and suffer from a sort of moral blindness. All this is easier said than done, but the general idea is that the thirst for revenge and anger can be combated by thinking reasonably. Wish you well, I’m sure it’s tough

I don't disagree, but I remembered this and smiled:

>... how can I become free?" For he is free to whom everything happens according, to his will, and whom no man can hinder. "What then, is freedom madness?" Certainly not: for madness and freedom do not consist. "But," you say, "I would have everything result just as I like, and in whatever way I like." You are mad, you are beside yourself. Do you not know that freedom is a noble and valuable thing? But for me inconsiderately to wish for things to happen as I inconsiderately like, this appears to be not only not noble, but even most base. For how do we proceed in the matter of writing? Do I wish to write the name of Dion as I choose? No, but I am taught to choose to write it as it ought to be written. And how with respect to music? In the same manner. And what universally in every art or science? Just the same. If it were not so, it would be of no value to know anything, if knowledge were adapted to every man's whim. Is it, then, in this alone, in this which is the greatest and the chief thing, I mean freedom, that I am permitted to will inconsiderately? By no means; but to be instructed is this, to learn to wish that everything may happen as it does.

Discourses 1:12

I didn't have one. I was listening to a bunch of online courses during my commute, one of them was on Hellenistic Philosophy, and I was immediately fascinated by Stoicism. Stoicism has helped me deal with crises since then (bereavement, job loss) but there was no crisis that started my interest.

I have this version. It is great. Whenever I read a passage from it I have to sit back and think for a while because it blows my mind.

OP, I think you will benefit from reading it. It uses plain English. Here it is on amazon:

https://www.amazon.com/Meditations-New-Translation-Marcus-Aurelius/dp/0812968255

The Meditations, fortunately, have been widely published and are almost certainly available in your native language.

Unless you're a big fan of ancient literature already, I'd recommend starting with a "translated version" of Stoic philosophy before jumping straight to the source material (i.e. Meditations, Letters to Lucilius)

Original Stoic writings are powerful, but it was helpful, at least to me, to understand the context and concepts first as well as how they apply to modern life.

My go to recommendation is A Guide to The Good Life: The Secret Art of Stoic Joy by William B. Irving.

It's without a doubt, the book that's had the single greatest impact on my life.

Here's the Amazon link for reference.

This translation is by Robert Dobbin from 2008, here's the Amazon link:

https://www.amazon.com/Discourses-Selected-Writings-Penguin-Classics/dp/0140449469/ref=pd_cp_14_2?pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&amp;pf_rd_p=fcaa6d12-8b2b-4ad7-b277-864b2da79f6e&amp;pf_rd_r=TXFXRMR64VZPFEK77G9A&amp;pd_rd_wg=TI3FX&amp;pf_rd_s=desktop-dp-sims&amp;pf_rd_t=40701&amp;pd_rd_w=9oYfL&amp;pf_rd_i=desktop-dp-sims&amp;pd_rd_r=67dc8108-a180-11e8-b47b-cdbc5c4a577e&amp;pd_rd_i=0140449469&amp;psc=1&amp;refRID=TXFXRMR64VZPFEK77G9A

"Binding our wishes to what will be" When general Eisenhower wrote to his wife on the eve of the invasion of Normandy, he told her, "everything we could think of has been done, the troops are fit, everybody is doing his best. The answer is in the lap of gods."

He had done everything he could and now what would happen would happen as Epictetus would say, he was ready to bear whatever that was. In fact, Eisenhower had written another letter that night and prepared it for release in case the invasion failed. If failure was what God - or fate or luck or whatever you want to call it willed, he was ready.

There is a wonderful lesson here. The man in charge of perhaps the most powerful Army in the world had ever assembled on the eve of the most expertly organized and planned invasion the world will hopefully ever know, was humble enough to know that the outcome ultimately belonged to someone or something bigger than him. And so it goes with all our ventures. No matter how much preparation, no matter how skilled or smart we are, ultimately the outcome is in the laps of God. The sooner we know that, the better we will be.

• From The Daily Stoic written by Ryan holiday. (366 meditations on wisdom, perseverance, and the art of living) Coincidentally it's the quote and lesson on November 2nd. ****

^ this guy

You're definitely going to want to start with "Stoicism and the Art of Happiness." Such a good book for a beginner. I also have The Daily Stoic however and I think its better used by someone who has already independently studied the works from which it is based (for contextual reasons.)

Definitely pick up "Letters From a Stoic" by Seneca and "Discourses" by Epictetus.

You can use Letters From a Stoic as a daily devotional but only after you've read Robertson's book so that your personal application of the topics is better guided.

Meditations and The Enchiridion should also be later works of study as well.

41 year old college professor, former software developer and technical editor. Started frequenting this subreddit about 90 seconds ago. :)

I "knew" about Stoicism through my geekish interests in Classical history and archaeology, but I didn't really "discover" it until I read Willam B. Irvine's "A Guide to the Good Life: The Ancient Art of Stoic Joy". A few days later I got a copy of Seneca's letters and felt like he'd written at least half of them to me. :)

EDIT: This was in 2010, so I was 34 at the time.

Good luck on becoming a police officer. Let's be careful out there!

I would personally recommend William B. Irvine's, A Guide to the Good Life: The Ancient Art of Stoic Joy. While it's largely targeted towards a general audience, Irvine provides a comprehensive analysis of some of the more fundamental aspects of Stoicism both in its ancient practice and modern application. He also goes into detail about the transformation of Stoicism since its inception in "Classical Greece" with the Greeks to its further maturation under the Romans during the Roman Republic and Roman Principate. Biographies are provided on some of the major figures of Stoicisim (Zeno of Citium, Epictetus, Marcus Aurelius, etc.) alongside lesser known but no less important individuals (Musonius Rufus, Posidonius, etc.). His bibliography includes quite a bit of ancient and modern sources, most of which is readily accessible online, inexpensive for purchase, and/or requestable from many libraries.

As always, the primary authors themselves are always good to work with as you like. Modern translations often include a lot of supplementary material and valuable commentary. My personal recommendation for a translation of Marcus Aurelius' Meditations is C. Scott Hick's and David V. Hick's, The Emperor's Handbook: A New Translation of The Meditations. This being said, everyone else's recommendations are absolutely spot on laudable. Welcome to the community, and happy reading!

In general, lots and lots of reading. This includes the classic books of Epictetus, Marcus Aurelius, Seneca, Musonius Rufus etc. as well as articles on Modern Stoicism or by Massimo Pigliucci and others.

The types of stoic meditation as described here.

Also, reading a specific stoic quote daily and reflecting about it. Meditations by Marcus Aurelius is especially suitable for this.

Lastly keeping a journal as described in this comment.

Depends on your reading habits and what type of books you are used to reading. The classics can be overwhelming for some people because the writing style is so different. If all you've read is light fiction all your life then they will be a little daunting.

"A guide to the good life" is a great intro for a complete newby in my opinion. It's straightforward and written in today's language and vernacular.

Enchiridion is a short book and it isn't something that you sit and read cover to cover. It is a series of quotes and sayings that one of his students transcribed. It is very good but if you've no foundation at all in stoicism you might find your self wondering what all the fuss is about.

Meditations is Marcus Aurellius' notes to himself on how to be a better stoic/human being. It isn't written as a complete overview of stoicism for a beginner. He didn't have that in mind. It's got a lot of really interesting stuff to chew on but I still find it a bit of a slog. For me the great thing about Medidations is that it was written by an actual Roman Emperor almost 2000 years ago and it's still around for us to read.

Overall the problem with the classics is there are various different translations out there and not all of them are great.

A lot of people dump on "A Guide to the Good Life" but it was my intro to Stoicism and I think it's a great way to dip your toe in it. Then if you are still curious by all means dive into the original texts.

Also people often mention "A Man in Full" which is a novel by Tom Wolfe which features one character's discovery of stoicism as a central part of the plot. It's an ok read but Wolfe's writing style isn't for everyone. However if you prefer to absorb your knowledge in modern novel form....

For me it's A Guide to the Good Life by Irvine. Easy read and with some modern context. Also great is Meditations translated by Gregory Hays. You'll learn how Marcus Aurelius thinks when he's the great Roman emperor.

A Guide to the Good Life is decent as an introduction, but keep in mind, as ShellyDa said, it is a very distorted version of Stoicism. When Irvine talks about his changes to Stoicism, be very skeptical; he has little reason for changing the aspects he changes. And when he claims that, all along, the Stoics were in favor of tranquility first, be very skeptical; he often misreads and misunderstands some of the Stoic writings. Irvine does a very good job of covering the history of the philosophy, though. After you read it, consider reading this review: https://philosophy-of-cbt.com/2013/05/17/review-of-irvines-a-guide-to-the-good-life-the-ancient-art-of-stoic-joy-2009/ which goes over some of the problems with Irvine's arguments

I found Irvine's A Guide to the Good Life to be a rather easy read. He also provides a brief history on Stoicism and discusses practical Stoic techniques. It does have a slight academic tone, but he writes clearly.

That said, he does openly modify key aspects of Stoicism. He argues, for example, that the goal of Stoicism is tranquility.

Read Meditations by Marcus Aurelius. This is a very short book normally and can introduce you to stoicism. Its truly a guide on living life to its fullest (with or without emotion). Just concentrate on what stoicism can do to improve your life and forget about how western culture wants to define the philosophy as (which is total BS IMO).