“But it is a much finer thing to be happy, to have a peaceful and undisturbed mind, to have what concerns you dependent on nobody but yourself.” Epictetus, The Discourses, Book 4, Chapter 4.36 In the noise of daily life, news updates, social pressure, and the expectations of others, peace Read more
“Learn to ask of all action, ‘Why are they doing that?’ Starting with your own.” Marcus Aurelius, Meditations, Book 10.37 We tend to judge others and their actions before trying to understand them. Often, we don’t have a clue what we are doing ourselves. We fail to examine our own Read more
“So, tell me, will someone call a man sane who, as if caught up in a tempest, does not walk but is driven along, and takes as his master a furious demon…?” Seneca, Dialogues and Essays, On Anger, Book 3 We’ve all felt it, that flash of heat rising in Read more
“Practice, then, from the start to say to every harsh impression, ‘You are an impression, and not at all the thing you appear to be.’ Then examine it and test it by these rules which you have, and firstly, and chiefly, by this: Whether the impression has to do with Read more
What are the core Stoic beliefs, how do we apply them, and where did it all start? Enda Harte, our guest author, will take you on a journey through the history, teachings, and practical side of Stoicism. The beginnings of Stoicism Stoicism began in Athens around 300 BCE with Zeno Read more
“And why is it so hard when things go against you? If it’s imposed by nature, accept it gladly and stop fighting it. And if not, work out what your own nature requires, and aim at that, even if it brings you no glory. None of us is forbidden to Read more
“Indifferent to great endeavors.” Reference to Aristotle by Seneca, Dialogues and Essays, On Anger, 3 Ambition is everywhere. We’re told to hustle, to dream bigger, to never settle. If we don’t, then we are meaningless and have insignificant lives. That’s what society tells us. But Seneca, drawing on Stoic and Read more
“When you are about to undertake some action, remind yourself what sort of action it is.” Epictetus, Handbook, 4 How often do we rush into things without asking why and what we are doing? Epictetus believed that almost every mistake in life comes from forgetting what we are doing and Read more
Death is not a subject most people want to talk about. But for the Stoics, especially Seneca, reflecting on mortality was not dark or depressing; it was essential. Facing the reality of death is not only about learning how to die. It’s more about learning how to live. In this Read more
“Neither can I be angry with my brother or fall foul of him, for he and I were born to work together, like a man’s two hands, feet or eyelids, or the upper and lower rows of his teeth. To obstruct each other is against Nature’s law – and what Read more