“This post originally appeared on Quora: What are some Stoic teachings on letting go?“ The most important step in letting go is realizing that nothing has intrinsic value — nothing is good or bad. In our daily lives, how we motivate ourselves is to think “some steak would be good right now” or “it sure would …
How to Let Go of Your Emotions and Find Happiness Read More »
Stoicism is apparently popular again — at least, that’s how it appears, given the spate of recent popular books, articles and events on the topic. There’s Julie Beck’s essay from The Atlantic on the benefits of thinking about death like a Stoic, Oliver Burkeman’s book on the “negative path” to happiness that includes a chapter entitled “What …
Today I want to describe various Stoic exercises that you can do to develop a Stoic outlook on life. While this is obviously useful for the would-be Stoic, I think that everyone can benefit these exercises. If you don’t know much about Stoicism then here would be a good start, or you can read some of …
When I was nineteen years old I was told to read a book: Meditations, by the stoic philosopher emperor Marcus Aurelius. Of course, I didn’t fully understand it at the time, again I was a teenager, but I immediately tore the book apart and made a million notes on it. It was for me, what the …
Stoicism Isn’t Pessimistic. It’s Boldly Optimistic Read More »
A CEO calls her staff into the conference room on the eve of the launch of a major new initiative. They file in and take their seats around the table. She calls the meeting to attention and begins, “I have bad news. The project has failed spectacularly. What went wrong?” The team is perplexed: What?! …
For all the press that Bill Clinton has gotten for his epic, seemingly-half-improvised convention stem-winder, one of the most revealing lines has barely earned a mention at all. We were surprised to hear Clinton called Barack Obama “a man cool on the outside, but who burns for America on the inside.” Okay, ignore the “burning …
Julius Caesar wanted to end him. George Washington wanted to be him. And for two thousand years, he was a singular subject of plays, poetry, and paintings, with admirers as diverse as Benjamin Franklin, the poet Dante, and the Stoic emperor Marcus Aurelius. Yet, for all that, you’ve probably never heard of him… We’ve spent …
Stoicism for Modern Stresses: 5 Lessons from Cato Read More »
If you’ve already signed up for our email series you know the importance of a morning ritual. Whether it is journaling or meditating or asking yourself difficult questions, having a morning ritual prepares you for the day. It allows you to begin and face what’s in front of you with a clear head and ready …
Your Best Day Yet: Three Stoic Reminders To Start Your Morning With Read More »
