“True happiness is to enjoy the present without anxious dependence upon the future, not to amuse ourselves with either hopes or fears but to rest satisfied, for he that is wants nothing. The greatest blessings of mankind are within us and within our reach. A wise man is content with his lot, whatever it may …
“Cultivate the habit of being grateful for every good thing that comes to you, and to give thanks continuously. And because all things have contributed to your advancement, you should include all things in your gratitude.” ― Ralph Waldo Emerson The great American essayist, lecturer, and poet Ralph Waldo Emerson is known today as a champion …
Given the fact that the mere mention of philosophy makes most nervous or bored, “Stoic philosophy” on the surface sounds like the last thing anyone would want to learn about, let alone urgently need in the course of daily life. But in reality, in Stoicism we have a tool to help us in our pursuit …
7 Stoic Meditations To Get The Most Out of Today Read More »
The art of properly responding to failure begins by not being surprised by it. When Seneca wrote that “nothing happens to the wise man contrary to his expectation,” this is partly what he meant. The reason that so many failures are devastating to us—failed businesses, failed relationships, failed vacations, failed attempts to get across town in …
“Never let the future disturb you. You will meet it, if you have to, with the same weapons of reason which today arm you against the present” – Marcus Aurelius So there I was yet again, curled up in the fetal position on the bedroom floor with tears flooding from my eyes. Outwardly screaming but all …
I’ll keep this brief, because it’s 5AM and the unthinkable has happened: reality star-turned-political savior Donald J. Trump has just clinched the Presidency of the United States. Yes, the same Donald J. Trump who’s been publicly supportive of restricting Muslim immigration to the U.S.; the same Donald J. Trump who’s been accused by over a …
Keep Calm and Be Stoic: A Practical Response to the Unthinkable Read More »
Though most people think of philosophy as a system of ethics or an explanation of the purpose of life, they miss its most practical aspects. In fact, ancient philosophy was a way to create mental clarity—to clear the mind of what psychologists today would refer to as cognitive distortions. Epictetus, the Stoic slave-turned-philosopher, told his …
How to Beat Perfectionism, Make Progress, and Find Happiness Read More »
“The brahmans had no cattle, no gold, no wealth. They had study as their wealth and grain. They guarded the holy life as their treasure.” Gautama Buddha “Of all people only those are at leisure who make time for philosophy, only those are really alive. For they not only keep a good watch over their …
Stoicism & Buddhism: Lessons, Similarities and Differences Read More »
Elections are about choices and character: obviously those of the candidates, but also about our own, too. As we enter the final weeks of campaigning by one of the most widely lamented presidential slates in recent memory, we are besieged and fatigued by the increasing heat of partisan character assassination and a growing sense of …
A Stoic Remedy for Election 2016: Choices, Character, and The Common Good Read More »
