An Introduction to Stoicism

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INTRODUCTION

TO STOICISM D ay 1 : A n In t rod u c tion to S to i c i s m : Why A ncient P hi l oso p hy Is Es s ential Fo r Mo d e r n L i fe

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hen most people think of “philosophy,” their eyes glaze over. It’s the last thing they want, let alone something they need.

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But this, as you already know, is silly and naive. Philosophy is not just about talking or lecturing, or even reading long, dense books. In fact, it is something men and women of action use—and have used throughout history—to solve their problems and achieve their greatest triumphs. Not in the classroom, but on the battlefield, in the Forum, and at court. As Thoreau put it, “to be a philosopher is not merely to have subtle thoughts, nor even to found a DA I LYSTO I C .C O M

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school...it is to solve some of the problems of life, not only theoretically, but practically.” That kind of philosophy has been jotted down (and practiced) by slaves, poets, emperors, politicians and soldiers, as well as ordinary folks to help with their own problems and those of their friends, family and followers for thousands of years. This wisdom is still there, available to us. The best of which is Stoicism—long considered the most practical of all philosophies. A brief synopsis on this particular school of Hellenistic philosophy: Stoicism was founded in Athens by Zeno of Citium in the early 3rd century BC, but was famously practiced by the likes of Epictetus, Cato, Seneca and Marcus Aurelius. The philosophy asserts that virtue (such as wisdom) is happiness and judgment should be based on behavior, rather than words. That we don’t control and cannot rely on external events, only ourselves and our responses. But at the very root of the thinking, there is a very simple, though not easy, way of living: Take the obstacles in your life and turn them into your advantage, control what you can and accept what you can’t. In the words of Epictetus: “In life our first job is this, to divide and distinguish things into two categories: externals I cannot control, 2

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but the choices I make with regard to them I do control. Where will I find good and bad? In me, in my choices.” Amazingly we still have access to these ideas, despite the fact that many of the greatest Stoics never wrote anything down for publication. Cato definitely didn’t. Marcus Aurelius never intended for Meditations to be anything but personal. Seneca’s letters were, well, letters and Epictetus’ thoughts come to us by way of a note-taking student. And so it was from their example, their actions, we find real philosophy. Because other than their common study of the philosophy, the Stoics were all men of action—and I don’t think this is a coincidence. Marcus Aurelius was emperor of the most powerful empire in the history of the world. Cato, the moral example for many philosophers, defended the Roman republic with Stoic bravery until his defiant death. Even Epictetus, the lecturer, had no cushy tenure—he was a former slave. And this shouldn’t really be that surprising… The modern day philosopher and writer Nassim Nicholas Taleb defines a Stoic as someone who “transforms fear into prudence, pain into information, mistakes into initiation and desire into undertaking.” Using this definition as a model we can see that throughout the centuries Stoicism has been a common DA I LYSTO I C .C O M

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thread though some of history’s great leaders. It has been practiced by Kings, presidents, artists, writers and entrepreneurs. Both historical and modern men illustrate Stoicism as a way of life. Prussian King, Frederick the Great, was said to ride with the works of the Stoics in his saddlebags because they could, in his words, “sustain you in misfortune.” Meanwhile, Montaigne, the politician and essayist, had a line from Epictetus carved into the beam above the study in which he spent most of his time. The founding fathers were also inspired by the philosophy. George Washington was introduced to Stoicism by his neighbors at age seventeen, and afterwards, put on a play about Cato to inspire his men in that dark winter at Valley Forge. Whereas Thomas Jefferson had a copy of Seneca on his nightstand when he died. The economist Adam Smith’s theories on the interconnectedness of the world—capitalism—were significantly influenced by the Stoicism that he studied as a schoolboy, under a teacher who had translated Marcus Aurelius’ works. The political thinker, John Stuart Mill, wrote of Marcus Aurelius and Stoicism in his famous treatise On Liberty, calling it “the highest ethical product of the ancient mind.” Thomas Wentworth Higginson was an ardent abolitionist and Civil War hero who led the first black regiment in the Union army and was a mentor of Emily Dickinson. He also happened to be an early translator of Epictetus. 4

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But those influenced by the Stoics goes on… Eugène Delacroix, the renowned French Romantic artist (known best for his painting Liberty Leading the People) was an ardent Stoic, referring to it as his “consoling religion.” Toussaint Louverture, himself a former slave who challenged an emperor by leading the Haitian revolution, read and was deeply influenced by the works of Epictetus. Theodore Roosevelt, after his presidency, spent eight months exploring (and nearly dying in) the unknown jungles of the Amazon, and of the eight books he brought on the journey, two were Marcus Aurelius’ Meditations and Epictetus’ Enchiridion. Indeed, Teddy seems to represent the temperance and self control of the philosophy beautifully when he said, “What such a man needs is not courage but nerve control, cool headedness. This he can get only by practice”. Likewise he expressed the necessity of action advocated by the Stoics when he famously remarked, “We must all wear out or rust out, everyone of us. My choice is to wear out”. Today’s leaders are no different, with many finding their inspiration from the ancient texts. Bill Clinton rereads Marcus Aurelius every single year, while Wen Jiabao, the former prime minister of China, claims that DA I LYSTO I C .C O M

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Meditations is one of two books he travels with and has read it more than one hundred times over the course of his life. James Mattis, the current Secretary of Defense, carried with him Marcus Aurelius’s Meditations while on deployment. Tim Ferriss, the bestselling author, podcast host and angel investor, has been one of the best known and strongest modern day proponents of Stoicism. You see, Stoicism—and philosophy—are not the domains of idle professors. They are the succor of the successful, and the men and women of action. As Thoreau put it: “To be a philosopher is not merely to have subtle thoughts, nor even to found a school…it is to solve some of the problems of life not only theoretically, but practically.” The mantle is ours to pick up and carry.

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TO STOICISM D ay 2 : T h e Stoi c Art of J o u r n a l i n g

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he starting point of any new pursuit is critical. Stoicism is no difference. Picking T up the wrong book can derail even the most interested student.

So where should someone start with Stoicism? Which philosopher? Which translator? Which edition? Are there good books about Stoicism? Good articles? Is the free stuff on the internet any good? We’ve got you covered.

Meditations by Marcus Aurelius — Meditations is perhaps the only document of its kind ever made. It is the private thoughts of the world’s most powerful man giving advice to himself on how to make good on the responsibilities and obligations of his positions. Trained in Stoic philosophy, Marcus stopped almost every night to practice a series of spiritual exercises—reminders 2

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designed to make him humble, patient, empathetic, generous, and strong in the face of whatever he was dealing with. Well, now we have this book. It is eminently readable and perfectly accessible. You cannot read this book and not come away with a phrase or a line that will be helpful to you next time you are in trouble. Read it, it is practical philosophy embodied. Make sure you pick up the Gregory Hays translation from Modern Library. It is the most accessible edition— completely devoid of any “thou’s” and “shalls”. (We have also put up an extensive list of lessons and great quotes from Meditations here).

Letters from a Stoic by Seneca — Seneca, like Marcus, was also a powerful man in Rome. He was also a great writer and from the looks of it, a trusted DA I LYSTO I C .C O M

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friend who gave great advice to people close to him. Much of that advice survives in the form of letters. Now we can read those letters and they can guide us through problems with grief, wealth, poverty, success, failure, education and so many other things. Seneca was a Stoic as well, but like Marcus, he was practical and borrowed liberally from other schools. As he quipped to a friend, “I don’t care about the author if the line is good.” That is the ethos of practical philosophy—it doesn’t matter from whom or when it came from, what matters if it helps you in your life, if only for a second. Reading Seneca will do that. The Penguin translation is fantastic, both for this collection of letters (which are more like essays than true correspondence) and the next recommendation.

On the Shortness of Life by Seneca — This collection of three short letters—essays, really—might actually be the best introduction to Seneca. The main 4

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one, On the Shortness of Life, is a stringent reminder about the non-renewability of our most important resource: our time. One of his most famous quotes comes from this writing and is worth reflecting upon: “It is not that we are given a short life but we make it short, and we are not ill-supplied but wasteful of it.” Just like his letters, make sure to pick the Penguin edition. This one, part of Penguin’s Great Ideas series, is small and perfectly fits in your back pocket.

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Discourses and Selected Writings by Epictetus — Of the big three (Seneca, Marcus Aurelius, Epictetus), Epictetus is the most preachy and for many, the least fun to read. That doesn’t mean he isn’t brilliant. On many occasions he expresses something so clearly and profoundly that it will shake you to your core. Personally, I prefer the Penguin translations, but I’ve tried a handful of others and found the differences to be relatively negligible.

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Fragments by Heraclitus — This is as ephemeral as the Stoics get. While most of the other recommendations are bent towards hard, practical advice, Heraclitus might seem a bit poetic. But those beautiful lines are really the same direct advice and timeless, perspective-changing observations as the others. “Try in vain with empty talk / to separate the essences of things / and say how each thing truly is.” “Applicants for wisdom / do what I have done: / inquire within.” “Character is fate.” “What eyes witness / ears believe on hearsay.” “The crops are sold / for money spent on food.” Heraclitus is considered as a key influence in Stoic DA I LYSTO I C .C O M

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thought and this is evident in the numerous references to Heraclitus that are seen in Meditations. As one scholar put it in explaining Heraclitus’s influence on Stoicism, Marcus considered Heraclitus “as one of the great sages.”

COURAGE UNDER FIRE: Testing Epictetus’s Doctrines in a Laboratory of Human Behavior by James Stockdale — United States Navy fighter pilot James Stockdale was captured by the North Vietnamese in 1965 where he remained a POW for the next seven years; two of which were spent wearing leg irons in solitary confinement. Years later, Stockdale would write and lecture extensively on Epictetus’s Enchiridion which he credits for providing the mindset and strength necessary to endure years of torture. Stockdale’s exemplary behavior during imprisonment is an embodiment how Stoicism can provide us with a 8

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framework for dealing with extreme adversity and the obstacles that come in our way.

The Inner Citadel and Philosophy as a Way of Life by Pierre Hadot — Both of these are academic, yet fascinating books. The Inner Citadel is a biography of Marcus Aurelius, which should be next on your list if you loved Meditations. Philosophy as a Way of Life explores different ‘spiritual exercises’—ideas and thought exercises from philosophy to help you make better decisions and live a better life. Don’t let the academic aspect scare you—Hadot’s books are incredibly readable and the ideas will stay with you.

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Rome’s Last Citizen: The Life and Legacy of Cato, Mortal Enemy of Caesar by Rob Goodman and Jimmy Soni — Marcus Cato has certainly earned his place in the history books—he was the Stoic senator who led the opposition against Julius Caesar who then killed himself rather than live under a dictator. Cato was a soldier, a politician, a thinker and most important, an example. His unassailable place in Roman culture is best seen in the old proverbial expression used to make excuses: “We’re not all Catos.” There’s a lot to learn from a politician who couldn’t be corrupted. A philosopher who refused to write. A millionaire who lived among his soldiers and people. He is Marcus Porcius Cato, a man of a different epoch—some two thousand years passed— but a man, who we, without a question, are better off knowing. (See our interview with author Jimmy Soni here). 1 0

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Marcus Aurelius by Matthew Arnold (essay) — Matthew Arnold was a Victorian scholar who fell in the category of ‘sage writers’—the type of writer who instructs and chastises the reader. This is a fantastic essay on Marcus, who as he remarked in 1863, was a man who held the highest power and most powerful station in the world—and the universal verdict of the people around him was that he proved worthy of it. Of course, you are also welcome to check out some of the most popular interviews, articles and lists on DailyStoic.com: Stoic Exercises

6 Stoic Rituals That Will Make You Happy Stoicism at TED — Defining and Overcoming Your Fears

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Doing the Work Is Enough: Stop Letting Others Dictate Your Worth 10 Insanely Useful Stoic Exercises Stoicism Reveals 4 Rituals That Will Make You Happy 100 Things I Learned in 10 Years and 100 Reads of Marcus Aurelius’s Meditations The Philosophy Of Stoicism: 4 Lessons From Antiquity On Self-Discipline 3 Stoic Exercises That Will Help Create Your Best Month Yet Interviews An Interview with the Master: Robert Greene on Stoicism David “DHH” Heinemeier Hansson: Entrepreneurial and Unstoppable Stoic

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Kevin Rose on Fasting, Cold Showers and Loving One’s Craft The School of Life: An Interview With Alain de Botton Tim Ferriss on Cultivating Resilience, Favorite Stoic Practices and How To Shun Comfort

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A Stoic Response A Stoic Response to Anger A Stoic Response to Fear A Stoic Response to Rejection A Stoic Response to Bad News Stoicism Books 28 Books On Stoicism: The (Hopefully) Ultimate Reading List For other short essays, articles and online resources we recommend the following: Stoicism for Modern Stresses: 5 Lessons from Cato On The Shortness of Life: An Introduction to Seneca The Practicality of Pessimism: Stoicism as a Productivity System There is also Stoicism and the Art of Happiness which is a fantastic blog, the Stoicism community on Reddit, author Jules Evans’ Philosophy for Life blog, and of course there is also New Stoa (an online Stoic registry). DA I LYSTO I C .C O M

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pictetus the slave. Marcus Aurelius the emperor. Seneca the power broker and playwright. These three radically different men led radically different lives. But they seemed to have one habit in common: Journaling.

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In one form or another, each of them did it. It would be Epictetus who would admonish his students that philosophy was something they should “write down day by day,” that this writing was how they “should exercise themselves.” Seneca’s favorite time to journal was in the evenings. When darkness had fallen and his wife had gone asleep, he explained to a friend, “I examine my entire day and go back over what I’ve done DA I LYSTO I C .C O M

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and said, hiding nothing from myself, passing nothing by.” Then he would go to bed, finding that “the sleep which follows this self-examination” was particularly sweet. And Marcus, he was the most prodigious of journalers, and we are lucky enough that his writings survive to us, appropriately titled, Τὰ εἰς ἑαυτόν, Ta eis heauton, or “to himself.” They were not the only ones to practice the habit of writing. Foucault observed of this era of history, all the great minds practiced it. “In this period there was a culture of what could be called personal writing: taking notes on the reading, conversations, and reflections that one hears or engages in oneself; keeping kinds of notebooks on important subjects (what the Greeks called hupomnemata), which must be reread from time to time so as to re-actualize their contents.” And of course, many people—Stoic or otherwise— have fallen in love with and dedicated themselves to morning or evening journaling in the centuries since. And for good reason—it works. It clarifies the mind, provides room for quiet, private reflection and gives one a record of their thoughts over time. But in Stoicism the art of journaling is more than that, more than some simple diary. This daily practice is the philosophy. Preparing for the day ahead. Reflecting on the day that has passed. Reminding oneself of the 2

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wisdom we have learned from our teachers, from our reading, from our own experiences. It’s not enough to simply hear these lessons once, instead, one practices them over and over again, turns them over in their mind, and most importantly, writes them down and feels them flowing through their fingers in doing so. In this way, journaling is Stoicism. It’s almost impossible to have one without the other. So if you’re not doing it, please start! Whatever form you find is most conducive for you is the one to do it in. Some like to write or jot notes down on paper. Some like to pull up an empty document on their computer and record thoughts. But it is the process that counts. And its value compounds over time. One cannot expect wisdom and self-mastery to simply arrive via epiphany. No, those states are acquired, little by little, practice by practice. The sooner you start, the better. We recently created The Daily Stoic Journal for this very reason. We hope you give it a try and hope you appreciate the design and the many features we’ve built into it (and the 52 new meditations included in it). But at the risk of spoiling the basic premise, we’ll give you the Stoic recipe for journaling right here right now: 1. Prepare For The Day Ahead: Each morning you should prepare, plan and meditate on how you aim to act that day. You should be envisioning everything DA I LYSTO I C .C O M

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that may come and steeling yourself so you’re ready to conquer it. As Seneca wrote, “The wise will start each day with the thought, ‘Fortune gives us nothing which we can really own.’” Or think of Marcus’s reminder: “When you wake up in the morning, tell yourself: The people I deal with today will be meddling, ungrateful, arrogant, dishonest, jealous, and surly. They are like this because they can’t tell good from evil.” 2. Put The Day Up For Review: Stoicism isn’t just about thinking, it’s about action—and the best way to improve is to review. Each evening you should, like Seneca did, examine your day and your actions. As he put it, “When the light has been removed and my wife has fallen silent, aware of this habit that’s now mine, I examine my entire day and go back over what I’ve done and said, hiding nothing from myself, passing nothing by.” The question should be: Did I follow my plans for the day? Was I prepared enough? What could I do better? What have I learned that will help me tomorrow?

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Da y 4: Me m e n to Mori: The T i m el ess Sto i c Exe rcis e

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et us prepare our minds as if we’d come to the very end of life. Let us postpone nothing. Let us balance life’s books each day. … The one who puts the finishing touches on their life each day is never short of time.” Seneca

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At a Roman triumph, the majority of the public would have their eyes glued to the victorious general at the front—one of the most coveted spots during Roman times. Only a few would notice the aide in the back, right behind the commander, whispering into his ear, “Remember, thou art mortal.” What a reminder to hear at the peak of glory and victory! It is reminders like this one that we desperately need in our own lives—a thought or an idea that we’d DA I LYSTO I C .C O M

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rather ignore, do everything to avoid and pretend is not true. Most often, our ego runs away from anything that reminds us of the reality that sits at odds with the comfortable narrative we have build for ourselves. Or, we are simply petrified to look at life’s facts as they are. And there is one simple fact that most of us are utterly scared to meditate, reflect on and face head on: We are going to die. Everyone around us is going to die. Such reminders and exercises take part of Memento Mori—the ancient practice of reflection on mortality that goes back to Socrates, who said that the proper practice of philosophy is “about nothing else but dying and being dead.” In early Buddhist texts, a prominent term is maranasati, which translates as ‘remember death.’ Some Sufis have been called the “people of the graves,” because of their practice of frequenting graveyards to ponder on death and one’s mortality. Throughout history, Memento Mori reminders have come in many forms. Some, like the aide behind the general, were there to humble. Others were invented to inspire zest for life. The essayist Michel de Montaigne, for instance, was fond of an ancient Egyptian custom where during times of festivities, a skeleton would be brought out with people cheering “Drink and be merry for when you’re dead you will look like this.” To us moderns this sounds like an awful idea. Who wants to think about death? But what if instead of being 2

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scared and unwilling to embrace this truth we did the opposite? What if reflecting and meditating on that fact was a simple key to living life to the fullest? Or that it was the key to our freedom—as Montaigne put it, “To practice death is to practice freedom. A man who has learned how to die has unlearned how to be a slave.” In his Meditations—essentially his own private journal—Marcus Aurelius wrote that “You could leave life right now. Let that determine what you do and say and think.” That was a personal reminder to continue living a life of virtue NOW, and not wait. The French painter Philippe de Champaigne expressed a similar sentiment in his painting Still Life with a Skull, which showed the three essentials of existence — the tulip (life), the skull (death), and the hourglass (time). The original painting is part of a genre referred to as Vanitas, a form of 17th century artwork featuring symbols of mortality which encourage reflection on the meaning and fleetingness of life. Meditating on your mortality is only depressing if you miss the point. It is in fact a tool to create priority and meaning. It’s a tool that generations have used to create real perspective and urgency. To treat our time as a gift and not waste it on the trivial and vain. Death doesn’t make life pointless but rather purposeful. And fortunately, we don’t have to nearly die to tap into this. A simple reminder can bring us closer to living the life DA I LYSTO I C .C O M

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we want. It doesn’t matter who you are or how many things you have left to be done, a car can hit you in an intersection and drive your teeth back into your skull. That’s it. It could all be over. Today, tomorrow, someday soon. The Stoic finds this thought invigorating and humbling. It is not surprising that one of Seneca’s biographies is titled Dying Every Day. After all, it is Seneca who urged us to tell ourselves “You may not wake up tomorrow,” when going to bed and “You may not sleep again,” when waking up as reminders of our mortality. Or as another Stoic, Epictetus, urged his students: “Keep death and exile before your eyes each day, along with everything that seems terrible— by doing so, you’ll never have a base thought nor will you have excessive desire.” Use those reminders and meditate on them daily—let them be the building blocks of living your life to the fullest and not wasting a second. P.S. Check out our popular memento mori medallion, print and pendant from the Daily Stoic Store!

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TO STOICISM Day 5 : T h e 7 Ste ps Guide to Co n t rol l i n g Yo ur Percept i o n s l i ke a S toic

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he obstacles we face in life make us emotional. The only way we’ll overcome them is by keeping those emotions in check—if we can keep steady no matter what happens, no matter how much external events may fluctuate.

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The ancient Stoics had a word for this state: apatheia. It’s the kind of calm equanimity that comes with the absence of irrational or extreme emotions. What follows are the 7 steps you can take to achieve this state, so you can focus on overcoming your obstacles, rather than reacting to them. DA I LYSTO I C .C O M

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Step 1: Steady Your Nerves “What such a man needs is not courage but nerve control, cool headedness. This he can only get by practice.” — Theodore Roosevelt During the Civil war troops were unloading a steamer when it exploded. Everyone hit the dirt except Ulysses S. Grant, who instead ran towards the scene. That is nerve. Like Grant, we must prepare ourselves for the realities of our situation, steadying our nerves so we can throw our best at it. Step 2: Control Your Emotions “Would you have a great empire? Rule over yourself.” — Publius Syrus When America first sent astronauts into space, they trained them in one skill more than any other: the art of not panicking. Here on Earth, when something goes wrong we trade in our plan for a good ol’ emotional freak-out. As Nassim Taleb put it, real strength lies in the domestication of one’s emotions, not in pretending they don’t exist.

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Step 3: Practice Objectivity “Don’t let the force of an impression when it first hits you knock you off your feet; just say to it: Hold on a moment; let me see who you are and what you represent. Let me put you to the test.”  —  Epictetus In our lives, how many problems seem to come from applying judgments to things we don’t control? Perceptions give us information at the exact moment when it would be better to focus on what is immediately in front of us. We must question our animalistic impulse to immediately perceive what happens. But this takes strength and is a muscle that must be developed. Step 4: Practice Contemptuous Expressions The Stoics used contempt to lay things bare and “strip away the legend that encrusts them.” Roasted meat is a dead animal. Vintage wine is old, fermented grapes. We can do this for anything that stands in our way, seeing things as they truly, actually are, not as we’ve made them in our minds. Step 5: Alter Your Perspective “Man does not simply exist but always decides what his existence will be, what he will become the next moment. By the same token, every human being has the freedom to change at any instant.” — Viktor Frankl DA I LYSTO I C .C O M

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Remember: We choose how we’ll look at things. What we must do is limit and expand our perspective to whatever will keep us calmest and most ready for the task at hand. Think of it as selective editing—not to deceive others, but to properly orient ourselves. Step 6: Live in the Present Moment “The trick to forgetting the big picture is to look at everything close up.” — Chuck Palahniuk It doesn’t matter whether this is the worst time to be alive or the best, whether you’re in a good job market or a bad one. What matters right now is right now. Focus on the moment, on what you can control right now. Not what may or may not be ahead. Step 7: Look for the Opportunity “A good person dyes events with his own color…and turns whatever happens to his own benefit.” — Seneca The reality is every situation, no matter how negative, provides us with a positive, exposed benefit we can act on, if only we look for it. Maybe you were injured recently and are laid up in bed recovering. Now you have the time to start the book or the screenplay you’ve been meaning to write. 4

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That business decision that turned out to be a mistake? See it as a hypothesis that was wrong. Like scientist you can learn from it and use it in your next experiment. Remember: This a complete flip. Seeing through the negative, past its underside, and into its corollary: the positive. Another way of putting it: Does getting upset provide you with more options? Sometimes it does. But in this instance? No, I suppose not.

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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?”

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The team is perplexed: What?! But we haven’t even launched yet…! I know it seems strange and maybe even counterproductive to demand that employees think negatively instead of optimistically, but in business circles today, everyone from startups to Fortune 500 companies and the Harvard Business Review are doing DA I LYSTO I C .C O M

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this exact exercise. In a direct response to optimistic, feel-good thinking, these leaders are encouraging their employees to think negatively. The technique that the CEO above was using was designed by psychologist Gary Klein. It’s called a premortem. In a premortem, a project manager must envision what could go wrong—what will go wrong—in advance, before starting. Why? Far too many ambitious undertakings fail for preventable reasons. Far too many people don’t have a backup plan because they refuse to consider that something might not go exactly as they wish. In fact, I think more companies need a Chief Dissent Officer, someone to shoot down the bad ideas that our blind spots and naive optimism too often obscure. They can catch us when we are puffed up with visions of our own greatness and preordained success. Remember Netflix’s aborted attempt to split into two separate companies? Or when Google Wave was marketed as “the next Gmail,” only to be shut down in a little over a year? If only these great companies had stopped to envision the possible travails that awaited them, they might have been able to prevent them. No one has ever understood this better than former heavyweight champion Mike Tyson, who, reflecting on the collapse of his fortune and fame, told a reporter, “If you’re not humble, life will visit humbleness upon you.” 2

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The practice goes back much further than just psychology though. It dates back many thousands of years, in fact—to the great Stoic philosophers like Marcus Aurelius, Epictetus and Seneca. And they had an even better name for it: premeditatio malorum (premeditation of evils). A writer like Seneca would begin by reviewing or rehearsing his plans, say, to take a trip. And then, in his head (or in writing), he would go over the things that could go wrong or prevent it from happening—a storm could arise, the captain could fall ill, the ship could be attacked by pirates. “Nothing happens to the wise man against his expectation,” he wrote to a friend. “. . . nor do all things turn out for him as he wished but as he reckoned—and above all he reckoned that something could block his plans.” By doing this exercise, Seneca was always prepared for disruption and always working that disruption into his plans. He was fitted for defeat or victory. And let’s be honest, a pleasant surprise is a lot better than an unpleasant one. In a case where nothing could be done, the Stoics would use it as an important practice to do something the rest of us too often fail to do—manage expectations. Because sometimes the only answer to “What if?” is, “It will suck but we’ll be okay.” DA I LYSTO I C .C O M

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We often learn the hard way that our world is ruled by external factors. We don’t always get what is rightfully ours, even if we’ve earned it. Not everything is as clean and straightforward as the games they play in business school. Psychologically, we must prepare ourselves for this to happen. If it comes as a constant surprise each and every time something unexpected occurs, you’re not only going to be miserable whenever you attempt something big, you’re going to have a much harder time accepting it and moving on to attempts two, three, and four. The only guarantee, ever, is that things could go wrong. The only thing we can use to mitigate this is anticipation, because the only variable we control completely is ourselves. The world might call you a pessimist. Who cares? It’s far better to seem like a downer than to be blindsided or caught off guard. If we have prepared ourselves for the obstacles that are inevitably on their way, we can rest assured that it’s other people who have not. In other words, this bad luck is actually a chance for us to make up some time. We become like runners who train on hills or at altitude so they can beat racers who expected the course would be flat. Anticipation doesn’t magically make things easier, of course. But we are more prepared for them to be as hard as they need to be, as hard as they actually are. 4

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You know what’s better than building things up in your imagination? Building things up in real life. Of course, it’s a lot more fun to build things up in your imagination than it is to tear them down. But what purpose does that serve? It only sets you up for disappointment. Chimeras are like bandages—they hurt when torn away. With anticipation, we have time to raise defenses, or even avoid them entirely. We’re ready to be driven off course because we’ve plotted a way back. We can resist going to pieces if things didn’t go as planned. With anticipation, we can endure. We are prepared for failure and ready for success. P.S. Check out our premeditatio malorum medallion in the Daily Stoic Store.

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AN

INTRODUCTION

TO STOICISM

Day 7: H e re’s How To H ave Yo ur Bes t We e k Ever: 7 P rac t i ces Fro m T h e S toics

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he below is a week of some of the best Stoic passages and exercises from The Daily Stoic book with the idea of creating the perfect week — seven days of stoic thinking to help you live better, more resiliently, and more peacefully.

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*** Monday: Rise and shine “On those mornings you struggle with getting up, keep this thought in mind — I am awakening to the work of a human DA I LYSTO I C .C O M

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being. Why then am I annoyed that I am going to do what I’m made for, the very things for which I was put into this world? Or was I made for this, to snuggle under the covers and keep warm? It’s so pleasurable. Were you then made for pleasure? In short, to be coddled or to exert yourself?” — Marcus Aurelius, “Meditations,” 5.1 Nobody likes Mondays. So it’s comforting to think that even 2,000 years ago, the emperor of Rome (who was reportedly an insomniac) was giving himself a pep talk in order to summon the willpower to throw off the blankets and get out of bed. From the time we’re first sent off to school until the day we retire, we’re faced with that same struggle. It always seems nicer to shut our eyes and hit the snooze button a few times. But we can’t — because we have a job to do. Not only do we have the calling we’re dedicated to, but we have the larger cause that the Stoics speak about: the greater good. We cannot be of service to ourselves, to other people, or to the world unless we get up and get working — the earlier the better. So c’mon. Get in the shower, have your coffee, and get going. Tuesday: Prepare yourself for negativity “When you first rise in the morning tell yourself: I will encounter busybodies, ingrates, egomaniacs, liars, the jealous, and cranks. They are all stricken with 2

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these afflictions because they don’t know the difference between good and evil. Because I have understood the beauty of good and the ugliness of evil, I know that these wrong-doers are still akin to me … and that none can do me harm, or implicate me in ugliness — nor can I be angry at my relatives or hate them. For we are made for cooperation.” — Marcus Aurelius, “Meditations,” 2.1 You can be certain as clockwork that at some point today you’re going to interact with someone who seems like a jerk (as we all do). The question is: Are you going to be ready for it? This exercise calls to mind a joke from the 18thcentury writer and witticist Nicolas Chamfort, who remarked that if you “swallow a toad every morning,” you’ll be fortified against any other disgusting thing that might happen that day. But there is a second part to this, just as there is a second half of Marcus’ quote: “No one can implicate me in ugliness — nor can I be angry at my relative or hate him.” The point of this preparation is not to write off everyone in advance. It’s that, maybe, because you’ve prepared for it, you’ll be able to act with patience, forgiveness, and understanding. Wednesday: Clarify your intentions “Let all your efforts be directed to something, let it keep that end in view. It’s not activity that disturbs DA I LYSTO I C .C O M

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people, but false conceptions of things that drive them mad.” — Seneca, “On Tranquility of Mind,” 12.5 Law 29 of The 48 Laws of Power is: Plan all the way to the end. Robert Greene writes, “By planning to the end, you will not be overwhelmed by circumstances, and you will know when to stop. Gently guide fortune and help determine the future by thinking far ahead.” The second habit in The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People is: Begin with an end in mind. Having an end in mind is no guarantee that you’ll reach it — no Stoic would pretend otherwise — but not having an end in mind is a guarantee that you won’t. To the Stoics, oiêsis (false conceptions) are responsible not just for disturbances in the soul, but for chaotic and dysfunctional lives and operations. When your efforts are not directed at a cause or a purpose, how will you know what to do day in and day out? How will you know what to say no to and what to say yes to? How will you know when you’ve had enough, when you’ve reached your goal, or when you’ve gotten off track if you’ve never defined what those things are? You cannot. And so you are driven into failure—or worse, into madness—by the oblivion of directionlessness.

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Thursday: Be ruthless to the things that don’t matter “How many have laid waste to your life when you weren’t aware of what you were losing, how much was wasted in pointless grief, foolish joy, greedy desire, and social amusements — how little of your own was left to you. You will realize you are dying before your time!” — Seneca, “On the Brevity of Life,” 3.3b One of the hardest things to do in life is say “no.” To invitations, to requests, to obligations, to the stuff that everyone else is doing. Even harder is saying no to certain time-consuming emotions: anger, excitement, distraction, obsession, lust. None of these impulses feels like a big deal by itself, but run amok, they become commitments like anything else. If you’re not careful, these are precisely the impositions that will overwhelm and consume your life. Do you ever wonder how you can get some of your time back or how you can feel less busy? Start today off by utilizing the power of “no” — as in “No, thank you,” and “No, I’m not going to get caught up in that,” and “No, I just can’t right now.” It may hurt some feelings. It may turn people off. It may take hard work. But the more you say no to the things that don’t matter, the more you can say yes to the things that do. This will let you live and enjoy the life that you want. DA I LYSTO I C .C O M

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Friday: Turn ‘have to’ into ‘get to’ “The task of a philosopher: We should bring our will into harmony with whatever happens, so that nothing happens against our will and nothing that we wish for fails to happen.” — Epictetus, “Discourses,” 2.14.7 A long to-do list seems intimidating and burdensome — all these things we have to do in the course of a day or a week. But a get-to-do list sounds like a privilege — all the things we’re excited about the opportunity to experience. This isn’t just semantic play. It is a central facet of the philosopher’s worldview. Today, don’t try to impose your will on the world. Instead, see yourself as fortunate to receive and respond to the will of the world. Stuck in traffic? A few wonderful minutes to get to sit there and relax. Your car broke down after idling for so long? Ah, what a nice nudge to take a long walk the rest of the way. A swerving car driven by a distracted, cell-phone-wielding idiot nearly hit you as you were walking and soaked you head to toe with muddy water? What a reminder about how precarious our existence is and how silly it is to get upset about something as trivial as being late or having trouble with your commute. Kidding aside, it might not seem like there’s a big difference between seeing life as something you have 6

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to do versus seeing life as something you get to do, but there is. A huge, magnificent difference. Saturday: Take a walk “We should take wandering outdoor walks, so that the mind might be nourished and refreshed by the open air and deep breathing.” — Seneca, “On Tranquility of Mind,” 17.8 In a notoriously loud city like Rome, it was impossible to get much peace and quiet. The noise of wagons, the shouting of vendors, and the hammering of blacksmiths all filled the streets with piercing auditory violence. So philosophers went on a lot of walks — to get where they needed to go, to clear their heads, and to get fresh air. Throughout the ages, philosophers, writers, poets, and thinkers have found that walking offers the additional benefit of time and space for better work. As Nietzsche would later say: “It is only ideas gained from walking that have any worth.” Today, make sure you take a walk. And in the future, when you get stressed or overwhelmed, take a walk. When you have a tough problem to solve or a decision to make, take a walk. When you want to be creative, take a walk. When you need to get some air, take a walk. When you have a phone call to make, take a walk. When you need some exercise, take a long walk. DA I LYSTO I C .C O M

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When you have a meeting or a friend over, take a walk together. Nourish yourself and your mind and solve problems along the way. Sunday: A week in review “I will keep constant watch over myself and — most usefully — will put each day up for review. For this is what makes us evil — that none of us looks back upon our own lives. We reflect upon only that which we are about to do. And yet our plans for the future descend from the past.” — Seneca, “Moral Letters,” 83.2 In a letter to his older brother Novatus, Seneca describes a beneficial exercise he borrowed from another prominent philosopher. At the end of each day, he would ask himself variations of the following questions: What bad habit did I curb today? How am I better? Were my actions just? How can I improve? At the beginning or end of each day — and in this case, at the end of the week — the Stoic sits down with his journal and reviews what he did, what he thought, and what could be improved. It’s for this reason that Marcus Aurelius’ Meditations is a somewhat inscrutable book — it was for personal clarity, not public benefit. Writing down Stoic exercises was and is a form of practicing them, just as repeating a prayer or hymn might be. 8

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Keep your own journal, whether it’s saved on a computer or on paper. Take time to consciously recall the events of the previous day. Be unflinching in your assessments. Notice what contributed to your happiness and what detracted from it. Write down what you’d like to work on or quotes that you like. By making the effort to record such thoughts, you’re less likely to forget them. An added bonus: You’ll have a running tally to track your progress.

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The Daily Stoic: 366 Meditations on Wisdom, Perseverance, and the Art of Living offers 366 days of Stoic insights and exercises, featuring all-new translations from the Emperor Marcus Aurelius, the playwright Seneca, or slave-turned-philosopher Epictetus, as well as lesser-known luminaries like Zeno, Cleanthes, and Musonius Rufus. Every day of the year you’ll find one of their pithy, powerful quotations, as well as historical anecdotes, provocative commentary, and a helpful glossary of Greek terms. The book is available on Amazon, Audible, iTunes, B&N, Kobo and everywhere else books are sold. You can also get a signed and personalized copy at BookPeople! Order your copy now!

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