# migrations

dir: embeddings_queue
filename: 00001-embeddings.sqlite.sql
hash: d3755dfd232be8e8301f4d7fcfb3a486
sql:
CREATE TABLE embeddings_queue (
    seq_id INTEGER PRIMARY KEY,
    created_at TIMESTAMP NOT NULL DEFAULT CURRENT_TIMESTAMP,
    operation INTEGER NOT NULL,
    topic TEXT NOT NULL,
    id TEXT NOT NULL,
    vector BLOB,
    encoding TEXT,
    metadata TEXT
);


dir: sysdb
filename: 00001-collections.sqlite.sql
hash: 38352d725ad1c16074fac420b22b4633
sql:
CREATE TABLE collections (
    id TEXT PRIMARY KEY,
    name TEXT NOT NULL,
    topic TEXT NOT NULL,
    UNIQUE (name)
);

CREATE TABLE collection_metadata (
    collection_id TEXT REFERENCES collections(id) ON DELETE CASCADE,
    key TEXT NOT NULL,
    str_value TEXT,
    int_value INTEGER,
    float_value REAL,
    PRIMARY KEY (collection_id, key)
);


dir: sysdb
filename: 00002-segments.sqlite.sql
hash: 2913cb6a503055a95f625448037e8912
sql:
CREATE TABLE segments (
    id TEXT PRIMARY KEY,
    type TEXT NOT NULL,
    scope TEXT NOT NULL,
    topic TEXT,
    collection TEXT REFERENCES collection(id)
);

CREATE TABLE segment_metadata (
    segment_id TEXT  REFERENCES segments(id) ON DELETE CASCADE,
    key TEXT NOT NULL,
    str_value TEXT,
    int_value INTEGER,
    float_value REAL,
    PRIMARY KEY (segment_id, key)
);


dir: sysdb
filename: 00004-tenants-databases.sqlite.sql
hash: 048867ce8fcdefe4023c7110e4433591
sql:
CREATE TABLE IF NOT EXISTS tenants (
    id TEXT PRIMARY KEY,
    UNIQUE (id)
);

CREATE TABLE IF NOT EXISTS databases (
    id TEXT PRIMARY KEY, -- unique globally
    name TEXT NOT NULL, -- unique per tenant
    tenant_id TEXT NOT NULL REFERENCES tenants(id) ON DELETE CASCADE,
    UNIQUE (tenant_id, name) -- Ensure that a tenant has only one database with a given name
);

CREATE TABLE IF NOT EXISTS collections_tmp (
    id TEXT PRIMARY KEY, -- unique globally
    name TEXT NOT NULL, -- unique per database
    topic TEXT NOT NULL,
    dimension INTEGER,
    database_id TEXT NOT NULL REFERENCES databases(id) ON DELETE CASCADE,
    UNIQUE (name, database_id)
);

-- Create default tenant and database
INSERT OR REPLACE INTO tenants (id) VALUES ('default_tenant'); -- The default tenant id is 'default_tenant' others are UUIDs
INSERT OR REPLACE INTO databases (id, name, tenant_id) VALUES ('00000000-0000-0000-0000-000000000000', 'default_database', 'default_tenant');

INSERT OR REPLACE INTO collections_tmp (id, name, topic, dimension, database_id)
    SELECT id, name, topic, dimension, '00000000-0000-0000-0000-000000000000' FROM collections;
DROP TABLE collections;
ALTER TABLE collections_tmp RENAME TO collections;


dir: metadb
filename: 00001-embedding-metadata.sqlite.sql
hash: 2b4cf52c4bb2676e21d6860a4409f856
sql:
CREATE TABLE embeddings (
    id INTEGER PRIMARY KEY,
    segment_id TEXT NOT NULL,
    embedding_id TEXT NOT NULL,
    seq_id BLOB NOT NULL,
    created_at TIMESTAMP NOT NULL DEFAULT CURRENT_TIMESTAMP,
    UNIQUE (segment_id, embedding_id)
);

CREATE TABLE embedding_metadata (
    id INTEGER REFERENCES embeddings(id),
    key TEXT NOT NULL,
    string_value TEXT,
    int_value INTEGER,
    float_value REAL,
    PRIMARY KEY (id, key)
);

CREATE TABLE max_seq_id (
    segment_id TEXT PRIMARY KEY,
    seq_id BLOB NOT NULL
);

CREATE VIRTUAL TABLE embedding_fulltext USING fts5(id, string_value);


dir: metadb
filename: 00002-embedding-metadata.sqlite.sql
hash: 12a570f7121b3a8ce750a2a7c36da20f
sql:
-- SQLite does not support adding check with alter table, as a result, adding a check
-- involve creating a new table and copying the data over. It is over kill with adding
-- a boolean type column. The application write to the table needs to ensure the data
-- integrity.
ALTER TABLE embedding_metadata ADD COLUMN bool_value INTEGER


dir: metadb
filename: 00003-full-text-tokenize.sqlite.sql
hash: f97ad6334aeaa8f419f01110b648b97a
sql:
CREATE VIRTUAL TABLE embedding_fulltext_search USING fts5(string_value, tokenize='trigram');
INSERT INTO embedding_fulltext_search (rowid, string_value) SELECT rowid, string_value FROM embedding_metadata;
DROP TABLE embedding_fulltext;


# embeddings_queue

created_at: 2024-02-29 14:37:29
topic: persistent://default/default/29a9e12c-e2d3-4fc9-b690-0cd687a43fcd
id: 0dc7a738-d710-11ee-bdb1-0242ac1c000c
encoding: FLOAT32
metadata:
{"chroma:document": " \n Get Up  \n \nAt dawn, when you have trouble getting out of bed, tell yourself: 'I have to go to \nwork\u2014as a human being. What do I have to complain of, if I\u2019m going to do  what \nI was born for \u2014the things I was brought into the world to do? Or is this what I \nwas created for? To huddle under the blankets and stay warm?'  \n \n\u2014But it\u2019s nicer here\u2026  \n \nSo you were born to feel \u2018nice\u2019? Instead of doing things and experiencing them? \nDon\u2019t you see the plants, the birds, the ants and spiders and bees going about their \nindividual tasks, putting the world in order, as best they can? And you\u2019re not \nwilling to do your job as a human being? Why aren\u2019t you running to do wha t your \nnature demands?  (Marcus Aurelius,  Meditations V.1) \n \nLike almost everything else in life, more than enough sleep is too \nmuch.  Studies show that sleeping more than an average of 7 -8 hours a \nday can lead to diabetes, obesity, headaches, back pain, and heart \ndisease.  What's worse, and more immediate, is that any hour spent \nsleeping beyond what your body actually needs to recuperate or repair \nitself is an hour you have lost forever.  \n   \n An hour lost to sleep will not be available to you for meditation.  That \nhour cannot be used to make you stronger and more  resilient . It \ncannot be used to make the world a better place.  In that hour, you \nwill not test yourself and grow.  You will do no great deeds in that \nhour.  You will not even remember it happened. It is simpl y buried, \neternally, beneath the sands of time.  An irreplaceable  treasure lost to \nthe ages.  \n \nBetter to take back the hour and use it as your nature demands.  \nYou've rested enough.  Time now  to take a deep breath and  get on \nwith living your life.  \n    \n Catch a Su nrise \n \nThe Pythagoreans bid us in the morning look to the heavens that we may be \nreminded of those bodies that continually do the same things and in the same"}


created_at: 2024-02-29 14:37:29
topic: persistent://default/default/29a9e12c-e2d3-4fc9-b690-0cd687a43fcd
id: 0dc7a85a-d710-11ee-bdb1-0242ac1c000c
encoding: FLOAT32
metadata:
{"chroma:document": "reminded of those bodies that continually do the same things and in the same \nmanner perform their work, and also be reminded of their purity and nudity. For \nthere is no veil o ver a star.  (Marcus Aurelius,  Meditations XI.27)  \n \nEvery once in the while, find the time to get out of bed before sunrise \nand drag yourself to where you can see it.  It doesn\u2019t take that long \nand it\u2019s a magnificent sight.  Think of your place in the universe . \nConsider that, whatever you\u2019ve done before, here is one more chance \nto get it right.  \n \nThere are no guarantees you\u2019ll see another one.  Use this opportunity \nwisely.     \n Prepare for Battle  \n \n\u201cCling tooth and nail to the following rule: Not to give in to adversity, never to \ntrust prosperity, and always to take full note of fortune\u2019s habit of behaving just as \nshe pleases, treating her as if she were actually going to do everything it is in her \npower to do. Whatever you have been expecting for some time come s as less of a \nshock.\u201d ( Seneca, Letters from  a Stoic ) \n \nOne way (of several) to do the \u201c Premeditatio M alorum \u201d, the \n\u201cpremeditation of evils\u201d, is to start your day with a walk through your \ncalendar.  Consider what you will do, where you will go, and who you \nwill meet.  Imagine how it might go wrong.  \n \nNow, think about how it will feel.  How it will look to others.  How \nyou might be embarrassed, or angered, or disappointed . Just this part \nof the exercise has its benefits.  It deadens the pain of the actual event, \nif it actually happens, through a sort of emotional -hardening process.  \nIt even extends to other, unrelated events - If you can endure sorrow \nbetter  in this instance, you can endure it elsewhere.  \n \nNow consider how you might respond to this misfortune . How you \nmight lessen the damage, soften the blow.  Use this as an opportunity   \n to do a little contingency planning.  If the presentation goes poorly, is \nthere another resource you can appeal to?  Can you repurpose the"}


created_at: 2024-02-29 14:37:29
topic: persistent://default/default/29a9e12c-e2d3-4fc9-b690-0cd687a43fcd
id: 0dc7a8dc-d710-11ee-bdb1-0242ac1c000c
encoding: FLOAT32
metadata:
{"chroma:document": "there another resource you can appeal to?  Can you repurpose the \nmeeting advantageously?  Can you lay the groundwork for a second \nattempt?  \n \nExtend you r definition of \u201cmisfortune\u201d to include diversions and \ntemptations that might challenge your values.  Determine ahead of \ntime how you will handle the free doughnuts in the break room.  That \ncute married lady who fl irts with you.  That guy who is always making \nfun of your co -workers.  \n \nFinally, consider how you will handle the undesired  emotions.  How \nwill you maintain the space you need to form a reasoned response?  \nJust thinking about it lessens the shock.  Knowing your  strengths and \nweaknesses, what else are you going to have to do?  \n \nNow you can start the day knowing that you can still be surprised, but \nyou can\u2019t be shaken.  \n    \n Review Your Impressions  \n \nSo make a practice at once of saying to every strong impression: \u2018An impression is \nall you are, not the source of the impression.\u2019 Then test and assess it with your \ncriteria, but one primarily: ask, \u2018Is this something that is, or is not, in my \ncontrol?\u2019 And if it\u2019s not one of the things that you control, be ready with the \nreaction, \u2018Then it\u2019s none of my concern. \u2019 (Epictetus, Enchiridion I.5)  \n \nReview your recent emotional responses.  What made you angry?  \nWhat nagging fear continues to wear at you?  To whom do you have \nantipathy?  In short, what negative emotions are you experiencing?  \nNow ask yourself \u201cwhy?\u201d  If virtue is sufficient for fulfillment , why are \nyou feeling anything other than serenity ? To what inappropriate \nimpression have you assented?  What virtue have you lacked to allow \nthis disharmony into your \u201cinn er citadel\u201d?  \n \nIf there is an area of particular conce rn, start keeping a count of those  \nincidents when it has raised its ugly head.  Often, just measuring a \nthing goes a long way towards fixing it.  Just know ing that, for \ninstance, you lost your cool and yelled at the teenager four times this"}


created_at: 2024-02-29 14:37:29
topic: persistent://default/default/29a9e12c-e2d3-4fc9-b690-0cd687a43fcd
id: 0dc7a94a-d710-11ee-bdb1-0242ac1c000c
encoding: FLOAT32
metadata:
{"chroma:document": "instance, you lost your cool and yelled at the teenager four times this \nweek.  Or that you snacked twice when you\u2019d promised yourself you   \n wouldn\u2019t.  It\u2019s not a judgment, it\u2019s just a number.  But there are reasons \nbehind the number, and you can work  with those . \n    \n Brace for Trolls  \n \nSay to yourself in the early morning: I shall meet today inquisitive, ungrateful, \nviolent, treacherous, envious, uncharitable men. All these things have come upon \nthem through ignorance of real good and ill.  People do not choose to behave the way \nthey do so that men of a certain type should behave as they do is inevitable. To \nwish it otherwise were to wish the fig -tree would not yield its juice.  (Marcus \nAurelius,  Meditations II.1)  \n \nAs pessimistic as it sounds,  one can\u2019t  deny the truth of it:  On any \ngiven day, you will meet a few jerks.  Similarly to \u201c Prepare for Battle \u201d, \nit\u2019s best to anticipate th at and remove the sting of surprise.  \n \nBut further, consider how you will handle them, philosophically.  Go \nthrough the mental play -acting of  not losing your cool, of \nacknowledging that they could only act as they do.  Consider how you \nwill preserve your serenity and remain above the fray.  Admit that you \nhave your faults, too, and sometime s you hide them better than other \ntimes. \n \nImagine that, somewhere in your fine city, someone else is taking a \ndeep breath, making a face, and preparing to deal with you.    \n Ready Your Tools  \nAs physicians have always their instruments and knives ready for cases that \nsuddenly require their skill , so do you have principles ready for the understanding \nof things divine and human, and for doing everything, even the smallest, with a \nrecollection of the bond that unites the divine and human to each other. (Marcus \nAurelius,  Meditations III.13)  \nHave memorized those guide -posts you find most helpful in your \nphilosophy. Quotes, maxims, the basics of your belief system -"}


created_at: 2024-02-29 14:37:29
topic: persistent://default/default/29a9e12c-e2d3-4fc9-b690-0cd687a43fcd
id: 0dc7a9b8-d710-11ee-bdb1-0242ac1c000c
encoding: FLOAT32
metadata:
{"chroma:document": "philosophy. Quotes, maxims, the basics of your belief system - \nwhatever it takes to bring you back to center. Keep copies of \nMeditations , The Enchiridion , and whatever else  you find inspirational \nand supportive to your practice (even this thing) close to hand.  \nReview them regularly so that you can recall the right response with \nminimal effort.  \nA caveat : Preparing your tools should never be used as an excuse to \nnot use them.  You can spend so much time getting ready to live that \nyou never get around to actually living.  Ready them, but don\u2019t wait for \nthem.  \nThe easier it is to access those guiding principles you have chosen to \nfollow, the easier it is to find the right tool s when you face your next \nchallenge.     \n Pause, Assess, Then Decide  \n \nRemember, it is not enough to be hit or insulted to be harmed, you must believe \nthat you are being harmed. If someone succeeds in provoking you, realize that your \nmind is complicit in the provocation. Which is why it is essential that we not \nrespond impulsively to impressions; take a moment before reacting, and you will \nfind it is easier to maintain control.  (Epictetus,  Enchiridion XX)  \n \nWhenever you are assailed with a powerful emotional re action, \nimmediately take a deep breath and separate the event from your \nimpression of it.  The event is what happened;  your \u201cimpression\u201d is \nhow you have, initially, instinctively viewed it.  Will you assent?  \n \nAnything outside your control is of no real conce rn. It cannot touch \nthe you that matters.  But your considered response is, indeed, yours to \ncontrol.  Will you choose to be angry?  Depressed? Afraid?  Why?  How \ndo those things help you?  How do they make you stronger or more \nvirtuous?  How do they lead to a li fe of eudemonia ? \n \nInstead, take a deep breath and reach for some perspective.  Whatever \nit was that happened, it\u2019s already drifting into the past.  What does this \nmoment  require of you?     \n Apply the Fork"}


created_at: 2024-02-29 14:37:29
topic: persistent://default/default/29a9e12c-e2d3-4fc9-b690-0cd687a43fcd
id: 0dc7aa1c-d710-11ee-bdb1-0242ac1c000c
encoding: FLOAT32
metadata:
{"chroma:document": "moment  require of you?     \n Apply the Fork  \n \nOf all existing things some are in our power, and others are not in our power. In \nour power are thought, impulse, will to get and will to avoid, and, in a word, \neverything which is our own doing. Things not in our power include the body, \nproperty, reputati on, office, and, in a word, everything which is not our own doing. \nThings in our power are by nature free, unhindered, untrammelled; things not in \nour power are weak, servile, subject to hindrance, dependent on others. Remember \nthen that if you imagine tha t what is naturally slavish is free, and what is \nnaturally another's is your own, you will be hampered, you will mourn, you will be \nput to confusion, you will blame gods and men; but if you think that only your \nown belongs to you, and that what is another' s is indeed another's, no one will ever \nput compulsion or hindrance on you, you will blame none, you will accuse none, \nyou will do nothing against your will, no one will harm you, you will have no \nenemy, for no harm can touch you.  (Epictetus,  Enchiridion I ) \n \nIn all things that you believe to concern you, you must apply the Stoic \nFork:  \u201cIs this thing within my power ?\u201d \n \nThings that occur in your head, those impressions to which you \nassent, the act ions you undertake , the thoughts you form, and the   \n exercise of your will \u2013 these you control completely.  No external \nforce can make you do any of these, nor stop you from doing them.  \n \nBut the results of your efforts are largely not under your control. You \ncan do everything right and prudent and still not be rewarded. You \ncan study extensively and still be considered a fool.  You can work like \na mule  and still be poor.  You can live a healthy lifestyle and  still get \nsick. \n \nThe classic Stoic example is that of the archer.  The archer can take \nthe correct stance, aim perfectly, and release the arrow with precision."}


created_at: 2024-02-29 14:37:29
topic: persistent://default/default/29a9e12c-e2d3-4fc9-b690-0cd687a43fcd
id: 0dc7aa80-d710-11ee-bdb1-0242ac1c000c
encoding: FLOAT32
metadata:
{"chroma:document": "the correct stance, aim perfectly, and release the arrow with precision.  \nBut anything can happen after that.  The wind can change and blow \nthe arrow off target.  The target can move.  The string could break.  \n \nNone of these results should matte r if the archer restricts his concern \nto performing his task well.  It is the effort put forth , the intent, the \nwill that matters, because we control it.  If you restrict your concern to \nthat which you control, and you address those concerns with wisdom \nand courage, you will be fulfilled.  \n \nOr you can chase after things outside your control and forever be a \nslave to the whims of fate.     \n Use Your Head  \n \nI am content if I am in accord with Nature in what I will to get and will to avoid, \nif I follow Nature in impul se to act and to refrain from action, in purpose, and \ndesign and assent.  (Epictetus, Discourses XXII)  \n \nAt its very core, the  font from which all other Stoic teaching spring is \n\"Follow nature\".  This is not a command to hug trees and dance with \nthe satyrs, but to act in the manner that naturally  allows us to flourish. \n These principals work because  they are natural.  Every law in the \nuniverse supports them and, like gravity, any attempt to ignore  them \nwill have unfortunate  consequences.  \n \nOne can understand t he Stoic discipline  of \"Ethics\"  as being the \nstudy of how to correctly follow nature. To do this, one must have a \nsolid grasp of the \"Logic\" discipline.  And the information to which \none applies that logic comes from the final discipline, Physics.  The \nancient Stoics understood Physics as a  combination  of what we would \ntoday refer to as natural science, metaphysics, and theology.  More \nbroadly, it can simply be understood as, \"the way things are\".   \n   \n Following nature means following the facts. It means gett ing the facts about the \nphysical and social world we inhabit, and the facts  about our situation in it -our"}


created_at: 2024-02-29 14:37:29
topic: persistent://default/default/29a9e12c-e2d3-4fc9-b690-0cd687a43fcd
id: 0dc7aae4-d710-11ee-bdb1-0242ac1c000c
encoding: FLOAT32
metadata:
{"chroma:document": "physical and social world we inhabit, and the facts  about our situation in it -our \nown powers, relationships, limitations, possibil ities, motives, intentions, and \nendeavors  before we deliberate about normative matters.  (Lawrence Becker, A \nNew Stoicism)  \n \nSo, you use Logic to understand Physics, which tells you what is \nEthical.  Put another way, you use reason to study facts in order to \nfigure out what to do.  Or how to live.  \n \nIf you understand this process, then you'll recognize that all the other \nteachings of the ancients are simply rules of thumb derived from the \nfirst rule:  To follow nature.  In any situation where you find yourself \nat a loss concerning what is \"right\", if  your maxims are in conflict, if \nyou forget what Epictetus said about it, if the \"rules\" are counter -\nintuitive, your default response should alway s be to  fall back to the \nsource and \"follow nature\".  \n \nAnd that just means,  \"Use your head.\"  If the facts chan ge, you adjust. \n If you don't have enough information, you get more.  If your current \npath doesn't make sense, you go a different direction.  \u201cUse only that \nwhich works, and take it from any place you can find it. \u201d \n   \n There is no \"orthodoxy\" in a living  philosophy, and you can't be \ndoing it wrong if you're making it work.  \n    \n Take a 3rd -Party Perspective  \n \nWe can familiarize ourselves with the will of nature by calling to mind our \ncommon experiences. When a friend breaks a glass, we are quick to say, \u2018Oh, bad \nluck.\u2019 It\u2019s only reasonable, then, that when a glass of your own breaks, you accept \nit in the same patient spirit. Moving on to graver things: when somebody\u2019s wife or \nchild dies, to a man we all routinely say, \u2018Well, that\u2019s part of life.\u2019 But if o ne of \nour own family is involved, then right away it\u2019s \u2018Poor, poor me!\u2019 We would do \nbetter to remember how we react when a similar loss afflicts others.  (Epictetus,  \nEnchiridion XXVI)"}


created_at: 2024-02-29 14:37:29
topic: persistent://default/default/29a9e12c-e2d3-4fc9-b690-0cd687a43fcd
id: 0dc7ab48-d710-11ee-bdb1-0242ac1c000c
encoding: FLOAT32
metadata:
{"chroma:document": "Enchiridion XXVI)  \n \nIf you hear that your neighbor has a busted water heater, do you \nsympath etically worry that he will go broke dealing with it?  Most \nlikely, you take it with a shrug and figure he\u2019ll work it out with no \nsignificant impact on his lifestyle.  But at your own house, the \npossibility of a significant home repair bill is cause for grea t concern.  \nIs it because your neighbor is more capable than you?  \n \nIt\u2019s natural, but not reasonable, to feel like your challenges are of \ngreater import than those encountered by others.  They\u2019re simply \ncloser.  To get a more objective perspective, it\u2019s often helpful to take a \nstep back and view your obstacles as if you were a disinterested, but   \n sympathetic, 3rd party.  Would someone in that role be concerned for \nyou? Or would they see the situation as one of the sort that people \nencounter daily, and daily navig ate without injury?  \n \nIt\u2019s hard to justify an emotional reaction to a situation that is only \nimportant because it\u2019s happening to you.  \n    \n Support Your Community  \n \nIf mind is common to us, then also the reason, whereby we are reasoning beings, is \ncommon. If this be so, then also the reason which enjoins what is to be done or left \nundone is common. If this be so, law also is common; if this be so, we are citizens; \nif this be so, we are partakers in one constitution; if this be so, the Universe is a \nkind of Commonwealth. (Marcus  Aurelius,  Meditations IV:5)  \n \nAgain, they [the Stoics] hold that the universe is governed by divine will; it is a \ncity or state of which both me n and gods are members, and each one of us is a part \nof this universe from which it is a natural consequence that we should prefer the \ncommon advantage to our own.  (Cicero,  De Finibus)  \n \nOne must consider that, in a certain way, one's brothers are parts of oneself, just \nas my eyes are parts of me and so too my legs and hands and the rest.  (Hierocles, \nFragments and Exce rpts)"}


created_at: 2024-02-29 14:37:29
topic: persistent://default/default/29a9e12c-e2d3-4fc9-b690-0cd687a43fcd
id: 0dc7abac-d710-11ee-bdb1-0242ac1c000c
encoding: FLOAT32
metadata:
{"chroma:document": "Fragments and Exce rpts) \n \nThe Stoic concept of oikeiosis  posits that a stoic should steadily \nincrease the scope of his concerns to include the wellbeing of not j ust \nhimself, not just his family, and not just the nation but all of \nhumanity.  They considered this an extension of the foundational \nmotto , \u201cThe goal of life is to live in agreement with nature \u201d, because it is   \n natural for  any animal, as it matures, to look  towards the preservation \nof the species.  So, too, should we, if we are to mature.  \n \nWhat can you do to aid in the preservation of your species?  What can \nyou do to treat your fellow humans as if they were citizens of your \nuniversal Commonwealth, your brothe rs, your arms?  \n \nStart by thinking of them that way.  \n    \n Consider Worst Case Scenarios  \n \n\"We should remind our spirits all the time that they love things that will leave - \nno, better, things that are already leaving.  You possess whatever is given by \nFortune without a guarantor.\"  (Seneca , Consolation to Marcia ) \n \nIf an evil has been pondered beforehand, the blow is gentle when it comes. To the \nfool, however, and to him who trusts in fortune, each event as it arrives \"comes in a \nnew and sudden form,\" and  a large part of evil, to the inexperienced, consists in its \nnovelty. This is proved by the fact that men endure with greater courage, when they \nhave once become accustomed to them, the things which they had at first regarded \nas hardships. (Seneca,  Letter 76) \n \nIt is important to regularly spend time meditating on the worst \noutcomes you can possibly imagine. Spend 10 minutes imagining \nlosing your sight in an accident. Your child to a disease. Your \nlivelihood and reputation in one dramatic melt-down. Your life. \nWhatever you are currently most afraid of, whatever has been \nhaunting your thoughts - that. \n \nDo it for 10 minutes. For 10 whole minutes, walk through each \nagonizing step of your excruciating loss. What would you do? How  "}


created_at: 2024-02-29 14:37:29
topic: persistent://default/default/29a9e12c-e2d3-4fc9-b690-0cd687a43fcd
id: 0dc7ac10-d710-11ee-bdb1-0242ac1c000c
encoding: FLOAT32
metadata:
{"chroma:document": "agonizing step of your excruciating loss. What would you do? How   \n would you hand le it? Could you really be \u201cStoic\u201d about it? Possibly \nnot. \n \nBut in ten minutes, you\u2019ll open your eyes and all will be as it was.  \nNone of your worst fears will have happened.  \n \nOnly, now, you will have faced those fears and know that you will get \npast them, one way or another.  If it happens, you will not be \ndebilitated with shock.  You will get to work on what comes next.  You \nwill appreciate what you have, and yet fully accept that it is only yours \nso long as Lady Luck wills it.   \n \nYou will be stronger versus t hat which you fear the most.  \n \nIt sounds horrible and morbid. It sounds like a nasty way to begin the \nday. But only by confronting your fears can you overcome them and \nlearn to face whatever fate throws at you with serenity.     \n Retreat into the Self  \n \nPeople s eek retreats for themselves in the countryside by the seashore, in the hills, \nand you too have made it your habit to long for that above all else. But this is \naltogether unphilosophical, when it is possible for you to retreat into yourself \nwhenever you ple ase; for nowhere can one retreat into greater peace or freedom from \ncare than within one\u2019s own soul, especially when a person has such things within \nhim that he merely has to look at them to recover from that moment perfect ease of \nmind (and by ease of min d I mean nothing other than having one\u2019s mind in good \norder). So constantly grant yourself this retreat and so renew yourself; but keep \nwithin you concise and basic precepts that will be enough, at first encounter, to \ncleanse you from all distress and to s end you back without discontent to the life to \nwhich you will return. (Marcus Aurelius,  Meditation s 4.3) \n \nHow can you \"get away from it all\" when you always bring \"it\" with \nyou? \"It\" is, of course, all your baggage. Your fears, your anxiety, your \nanger, yo ur disappointment, your self -loathing, the lies you tell"}


created_at: 2024-02-29 14:37:29
topic: persistent://default/default/29a9e12c-e2d3-4fc9-b690-0cd687a43fcd
id: 0dc7ac74-d710-11ee-bdb1-0242ac1c000c
encoding: FLOAT32
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{"chroma:document": "anger, yo ur disappointment, your self -loathing, the lies you tell \nyourself, and the various poisons for which you lust.  If that's what \nyou want to get away from, there are cheaper tickets than the one at \nthe airport.  \n   \n The first thing you have to accept is that you cannot buy your peace of \nmind.  And if you are trying to find it on a beach, you might as well \nstick your head in the sand and hum loudly to drown out your \nthoughts.  If you want to see the world to broaden your horizons, \nthat's all good, but the only place to go to fix your head is your head.  \n \nTry this exercise based upon work by Christopher Gill at \nExeter:  Next time you need some relief, find some quiet space.  Go \nout to your car, if you must . Take a seat, close your eyes, and consider \nthese facts : \n\u2022 Only your  opinions, pursuits, desires, aversions, and actions are within \nyour control.  Nothing outside your control matters in your pursuit of \npeace. \n\u2022 Nothing that happens  to you can hurt you  unless you choose to be \nhurt. It is only your own opinions of eve nts that cause you to be \ndisturbed.  \n\u2022 Change is natural and inevitable.  You m ight as well get angry at the \nrain as be disturbed by change.  \n\u2022 Momento  mori. The clock is ticking.  What is the very next thing you \nwill do to start moving in the right direction?  \n   \n Just those 4 things . Put them into your own words and make a mantra \nof them.  Ponder them for as long as it takes  and then get back to your \nwork.  \n \nYou have control over this.  Even if you  occasionally  need to take a \nquick mental vacation to remember it.  \n    \n Choose Your Company Well  \n \nAvoid fraternizing with non -philosophers. If you must, though, be careful not to \nsink to their level; because, you know, i f a companion is dirty, his friends cannot \nhelp but get a little dirty too, no matter how clean they started out.  (Epictetus,  \nEnchiridion XXXIII.6)"}


created_at: 2024-02-29 14:37:29
topic: persistent://default/default/29a9e12c-e2d3-4fc9-b690-0cd687a43fcd
id: 0dc7ace2-d710-11ee-bdb1-0242ac1c000c
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{"chroma:document": "Enchiridion XXXIII.6)  \n \nRefuse the entertainments of strangers and the vulgar . (Epictetus, Enchiridion \nXXXIII)  \n \nAssociate with people who are likely to improve you.  (Seneca , Letter from a \nStoic)  \n \nYou can take this one as far as you will, but the point is simple:  If you \nwallow with pigs, you\u2019re going to come out muddy.  To the extent \npractical, you should surround yourself with peop le who use their \nheads.  People who challenge you and  aren\u2019t entirely impressed with \nyou. People who believe things you don\u2019t, and for good reason.  \nPeople who make you wiser for having spent time in their company.  \n \nConversely, avoid people who bring out you r worst.  People who drag \nyou back into bad habits, who appeal to your baser instincts.    \n  \nJim Rohn say s that everyone is an average of the five people they \nspend the most time with.  If that\u2019s true, would you be okay with it? \n    \n Use Self-Deprecating Humor  \n \nIf you learn that someone is speaking ill of you, don\u2019t try to defend yourself against \nthe rumours; respond instead with, \u2018Yes, and he doesn\u2019t know the half of it, \nbecause he could have said more.\u2019  (Epictetus,  Enchiridion XXXIII.9)  \n \nWhat a perfect way to deflate a verbal attack without climbing down \ninto the mud pit.  There\u2019s a skill to it, no doubt, but one that\u2019s easy \nenough to develop.  Like everything else, you just have to practice.  \nAfter a while, you\u2019ll have a few pat phrases and habit s that make it \nimpossible to put you down.  \n \nSelf-deprecation is a gentle way of showing that your self -esteem is \nstrong enough to take a beating without losing your sense of humor.  \nWith every insult, you appear stronger.  Your very willingn ess to \naccept barbs and one -up them show s how far off the mark they must \nbe. \n \nAnd best of all, there is no escalation.  No excuse for further \nanimosity.  You agreed  with the harsh assessment, and even piled more \nonto it.  What more can be said against you? What point is there in"}


created_at: 2024-02-29 14:37:29
topic: persistent://default/default/29a9e12c-e2d3-4fc9-b690-0cd687a43fcd
id: 0dc7ad3c-d710-11ee-bdb1-0242ac1c000c
encoding: FLOAT32
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{"chroma:document": "onto it.  What more can be said against you? What point is there in \nfurther assaults?    \n  \nThere is nothing like showing you can take a punch to suck all the fun \nout of throwing one. \n    \n Let the Other Guy Talk  \n \nIn your conversation, don\u2019t dwell at excessive length on your own deeds or \nadventures. Just  because you enjoy recounting your exploits doesn\u2019t mean that \nothers derive the same pleasure from hearing about them.  (Epictetus - \nEnchiridion XXXIII.14)  \n \nSo, yeah, no one wants to hear your war stories.  Or, they might, but \nthey\u2019ll generally ask if they d o. Otherwise, you can assume that they \nare far more interested in sharing their deeds of amazing adventure.  \nAnd that\u2019s okay.  \n \nSpending time talking about yourself is both boring and useless.  The \nmost boring guy you know does this all the time.  Always talki ng about \nhow rich he is, or how crafty he is, or how good he is with the ladies, \nor how much fun he has.  You hate that guy.  Don\u2019t be that guy.  \n \nFurthermore, go ing on about your glory days does virtually nothing to \nhelp you.  You aren\u2019t learning anything.  You aren\u2019t helping the \nconversation move along.  You aren\u2019t even convincing your associates \nof your conversational skills.  You\u2019re just boring people.  \n   \n So let the other guy tell his stories.  They might be entertaining.  They \nmight tell you something  about him he might not otherwise share.  Or, \nit might just make him think you are pretty cool for listening.    \n Live Simply  \n \nIs it not madness and the wildest lunacy to desire so much when you can hold so \nlittle? \u2026 [it is folly] to think that it is the amoun t of money and not the state of \nmind that matters!  (Seneca,  Consolation t o Helvia ) \n \nFor my part, I would choose sickness rather than luxury, for sickness harms only \nthe body, but luxury destroys both body and soul. Luxury induces weakness in the"}


created_at: 2024-02-29 14:37:29
topic: persistent://default/default/29a9e12c-e2d3-4fc9-b690-0cd687a43fcd
id: 0dc7ada0-d710-11ee-bdb1-0242ac1c000c
encoding: FLOAT32
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{"chroma:document": "the body, but luxury destroys both body and soul. Luxury induces weakness in the \nbody, cowa rdice and lack of self -control in the soul; and further it begets injustice \nand covetousness in others, and in self the failure in one's duty to friends, city and \nthe gods. . So, then, as being the cause of injustice, luxury and  extravagance  must \nbe shun ned in every way.  (Musonius Rufus, Lecture XVIIIb)  \n \nIt can seem natural to want the finer things in life,  possibly  because \npractically everyone does. Who wouldn't want a bigger house, a faster \ncar, or a more exotic vacation? Don't haute cuisine  and fine wine simply \ntaste better than pizza and cheap beer?  \n \nBut the fact that something serves its purpose well doesn't mean that \nit serves yours. Your purpose in life is not to consume the best of all   \n things. Yours is to achieve arete' - fulfillment  through excellence \nof character.  \n \nThe pursuit of luxury precludes  the pursuit of virtue. You can't focus \non both.  The possession of luxury creates a mental attachment to the \nephemeral, to things outside ourselves and our control. The \nconsumption of luxury becomes a dangerous step upon the hedonic \ntreadmill and a  never -ending  need for more and more.  \n \nThe \"good life\", then, is anything but. The material objects and \npowerful sensations that so many believe to be the epitome of success \nare, instead, self -inflicted obstacles that prevent it.  The wise man \nwould  seek to purge from his life everything that does not contribute \nto his goals, because anything that isn't helping is at best a distraction.  \n \nPerfection is achieved not when there is nothing more to add, but rather when there \nis nothing more to take away.  (Antoine de Sa int-Exupry)  \n \nEverything of value you can ever hope to possess will exist within \nyou. Your wisdom. Your courage. Your sense of justice. Your self -\ndiscipline. Anything else is just noise and baggage.  \n    \n Speak Without Judging"}


created_at: 2024-02-29 14:37:29
topic: persistent://default/default/29a9e12c-e2d3-4fc9-b690-0cd687a43fcd
id: 0dc7ae0e-d710-11ee-bdb1-0242ac1c000c
encoding: FLOAT32
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{"chroma:document": "discipline. Anything else is just noise and baggage.  \n    \n Speak Without Judging  \n \nSomeone bathes in haste; don\u2019t sa y he bathes badly, but in haste. Someone drinks \na lot of wine; don\u2019t say he drinks badly, but a lot. Until you know their reasons, \nhow do you know that their actions are vicious? This will save you from perceiving \none thing clearly, but then assenting to s omething different.  (Epictetus , \nEnchiridion XLV)  \n \nOne must persistently work on  viewing the world as objectively as \nfeasible . This aids in reducing the impact of our initial impressions  \nwhich, in turn, aids us in avoiding unwise reactions . To that end , it\u2019s \nuseful to develop the habit of , as much as possible, removing opinion \nand hyperbole from our observations, both mental and verbal.  \n \nIf you see someone you might be inclined to judge a s overweight, \nthink instead of their exact weight, which is a fact, rather than the \njudgment  that there is too much of it.  Better yet, see them as a whole \nperson, with all their objective characteristics rather than one you \nwould single out.  \n \nIf the weathe r strikes you as hot, focus instead on the temperature.  If \nyour back is killing you, think that there is a sharp sensation.  If your   \n boss is overbearing, think instead that he appears to care deeply about \nthe topic . You are in no position to judge if he car es \u201ctoo much\u201d.  \n \nThe judgment  adds nothing but unhelpful emotion.  See the world as \nit is and work from that.  \n    \n Educate by Example  \n \nOn no occasion call yourself a philosopher, nor talk at large of your principles \namong the multitude, but act on your principles. For instance, at a banquet do not \nsay how one ought to eat, but eat as you ought. (Epictetus,  Enchiridi on \nXLV I) \n \nIf you wish t o help others find virtue, telling them about the great \nTruth you have found, the one they didn\u2019t  find, is perhaps the least"}


created_at: 2024-02-29 14:37:29
topic: persistent://default/default/29a9e12c-e2d3-4fc9-b690-0cd687a43fcd
id: 0dc7ae72-d710-11ee-bdb1-0242ac1c000c
encoding: FLOAT32
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{"chroma:document": "Truth you have found, the one they didn\u2019t  find, is perhaps the least \neffective way to do it.  It\u2019s arrogant and positions you as some kind of \nenlightened guru with private  access to wisdom with others as mere \nacolytes at your feet  \n \nThe wisdom of your  \u201cteachings\u201d is not as readily apparent coming \nout of your mouth as it would be when derived from your character . \nIf you want people to be less rancorous, communicate  without \nrancor.  If you want to teach them how to avoid letting their emotions \novercome them, be a Zen chill dude.  And if you want to teach them \nthe wisdom of applied silence, shut up.  \n \n\u2026 if any conversation should arise among uninstructed persons about any \ntheorem, generally be silent; for there is great danger that you will immediately   \n vomit up what you have not digested.  And when a man shall say to you that you \nknow nothing, and you are not vexed, then be sure that you have begun the work \n(of philosophy).  For even sheep do not vomit up their grass and show to the \nshepherds how much they have eaten; but when they have internally digested the \npasture, they produce externally wool and milk.  Do you also show not your \ntheorems to the uninstructed, but show the acts which come from their digestion.  \n(Epictetus,  Enchiridion XLVI)  \n \nIf you derive your happiness from your own virtue, then you have no \nneed to convince others of your wisdom.  If you con sider it your duty \nto share what you\u2019ve learned, understand that an unwilling audience is \nunlikely to benefit from your efforts.  If they perceive you are wise, \nthey will ask for your help.  If they do not, you cannot force it on \nthem, and any effort to do s o will only prove you aren\u2019t as smart as \nyou think you are.  \n \nBy focusing on your own actions, you strengthen your virtue and set a \ngood example for others.  You avoid pretentious pontification and \nirritated egos.  And you make your point in the only way you \neffectively can.  \n   "}


created_at: 2024-02-29 14:37:29
topic: persistent://default/default/29a9e12c-e2d3-4fc9-b690-0cd687a43fcd
id: 0dc7aed6-d710-11ee-bdb1-0242ac1c000c
encoding: FLOAT32
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{"chroma:document": "irritated egos.  And you make your point in the only way you \neffectively can.  \n    \n Practice Discomfort  \n \nSet aside a certain number of days during which you shall be content with the \nscantiest and cheapest fare, with coarse and rough dress, saying to yourself the \nwhile, 'Is this the condition that I feared?'  (Seneca,  Letters, 18)  \n \nDifficulties strengthen the mind, as labour does the body.  (Seneca,  Morals)  \n \nResilience is a huge part of Stoic practical philosophy.  The idea is that \nintentionally subjecting one\u2019s self to inconvenience and minor pains \nwill prepare you to better withstand the challenges of the real thing \nwith equanimity.  Stoics (and other Greek schools of philosophy) \nwould famously do things like hug cold statues in the morning or \nwalk about in uncomfortable clothing to build mental scar tissue.  If \none could develop the habit of dismissing minor annoyances as \n\u201cindifferents\u201d of no consequence, how much harder would it be to \ndismiss major ones?  To view them without d read?  \n \nThe sage -in-training, then, should practice discomfort in minor ways \nwhenever possible. Drink nothing but water one day, to temper one\u2019s \nwill-power. Walk outside on a chilly day without the normal degree of \nlayering to get a taste of what the weathe r feels like. Park on the other   \n end of the parking lot and take the long way in. Turn the hot water \ndown in the shower, or turn the AC off in the house.  If you get an \nitch, metaphorical or otherwise, just let it be.  \n \nAll of these little tests of the will s trengthen it like a muscle and, \nhopefully, leave you fortified when the real test happens.  \n    \n Seek Your Own Approval  \n \nOften I marvel at how men love themselves more than others while at the same \ntime caring more about what others think of them than what they think of \nthemselves.  (Marcus Aurelius,  Meditations Book XII)  \n \nIf you ever happen to turn your attention to externals, so as to wish to please"}


created_at: 2024-02-29 14:37:29
topic: persistent://default/default/29a9e12c-e2d3-4fc9-b690-0cd687a43fcd
id: 0dc7af3a-d710-11ee-bdb1-0242ac1c000c
encoding: FLOAT32
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{"chroma:document": "If you ever happen to turn your attention to externals, so as to wish to please \nanyone, be assured that you have ruined your scheme of life. Be contented, then, in \neverything with being a p hilosopher; and, if you wish to be thought so likewise by \nanyone, appear so to yourself, and it will suffice you.  \n(Epictetus,  Enchiridion  23) \n \nIt is amazing how willing people generally are to put their happiness, \ntheir sense of worth, and their peace of mind in the hands of others.  \nThey tell themselves that they cannot be happy unless that one loves \nthem, or the other approves. They strive, in futility, to get the \nvalidation they crave from other people.  They spend their whole lives \nwondering why others r efuse to give them the  acceptance  they \nso desperately  need to reach contentment.  \n \nThey have chosen a path that simply does not lead where they want \nto go.    \n  \nEudemonia , that sense of  fulfillment, of flourishing, that we all seek, is \nnot something that someon e else can give to us. It comes only from \nour own actions  and judgments . It is the natural reward for virtuous \nacts - for living up to our standards and acting according to the values \nwe hold dear.  It is ours to have, at will, if we so choose to.  We need \nonly live our lives with as much wisdom as we can muster.  \n \nNo one else can know what you have overcome to get where you are.  \nThey can't know if the efforts that lead to your outcomes were a \ntriumph over adversity or a cake walk.  Did you fight against \ntempta tion or phone it in?  Did you stick to your values or do what \nwas popular?  Did you sweat and struggle to reach the finish line, or \ndid it come naturally?  Did you accomplish something  meaningful  to \nyou, given your values and weaknesses, or did you just  do so mething \nthat looks good from the outside ? \n \nIf you want happiness, you must stop looking for it in other people.  \nSet your own standards for excellence and strive to meet them.  There"}


created_at: 2024-02-29 14:37:29
topic: persistent://default/default/29a9e12c-e2d3-4fc9-b690-0cd687a43fcd
id: 0dc7af9e-d710-11ee-bdb1-0242ac1c000c
encoding: FLOAT32
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{"chroma:document": "Set your own standards for excellence and strive to meet them.  There \nis nothing anyone else on the planet can do to help you reach that \ngoal. And it's the only one that matters.  \n    \n Enjoy the Silence  \n \nLet silence be your general rule; or say only what is necessary and in few words. \nWe shall, however, when occasion demands, enter into discourse sparingly, avoiding \nsuch common topics as gladiators, ho rse-races, athletes; and the perpetual talk \nabout food and drink. Above all avoid speaking of persons, either in the way of \npraise or blame, or comparison.  (Epictetus , Enchiridion XXXIII)  \n \nWhen confronted with an uncomfortable pause in the conversation \u2026 \nlet it be.  When bored and reaching for something witty to say, just \ndon\u2019t.  There is nothing wrong with just letting the quiet  stand.  \n \nI begin to speak only when I\u2019m certain what I\u2019ll say isn\u2019 t better left unsaid.  (Cato \nthe Younger)  \n \nIn social settings where participation is to be expected, do not, of \ncourse, maintain a monkish muteness . It is out of place and possibly a \ncry for attention.  Instead, be sure to answer all questions succinctly  \nand with a smile, and to make the appropriate responses to grease the \nwheels of communication.  Never let others hear a disparaging remark \nescape your lips, unless you want them to wonder how you speak in \ntheir absence.  When it is your turn to broach a topic, make sure it is   \n focused on anything but you and your obsessions.  Try, \u201cSo what are \nyou working on, now?\u201d, or \u201cWhat are your thoughts on\u2026\u201d, or \nmaybe, \u201cI noticed you have a new \u2026\u201d.  \n \nAnd w hen your words come, let it be because they are missed.  Let \nyour words have the weight of being sparingly shared; of being well \nconsidered.  Let them be pulled, rather than pushed.  \n    \n Hold On Loosely  \n \nIn the case of particular things that delight you, or benefit you, or to which you \nhave grown attached, remind yourself of what they are. Start with things of little"}


created_at: 2024-02-29 14:37:29
topic: persistent://default/default/29a9e12c-e2d3-4fc9-b690-0cd687a43fcd
id: 0dc7b00c-d710-11ee-bdb1-0242ac1c000c
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{"chroma:document": "have grown attached, remind yourself of what they are. Start with things of little \nvalue. If it is china you like, for instance, say, \u2018I am fond of a piece of china.\u2019 \nWhen it breaks, then you won\u2019t be as disconcerted. When giving your wife or child \na kiss, repe at to yourself, \u2018I am kissing a mortal.\u2019 Then you won\u2019t be so distraught \nif they are taken from you.  (Epictetus,  Enchiridion III)  \n \nThis one\u2019s tough for a lot of people.  It goes against much of what we \nare taught fr om birth about holding on tightly  to those  we love.  But, \nto the Stoics, such attachments were plainly to, and subject to, things \noutside our control.  You can, and even should , love the good people in \nyour life, but you always must be prepared to carry on without them.   \n \nThis exercise is similar to \u201cConsider Worst Case Scenarios\u201d, above.  \nImagine the one who is  closest to you, the one  whom you would least \nlike to live without , being irrevocably taken from you . Practice \ndistancing yourself from the impulse to panic and grieve.  That\u2019s not a \nrequirement for appreciation.  Now imagine yourself lovingly releasing \nthem and accepting that, will it or fight it, fate has decided and you   \n must carry on.  How would you do so?  What strengths would you \nneed to bring to bear?  \n \nNever say of anything, \u201cI have  lost it\u201d; but, \u201cI have returned it.\u201d Is your child \ndead? It is returned. Is your wife dead? She is returned. Is your estate taken \naway? Well, and is not that likewise returned? \u201cBut he who took it away is a bad \nman.\u201d What difference is it to you who the g iver assigns to take it back? While he \ngives it to you to possess, take care of it; but don\u2019t view it as your own, just as \ntravelers view a hotel.  (Epictetus,  Enchiridion XXI) \n \nGo through the practical steps in your mind.  Funeral arrangements, \ndivorce proc eedings, account credentials, whatever is required.  How \nwould your life be different ? What new responsibilities might you"}


created_at: 2024-02-29 14:37:29
topic: persistent://default/default/29a9e12c-e2d3-4fc9-b690-0cd687a43fcd
id: 0dc7b066-d710-11ee-bdb1-0242ac1c000c
encoding: FLOAT32
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{"chroma:document": "would your life be different ? What new responsibilities might you \npick up, or activities might you cease?  \n \nNow consider what you might have said to them, how you might \nhave treated them, had you more time.  Well, consider yourself \nfortunate, because you do.  \n     \n Renounce  \n \nThe more of these things a man deprives himself of, or of other things like them, or \neven when he is deprived of any of them, the more patiently he endures the loss, just \nin the same degree he is a better man. (Marcus Aurelius,  Meditations V.15)  \n \nIt's not the daily increase but daily decrease.  Hack away at the unessential. \n(Bruce Lee ) \n \nYou should regularly look to remove from your life that which you \ncan do without.  If possible, forever, but if not, at least for a while.  \nPossessions, habits, hobbies, social  commitments, whatever you can.  \nSimplify your life so that there is less you can lose , less to weigh you \ndown.  \n \nLikewise, of those things you cannot forever purge, at the very least \ntry to occasionally do without.  Skip the coffee for a week to reduce \ncaffe ine\u2019s grip on you. Skip your favorite shows so that you are not \ncommitted to keeping up with the soap opera.  Turn off your phone \none Sunday and remember how it felt to be offline.  \n   \n None of these things are essential to your happiness.  You already \nhave what  you need for that and it can\u2019t be taken away.    \n Focus on the Thing at Hand  \n \nEvery moment , concentrate  steadily as a citizen and a human being to do what you \nhave before you with perfect and simple dignity, and feeling of affection, and \nfreedom, and justice; and to put aside all else. And you will give yourself peace, if \nyou do every act of your life as if it were the last, laying aside all carelessness and \npassionate aversion from the commands of reason, and all hypocrisy, and self -love, \nand disconte nt with the portion which has been given to you. You see how few the"}


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topic: persistent://default/default/29a9e12c-e2d3-4fc9-b690-0cd687a43fcd
id: 0dc7b0ca-d710-11ee-bdb1-0242ac1c000c
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{"chroma:document": "and disconte nt with the portion which has been given to you. You see how few the \nthings are that, should you grab hold of them, you can to live a life which flows in \nquiet, and is like the existence of the gods; for the gods on their part will require \nnothing more fro m him who observes these things.  (Marcus Aurelius, \nMeditations 2.5)  \n \nBuddhists have this concept of a thing called the \"monkey mind\". It's \nthat chattering voice in your head that seems to pipe up whenever \nyou set yourself to any task. It says things like, \"I wonder if anyone \nhas liked my Facebook post, yet\" and \"I bet there's a new article in \nmy news feed now\". When you wrestle it into grudging silence, it \nsquirms and w riggles and waits for a moment of laxity to burst free \nand do a quick check of the Reddit  front page. It simply must know \nwhat else is going on.    \n  \nMastering one's self is  largely  about mastering this tendency we have \nto skip from task to task, trying on our work like coats at a \ndepartment store and waiting for one to grab ou r fancy. There is \nalways something shinier right over there. And yet, if our mind is \nalways on the next thing, then it is never on what we are actually \ndoing. And if our mind is not engaged in the only moment where we \nexist, this one, then we might as well have never existed.  We were \nnever \"there\".  \n \nOne should, instead,  approach every task as if it mattered, as if it were \nimportant. Else, why have you chosen to do it? And if you have \ndecided that a thing is to be done, then work at it as if it could be the \nvery last impression you leave on this planet. Who knows what wil l \nhappen next? If this was to be your last moment on Earth, would you \nwant to spend it half -heartedly tending the garden of your life while \nchecking your Twitter stream?  \n \nBetter we should grasp every task we choose to do with both hands, \nand not let go un til we have completed the work to our full"}


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topic: persistent://default/default/29a9e12c-e2d3-4fc9-b690-0cd687a43fcd
id: 0dc7b17e-d710-11ee-bdb1-0242ac1c000c
encoding: FLOAT32
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{"chroma:document": "and not let go un til we have completed the work to our full \nsatisfaction. Engage with the work - experience it. Live in the \nmoment forcefully enough to remember it happened.  \n   \n If Death comes while you are washing dishes, let him find you \nscrubbing them spotless . If he comes  while you are driving to work, \nlet him find you with both hands on the wheel. And, if he finds you in \nyour bed, go with him satisfied  that you have used your allotted \nminutes well.  \n    \n Master Your Appetite  \n \nThe man who eats more than he ought does wrong, and the man who eats in \nundue haste no less, and also the man who wallows in the pickles and sauces, and \nthe man who prefers the sweeter foods to the more healthful ones, and the man who \ndoes not serve food of the same kind or amount to his guests a s to himself . \n(Musonius Rufus,  On Food ) \n \nTo the ancient S toics, good health was nothing more than an \n\"indifferent\", albeit a preferred one.  Being healthy was certainly better \nthan being sickly, but was not a virtue in and of itself.  The quest for \nsix-pack abs and buns -of-steel was nothing but vanity, and did \nnothing for true fulfillment.  \n \nMastering one's appetite is the very foundation of training in self -control.  \n(Musonius Rufus,  On Food)  \n \nHowever, temperance was unquestionably a virtue, and it's opposite,  \ngluttony, a vice. Those two qualities were instrumental in determining \nthe manner in which an individual reacted to his impressions.  A \nglutton would accept all impressions on presentation, without pausing \nto impose reason upon his reaction.  If a slice of bacon appeared   \n delicious, it would be eaten.  If a portion  of lima beans  looked bland, it \nwould be ignored.  \n \nHow shameful it is to behave toward food in this way we may learn from the fact \nthat we liken them to unreasoning animals rather than to intelligent human \nbeings.  (Musonius Rufus,  On Food)"}


created_at: 2024-02-29 14:37:29
topic: persistent://default/default/29a9e12c-e2d3-4fc9-b690-0cd687a43fcd
id: 0dc7b1e2-d710-11ee-bdb1-0242ac1c000c
encoding: FLOAT32
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{"chroma:document": "beings.  (Musonius Rufus,  On Food)  \n \nIt is the reasoning faculty that sets us above the animals, and when we \nset it aside, its lack that makes us no better.  Our reason allows us to \nanalyze our initial impressions, and then assent or reject them.  \nBecause of our reason, we can objectively view the things we might \ninitially desire, and decide whether taking them would actually be in \nour best interests.  And we are at our best when we prevent our \ndesires and aversions from overpowering our good s ense.  \n \nIt follows, then, that mastery of one's appetites is an essential step \nalong the path toward mastery of one's entire life. If one is unable to \ncease from overeating, how can he learn to hold his tongue ? If \nanother  will not  eat her vegetables , will she be able to perform her \nduty?  \n \nAnd, so, daily we must prepare to battle our appetites.  And some \ndays, we will lose.  No matter - the battle itself makes us stronger, so   \n long as we never quit trying.  Self-mastery is not a state one achieves.  \nIt is a skill one hones.  \n    \n Break I t Down  \n \nWhen we have meat before us and such eatables, we receive the impression that this \nis the dead body of a fish, and this is the dead body of a bird or of a pig; and \nagain, that this Falernian is only a little grape juice, and this purple robe some \nsheep\u2019s w ool dyed with the blood of a shellfish; or, in the matter of sexual \nintercourse, that it is merely an internal attrition and the spasmodic expulsion of \nsemen: such then are these impressions, and they reach the things themselves and \npenetrate them, and so we see the things as they truly are. Just in the same way \nought we to act all through life, and where there are things that appear most \nworthy of our approbation, we ought to lay them bare and look at their \nworthlessness and strip them of all the words by which they are exalted. For \noutward show is a wonderful perverter of reason, and when you are most sure that"}


created_at: 2024-02-29 14:37:29
topic: persistent://default/default/29a9e12c-e2d3-4fc9-b690-0cd687a43fcd
id: 0dc7b246-d710-11ee-bdb1-0242ac1c000c
encoding: FLOAT32
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{"chroma:document": "outward show is a wonderful perverter of reason, and when you are most sure that \nyou are employed about things worth your pains, it is then that it cheats you most. \n(Marcus Aurelius,  Meditations VI.13)  \n \nIn any situation, during any struggle, when faced with any \noverpowering experience, break whatever it is down into its smallest \ncomponents. So much of our initial reaction is based upon what we \nhave brought to the situation, rather than the situation itself. Brush \noff the dross to  find the truth beneath.  \n   \n If you are facing an insurmountable problem, ask yourself what you \nare really looking for.  Maybe it\u2019s as simple as the very next step that is \ndoable right now.  Once that\u2019s behind you, the seemingly \ninsurmountable problem is alread y on its way to solution.  \n \nIf you are facing an  overpowering emotional response, ask yourself \nwhat has, at its most basic level , happened.  Perhaps someone has \nbeen rude to you.  Once you peel away the hurt pride and silly \nindignation, perhaps it's just a sa d little person trying to save face.  So, \nwhat of it?  \n \nWhen overcome with attachment to a thing , dig down deeply into \nwhatever commands your emotions. Is it a toy, a trinket, you can \nsimply live without? A bit of metal and plastic representing a few \nhours w ork and a new life -lesson? Is it truly deserving of your \nemotion?  \n \nStripped of the drama and passion we seem to apply so liberally, most \nsituations end up looking rather small.  \n    \n Emulate  Your Role Models  \n \nWe need to set our affections on some good man and keep him constantly before \nour eyes, so that we may live as if he were watching us and do everything as if he \nsaw what we were doing. (Seneca, Letters, 65)  \n \nWhen you are going to confer with anyone, and es pecially with one who seems your \nsuperior, represent to yourself how Socrates or Zeno would behave in such a case, \nand you will not be at a loss to meet properly whatever may occur. (Epictetus,"}


created_at: 2024-02-29 14:37:29
topic: persistent://default/default/29a9e12c-e2d3-4fc9-b690-0cd687a43fcd
id: 0dc7b2aa-d710-11ee-bdb1-0242ac1c000c
encoding: FLOAT32
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{"chroma:document": "and you will not be at a loss to meet properly whatever may occur. (Epictetus, \nEnchiridion XXXIII )  \n \nSimilarly  to how Marcus Aurelius begins his \u201cMeditations\u201d, and \nalmost the completely opposite of his thoughts under the \u201cBrace for \nTrolls\u201d heading, one might find it uplifting and inspirational to \nconsider those traits in others they admire the most.  Contemplating \nan actual role model, a real pe rson, who has \u201cnailed\u201d a virtue is one \nway to help get better at it yourself.  It underlines the point that the \nexcellence to which you strive can, in fact, be achieved by actual \nhumans.  \n \nIf anything is possible for man, and peculiar to him, think that this  can be \nattained by thee.  (Marcus Aurelius,  Meditations VI.19)    \n  \nThere is, perhaps, an added bonus in lessening one\u2019s cynicism.  It\u2019s so \neasy to find the worst in others, one needs regular reminders that \nthere is more to them.  It\u2019s hard to work towards your purpose when \nyou wallow in hopelessness.  \n \nDo not be discouraged that your role models have failed in other \nways.  We all do.  That\u2019s what makes their achievements attainable for \nthe rest of us.  Admire them for what they have accomplished, and \nintegrate their methods, the ones that work, into your own.  \n \nTry to act in the manner you would imagine your role models would \nuntil it is no longer an act.     \n Turn It Around  \n \nWhen you are offended at any man\u2019s fault, immediately turn to yourself and reflect \nin what manner you yourself have erred: for example, in thinking that money is a \ngood thing or pleasure, or a bit of reputation, and the like. (Marcus Aurelius,  \nMeditations X.30)  \n \nPractice this exercise when you f eel the urge to judge another. The \nfaults of others are not your concern.  They don\u2019t impact anything \nimportant in you, and their correct ion is not under your control. \nFurther, you are not free of fault yourself.  \n \nHe that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone.  (Jesus of"}


created_at: 2024-02-29 14:37:29
topic: persistent://default/default/29a9e12c-e2d3-4fc9-b690-0cd687a43fcd
id: 0dc7b30e-d710-11ee-bdb1-0242ac1c000c
encoding: FLOAT32
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{"chroma:document": "He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone.  (Jesus of \nNazareth,  KJV John 8:7)  \n \nIn many situations, with a little reflection, you will find an error on \nyour own part that has contributed to any conflict you might be \nexperiencing . If you are  not in conflict, the fact that you have put \nyourself forward as the judge of another, without knowing all that has \nled them to where they are, is fault enough to consider.  It is also likely \nthat you have, yourself, been tempted to act in a similar manner.  You \nmay have on occasion even given in to it.    \n  \nYour only concern is to improve the faults within yourself.  The only \ninterest you should take in the \u201cfaults\u201d of others is to see if there is in \nthem some lesson for you.  \n    \n Take a View from Above  \n \nYou can rid yourself of many useless things among those that disturb you, for they \nlie entirely in your imagination; and you will then gain for yourself ample space by \ncomprehending the whole universe in your mind, and by contemplating the eternity \nof time , and observing the rapid change of every part of everything, how short is the \ntime from birth to dissolution, and the illimitable time before birth as well as the \nequally boundless time after dissolution. (Marcus Aurelius,  Meditations \nIX.32)  \n \nThis is an e xercise aimed at helping you maintain perspective.  So \nmuch of what vexes us only has significance because we have chosen \nto give it significance.  Remembering where we and our petty concerns \nfit into the global scheme of things may change how we view our \nchallenges.  \n \nWherever you are, close your eyes and picture yourself from outside.  \nThe way you are dressed, how you are positioned, your immediate \nsurroundings.  With your eyes still closed, pull back and take in the \narea around you and the other people nearby . Continue the exercise, \npulling further away, but keeping \u201cyou\u201d in the center.  Take in the"}


created_at: 2024-02-29 14:37:29
topic: persistent://default/default/29a9e12c-e2d3-4fc9-b690-0cd687a43fcd
id: 0dc7b372-d710-11ee-bdb1-0242ac1c000c
encoding: FLOAT32
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{"chroma:document": "pulling further away, but keeping \u201cyou\u201d in the center.  Take in the \nnearby streets and build ings, then those further away.    \n  \nNow, i magine that you are zooming in and out, watching everyone \naround you.  People sleeping, people working,  people having first \nkisses, and people saying goodbye . People experiencing triumph, and \npeople going through tragedy.  First days on the job, unexpected \nterminations, car wrecks and marathon finishes. The entirety of the \nhuman experience happening in one instant , all around you.  \n \nAfter holding all of that in your mind for a moment, it\u2019s hard to \nremember what you thought wa s such a big deal before.  \n    \n Own It  \n \nWhen you have decided that a thing ought to be done, and are doing it, never avoid \nbeing seen doing it, though the many shall form an unfavorable opinion about it.  \nFor if it is not right to do it, avoid doing the thing; but if it is right, why are you \nafraid of those who shall find fault wrongly?  (Epictetus,  Enchiridion XXXV)  \n \nSometimes, acting according to your values can make you feel like a \nputz.  All the cool kids are doing. whatever is currently cool, and here \nyou are, following your silly principles.  It\u2019s enough to make one want \nto slip off to the side and be principled in private.  \n \nHowever, this would, in itself, be a failure of the Stoic precept t hat \nonly virtue matters.  Your reputation with the in -crowd is a  definite \n\u201cindifferent \u201d, and a principled person would not sacrifice virtue for \nsomething that simply doesn\u2019t matter.  \n \nAnything done according to your values is worth doing openly.  \nPerhaps others will see your example and learn from it.  Perhaps your \nskin will grow a little thicker.  \n   \n And a nything that must be done in secret is better not done at all.  If \nan act is both a vice and an embarrassment, there is simply no \njustification for it.  \n   \n Walk in Your Enemy's Shoes"}


created_at: 2024-02-29 14:37:29
topic: persistent://default/default/29a9e12c-e2d3-4fc9-b690-0cd687a43fcd
id: 0dc7b43a-d710-11ee-bdb1-0242ac1c000c
encoding: FLOAT32
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{"chroma:document": "justification for it.  \n   \n Walk in Your Enemy's Shoes  \n \nLet us put ourselves in the place o f him with whom we are angry. At present an \noverweening conceit of our own importance makes us prone to anger, and we are \nquite willing to do to others what we cannot endure to be done to ourselves.  \n(Seneca, On Anger, 3.12)  \n \nWhen people injure you, ask you rself what good or harm they thought would come \nof it. If you understand that, you\u2019ll feel sympathy rather than outrage or anger. \nYour sense of good and evil may be the same as theirs, or near it, in which case \nyou have to excuse them. Or your sense of goo d and evil may differ from theirs. In \nwhich case they\u2019re misguided and deserve your compassion. Is that so hard? \n(Marcus Aurelius, Meditation Book VII)  \n \nIt's common to imagine that when someone makes us angry, their \nactions were about us. That they either intended to wrong us or, at \nbest, did so out of negligence. But any misdeed, if it exists, is only \ntheir logical (from their vantage) response to their own circumstances. \nWe are, at most, a bystander.  \n   \n When any person does ill by you, or speaks ill of you,  remember that he acts or \nspeaks from an impression that it is right for him to do so. Now it is not possible \nthat he should follow what appears right to you, but only what appears so to \nhimself. Therefore, if he judges from false appearances, he is the pe rson hurt, since \nhe, too, is the person deceived.  (Epictetus, Enchiridion  XLII)  \n \nWhen you feel another has treated you unkindly, unfairly, \nthoughtlessly, or in any way you would understand to be in error, \nunderstand that they think the offending act is cal led for. They are \nquite possibly wrong, but it makes sense to them because they don't \nknow better. Maybe they don't understand virtue like you do. Maybe \nthey think there is something more important at stake. Maybe \nsomeone they trusted led them astray. If y ou took a moment to"}


created_at: 2024-02-29 14:37:29
topic: persistent://default/default/29a9e12c-e2d3-4fc9-b690-0cd687a43fcd
id: 0dc7b49e-d710-11ee-bdb1-0242ac1c000c
encoding: FLOAT32
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{"chroma:document": "someone they trusted led them astray. If y ou took a moment to \nconsider your impression of events, it shouldn't be too hard for you \nto imagine a plausible sequence of events that might lead you to act \nthe same way.  \n \nWe are all the products of our past; our genetics and experience. \nYours now include s the capacity to consider events objectively, and \nfrom the viewpoint of another. You can dismiss the irrelevant details \nof your bruised ego or marginally reduced circumstances to see the \nmisfortune of the person who struggles in ignorance and confusion. \nYou have full control over how you will respond.    \n  \nIt shouldn't take much effort to realize that you are the fortunate one \nin this encounter.  \n    \n Nail Your Part \n \nRemember that you are an actor in a drama, of such a kind as the author pleases \nto make it. If short, of a short one; if long, of a long one. If it is his pleasure you \nshould act a poor man, a cripple, a governor, or a private person, see that you act \nit naturally. For this is your business, to act well the character assigned you; to \nchoose it is an other's.  (Epictetus, Endichirion 17)  \n \nFate has chosen a role for you.  It is the role you fill right now.  It is \ncomprised of all your weaknesses, strengths, wisdom and ignorance.  \nIt includes the  responsibilities  you have accrued up to now, and all the \ndebts  owed to you, or by you.  The entire chain of causality back to \nthe beginning of time has conspired to place you into the role you fill \nat this moment in time.  \n \nWhat will you do, now?  \n \nThe correct answer is, \"My job, as best I can.\"  \n \nIt is irrelevant how il l-prepared you feel you might be for the \nchallenges you face.   It simply doesn't matter if you don't want  the   \n role you find yourself playing.  That's the one you have.  You can fill \nthat role well or you can do so poorly, but you will fill it regardless."}


created_at: 2024-02-29 14:37:29
topic: persistent://default/default/29a9e12c-e2d3-4fc9-b690-0cd687a43fcd
id: 0dc7b584-d710-11ee-bdb1-0242ac1c000c
encoding: FLOAT32
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{"chroma:document": "that role well or you can do so poorly, but you will fill it regardless.  \n \nReflect on the other social roles you play. If you are a council member, consider \nwhat a council member should do. If you are young, what does being young mean, \nif you are old, what does age imply, if you are a father, what does fatherhood \nentail? Each of ou r titles, when reflected upon, suggests the acts appropriate to it . \n(Epictetus, Discourses II)  \n \nOne seeking wisdom will  analyze  his life objectively, and take honest \ninventory of his roles; as a parent, a student, an employee, a leader - \nwhatever those rol es might be.  For some roles, the only virtuous path \nis to leave them.  For others, it is to endure them.  A prisoner, a patient \nand an exile each have their own opportunities for excellence. The \nrole itself is unimportant, to be neither desired nor feared.  The role is \nnot the person. It is simply part of the environment in which they \nmust act.  \n \nThe world is filled with children who whine and complain bitterly \nabout the roles thrust upon them, as if the universe should, somehow, \nbend reality to pave a more gentle path for them.  You should, instead, \nseek to be the adult in the room, the calm voice of practicality who   \n notes that, fairness aside, here we are.  All that matters is what we do \nnext.  \n    \n Reconsider the Wrong  \n \nIf any man has done wrong, the harm is his own. But perhaps he has not done wrong.  \n(Marcus Aurelius,  Meditations IX.38)  \n \nWhen faced wi th an impression of wrongdoing, consider the \npossibility that it\u2019s just your perspective that makes it appear so.  What \nif there is more to the situation than is initially apparent?  What if \nthere are extenuating circumstances?  \n \nIt is important to remember t hat everyone acts from the facts and \ncircumstances presented to them by fate.  From their vantage, their \nacts seem to be rational, even imperative.  Just because it looks"}


created_at: 2024-02-29 14:37:29
topic: persistent://default/default/29a9e12c-e2d3-4fc9-b690-0cd687a43fcd
id: 0dc7b5f2-d710-11ee-bdb1-0242ac1c000c
encoding: FLOAT32
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{"chroma:document": "acts seem to be rational, even imperative.  Just because it looks \ndifferent from yours does not mean that they should  have acted \ndifferently.  \n \nYou are ne ver privy to the full story.  You cannot know the entirety of \nanother's motivations. You don't know h is burdens, his fears, his \npain. \n \nSteven Covey tells a story in his \"7 Habits\" series about a man who \nentered a subway car with a pack of  unruly  children.  They were yelling \nback and forth, throwing things, even grabbing people's papers, while   \n the father just stared off into the distance.  Covey was so distur bed by \nhis apparent disinterest in controlling his children, and so irritated by \ntheir behavior, he was compelled to confront the man and bring it to \nhis attention. The man admitted his failure, noting that their mother \nhad just died an hour ago and no one  knew quite what to do with \nthemselves.  \n \nCovey\u2019s \u201cimpression of wrongdoing\u201d was immediately adjusted . \n \nYou cannot walk another's path.  You are in no position to judge his \nfault.  Rather than wasting energy on being offended and scandalized, \nconsider instead  your own imperfections.  These, at least, are not \nhidden from you.  \n    \n Police Your Thoughts  \n \nThere are four principal aberrations of the superior faculty against which you \nshould b e constantly on your guard, and when you have detected them, you should \nwipe them out and say on each occasion thus: this thought is not necessary; this \ntends to destroy social union; this which you are going to say comes not from the \nreal thoughts \u2014 for you should consider it among the most absurd of things for a \nman not to speak from his real thoughts. But the fourth is when you shall reproach \nyourself for anything, for this is an evidence of the diviner part within you being \noverpowered and yielding to t he less honorable and to the perishable part, the body, \nand to its gross pleasures. (Marcus Aurelius,  Meditations XI.19)"}


created_at: 2024-02-29 14:37:29
topic: persistent://default/default/29a9e12c-e2d3-4fc9-b690-0cd687a43fcd
id: 0dc7b656-d710-11ee-bdb1-0242ac1c000c
encoding: FLOAT32
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{"chroma:document": "and to its gross pleasures. (Marcus Aurelius,  Meditations XI.19)  \n \nObjective thinking comes from reviewing one\u2019s own thoughts as if \nthey were separate from the thinker.  It is this very act of viewing \nthem as standalone objects that allows us to reject those thoughts that \nare not fit for purpose.  In this way, we select the thoughts according \nto our values, rather than allowing our values to be shaped by \nwhatever comes to us.  Thoughts must be see n as tools that help us \nbecome what we strive for, rather than indicators of who we are.  \n \nSome thoughts are not helpful in the moment.  Some distract us or \ntempt us or take us off course.  Some are needlessly hurtful, or are   \n untrue or insincere.  What you con sider to be an unworthy thought is \nentirely up to you and your individual path, but the key is that you \nmake a habit of challenging what is going on within your own head.  It \nis more important to be right than to adhere to your \u201cconvictions\u201d.  \n \nConvictions a re more dangerous foes of truth than lies . (Friedrich Nietzsche , \nHuman All Too Human ) \n \nDo your thoughts align with your values?  If not, reject them and \nreach for better ones.     \n Seek Justice  \n \n\"May be is very well, but Must is the master. It is my duty to sho w justice without \nrecompense .\" (Seneca)  \n \nA good Stoic must seek Justice. \"Justice\" is one of the four cardinal \nvirtues around which Stoicism is constructed. As with the other \nvirtues (Wisdom, Courage, & Temperance), a failure to practice \nJustice negates an y progress across all of them.  \n \nNot only is knowledge, when divorced from justice, to be termed subtlety rather \nthan wisdom; but also the soul prompt to encounter danger, if moved thereto by \nself-interest, and not by the common good, should have the reputation of audacity \nrather than of courage. (Plato, via Cicero, On Moral Duties de Officiis)  \n \nSo why is Justice so important to the Stoic prokopton ? This is rooted"}


created_at: 2024-02-29 14:37:29
topic: persistent://default/default/29a9e12c-e2d3-4fc9-b690-0cd687a43fcd
id: 0dc7b6ba-d710-11ee-bdb1-0242ac1c000c
encoding: FLOAT32
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{"chroma:document": "So why is Justice so important to the Stoic prokopton ? This is rooted \nin the Stoic concept of oikeiosis  discussed in \" Support Your \nCommunity \u201d, but is more simply explained as an exercise in reason.  \n \nWhat is not good for the beehive, cannot be good for the bees. (Marcus Aurelius \n- Meditations IV:47)  \n   \n A more just world has less conflict. It has simpler rules. Good \nbehavior is incented, excellence is promoted, corruption is excised, \nand the community is improved. Justice is a shared good, like air or \nwater. It is not something that can be enjoyed in isolation, or with \noccasional exceptions, without lowering its overall quality. It requires \nan entire ecosystem of people supporting it, paying i t forward, and \nderiving advantage from its existence.  \n \nWrong none by doing injuries, or omitting the benefits that are your duty . \n(Benjamin Franklin, Biography)  \n \nA Stoic, then, is a proponent of fair -play, and an opponent of bigotry, \nfraud, theft, privileg e, coercion, cheating, and all efforts to deny what \nis due to those who have earned it, or to transfer it to those who have \nnot. While one can have a lively debate on how many of the world's \nills an individual should feel obliged to correct, at the bare mi nimum, \na Stoic discharges their own daily obligations with integrity and is fair \nand honest in all their interactions.  \n \nWe make \"the beehive\" better for all the bees, and are rewarded by \nthat act, itself. We seek justice for everyone so that we might live in a \nmore just world.  \n    \n Amor Fati  \n \nDon't demand that things happen as you wish, but wish that they happen as they \ndo happen, and you will go on well.  (Epictetus, Enchiridion  8) \n \nFate leads the willing and drags along the reluctant.   (Seneca, Letters to \nLucilius) \n \nMy formula for what is great in mankind is amor fati : not to wish for anything \nother than that which is; whether behind, ahead, or for all eternity. Not just to put"}


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{"chroma:document": "other than that which is; whether behind, ahead, or for all eternity. Not just to put \nup with the inevitable \u2013 much less to hide it from oneself, for all idealism is lyi ng \nto oneself in the face of the necessary \u2013 but to love it.  (Nietzsche, Ecce Homo, \n10) \n \nWhen the philosophers talk about  Amor Fati , \"Love your fate\", they \nmean the bad parts. There's no difficulty in loving your fate when \nyou\u2019ve just won the lottery. For most people, it should be  relatively \neasy to grasp why we should accept  our fate. It's going to happen, so \nwhy fight the unavoidable ? It is far more difficult to understand, \nhowever, why we should \"love\" it. It seems Stoic enough  if we can \njust \"grin and bear it\", right?  \n   \n Well, no. It's not enough. I suppose it's better than whining about \nhow the world is out to get us, but ideally, life is a lot better once we \nlearn to truly love the \u201copportunities for excellence\u201d the universe \npresents to us.  \n \nFate, in the form of the challenges it incessantly spawns, is what \nmakes us strong. A universe in which we do not need to overcome \nchallenge, where we do not actively seek it, is one where we grow \nweak and our lives are bland and ordinary. Our daily struggles are \nwhat gives us backbone. Every time we get rained on, or fired, or \ninsulted, or robbed, we get a chance to respond with virtue. And, if \nwe do, we gain resilience, fortitude, and wisdom.  \n \nThe manner in which we respond to our fate bec omes the foundation \nof our character. If anything determines who we become, it is this \ninteraction. And to be great, to be someone worthy of our own \nrespect, we need a great adversary against which to spar and test \nourselves.  \n \nAnd so we learn to actually love our fate, not merely to bear it. We \nlove it because it makes us better. We love it because, without it, who \nwould we be?  \n    \n Write It Down  \n \nThe spirit ought to be brought up for examination daily. It was the custom of"}


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{"chroma:document": "Write It Down  \n \nThe spirit ought to be brought up for examination daily. It was the custom of \nSextius when the day was over, and he had betaken himself to rest, to inquire of \nhis spirit: \u2018What bad habit of yours have you cured to -day? What vice have you \nchecked? In what r espect are you better?\u2019  (Seneca, On Anger  III.36)  \n \nAnother form of \u201cReviewing Your Impressions\u201d is keeping a journal.  \nMuch as Marcus Aurelius did with his Meditations, you may find it \nhelpful to reflect upon the day\u2019s happenings and your impressions \nthereof in print.  That adds a little weight to the process, and \nencourages a deeper form of reflection.  It creates a record for you to \nreview periodically, to pinpoint trends, noting lessons you have \ntrouble keeping in mind.  It also provides su ggestions and inspirations \nfrom the \u201cpast\u201d you that might help with current challenges.  You and \nhe, after all, have a lot in common.  \n \nIt\u2019s another opportunity for emotional housekeeping.  \n    \n Memento Mori  \n \nAcquire the contemplative way of seeing how all thing s change into one another, \nand constantly attend to it, and exercise yourself about this part of philosophy. For \nnothing is so much adapted to produce magnanimity. \u2026 Consider in what \ncondition both in body and soul a man should be when he is overtaken by d eath; \nand consider the shortness of life, the boundless abyss of time past and future, the \nfeebleness of all matter. (Marcus Aurelius,  Meditations X.11)  \n \nWhat wouldst thou be found doing when overtaken by Death? If I might choose, I \nwould be found doing so me deed of true humanity, of wide import, beneficent and \nnoble. But if I may not be found engaged in aught so lofty, let me hope at least for \nthis\u2014what none may hinder, what is surely in my power \u2014that I may be found \nraising up in myself that which had fall en; learning to deal more wisely with the \nthings of sense; working out my own tranquility , and thus rendering that which is"}


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{"chroma:document": "things of sense; working out my own tranquility , and thus rendering that which is \nits due to every relation of life. (Epictetus,  Golden Sayings:189)  \n \nDeath can come at any time.  What that means is that all of the \nwonderful things you plan on doing this weekend, when your kids \ngraduate, when you retire - It\u2019s entirely possible that none of that will \nhappen.  If you\u2019re living your life for the future, you just might be \nwasting it.    \n  \nThinking about the inevitability of y our death, and on the \nunpredictable timing of it, can\u2019t help but emphasize the importance of \nliving in the \u201chere and now\u201d.  You cannot hold off doing the right \nthing until it is more convenient because it might never happen.  You \ncannot hold off doing the things that fulfill you until you have more \ntime because you may already be out of it.  \n \nYou have a 100% chance of doing whatever you are doing right now.  \nNothing more is guaranteed.  \n    \n Review the Day  \n \nNever allow sleep to close your eyelids, after you went to bed,  \nUntil you have examined all your actions of the day by your reason.  \nIn what have I done wrong? What have I done? What have I omitted that I ought \nto have done?  \nIf in this examination you find that you have done wrong, reprove yourself severely \nfor it; \nAnd if you have done any good, rejoice.  \nPractise thoroughly all these things; meditate on them well; you ought to love them \nwith all your heart.  \nIt is those that will put you in the way of divine virtue. (The Golden Verses of \nPythagoras)  \n \nAt the end of  the day, shortly before you go to bed, set some time \naside to review how well you handled the day\u2019s challenges.  Were you \nfaithful to your principles?  Did you lose your temper?  Did you \nperform your duties, as you understand them, diligently?  What vices \ndid you give in to, and how will you handle them differently \ntomorrow?  What lessons have you learned that you\u2019ll need to apply \ngoing forward?  \n  "}


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{"chroma:document": "tomorrow?  What lessons have you learned that you\u2019ll need to apply \ngoing forward?  \n   \n Put a capstone on your day.  Take (a little) pride in the courage you \nshowed, sticking to your values when it was har d. Resolve to do \nbetter where your self -discipline was weak.  Nod off secure in the \nknowledge that you\u2019ve gained a little more wisdom with which to face \nyour next day\u2019s challenges.    \n A Final Word  \n \nHow long are you going to wait before you demand the best for yourself and in no \ninstance bypass the discriminations of reason? You have been given the principles \nthat you ought to endorse, and you have endorsed them. What kind of teacher, \nthen, are you still waiting for in order to refer your self -improvement to  him? You \nare no longer a boy but a full -grown man. If you are careless and lazy now and \nkeep putting things off and always deferring the day after which you will attend to \nyourself, you will not notice that you are making no progress but you will live and  \ndie as someone quite ordinary. From now on, then, resolve to live as a grown -up \nwho is making progress, and make whatever you think best a law that you never \nset aside. And whenever you encounter anything that is difficult or pleasurable or \nhighly or lowl y regarded, remember that the contest is now, you are at the Olympic \ngames, you cannot wait any longer, and that your progress is wrecked or preserved \nby a single day and a single event. This is how Socrates fulfilled himself by \nattending to nothing except  reason in everything he encountered. And you, although \nyou are not yet Socrates, should live as someone who at least wants to be Socrates.  \n(Epictetus , Enchiridion LI ) \n \nWithout the action to back it, a philosophy is just a lazy intellectual \nexercise.  A phi losophy is not a puzzle to be unwound and put aside.    \n It is a guide for daily living and, for it to have any worth, it must be"}


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topic: persistent://default/default/29a9e12c-e2d3-4fc9-b690-0cd687a43fcd
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{"chroma:document": "It is a guide for daily living and, for it to have any worth, it must be \nlived. Do not wait for perfect understanding.  Do not wait for the \nideal opportunity.  If you believe this is important, it is impor tant \nenough to do right here and right now.  \n \nAs Marcus Aurelius said, \u201cStop philosophizing about what a good \nman is and be one.\u201d  \n \nThe End  \n \nFor comments, questions, and corrections, you can find me at \n/u/GreyFreeman  on Reddit or my own blog at   0.net ."}


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 Get Up  
 
At dawn, when you have trouble getting out of bed, tell yourself: 'I have to go to 
work—as a human being. What do I have to complain of, if I’m going to do  what 
I was born for —the things I was brought into the world to do? Or is this what I 
was created for? To huddle under the blankets and stay warm?'  
 
—But it’s nicer here…  
 
So you were born to feel ‘nice’? Instead of doing things and experiencing them? 
Don’t you see the plants, the birds, the ants and spiders and bees going about their 
individual tasks, putting the world in order, as best they can? And you’re not 
willing to do your job as a human being? Why aren’t you running to do wha t your 
nature demands?  (Marcus Aurelius,  Meditations V.1) 
 
Like almost everything else in life, more than enough sleep is too 
much.  Studies show that sleeping more than an average of 7 -8 hours a 
day can lead to diabetes, obesity, headaches, back pain, and heart 
disease.  What's worse, and more immediate, is that any hour spent 
sleeping beyond what your body actually needs to recuperate or repair 
itself is an hour you have lost forever.  
   
 An hour lost to sleep will not be available to you for meditation.  That 
hour cannot be used to make you stronger and more  resilient . It 
cannot be used to make the world a better place.  In that hour, you 
will not test yourself and grow.  You will do no great deeds in that 
hour.  You will not even remember it happened. It is simpl y buried, 
eternally, beneath the sands of time.  An irreplaceable  treasure lost to 
the ages.  
 
Better to take back the hour and use it as your nature demands.  
You've rested enough.  Time now  to take a deep breath and  get on 
with living your life.  
    
 Catch a Su nrise 
 
The Pythagoreans bid us in the morning look to the heavens that we may be 
reminded of those bodies that continually do the same things and in the same


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reminded of those bodies that continually do the same things and in the same 
manner perform their work, and also be reminded of their purity and nudity. For 
there is no veil o ver a star.  (Marcus Aurelius,  Meditations XI.27)  
 
Every once in the while, find the time to get out of bed before sunrise 
and drag yourself to where you can see it.  It doesn’t take that long 
and it’s a magnificent sight.  Think of your place in the universe . 
Consider that, whatever you’ve done before, here is one more chance 
to get it right.  
 
There are no guarantees you’ll see another one.  Use this opportunity 
wisely.     
 Prepare for Battle  
 
“Cling tooth and nail to the following rule: Not to give in to adversity, never to 
trust prosperity, and always to take full note of fortune’s habit of behaving just as 
she pleases, treating her as if she were actually going to do everything it is in her 
power to do. Whatever you have been expecting for some time come s as less of a 
shock.” ( Seneca, Letters from  a Stoic ) 
 
One way (of several) to do the “ Premeditatio M alorum ”, the 
“premeditation of evils”, is to start your day with a walk through your 
calendar.  Consider what you will do, where you will go, and who you 
will meet.  Imagine how it might go wrong.  
 
Now, think about how it will feel.  How it will look to others.  How 
you might be embarrassed, or angered, or disappointed . Just this part 
of the exercise has its benefits.  It deadens the pain of the actual event, 
if it actually happens, through a sort of emotional -hardening process.  
It even extends to other, unrelated events - If you can endure sorrow 
better  in this instance, you can endure it elsewhere.  
 
Now consider how you might respond to this misfortune . How you 
might lessen the damage, soften the blow.  Use this as an opportunity   
 to do a little contingency planning.  If the presentation goes poorly, is 
there another resource you can appeal to?  Can you repurpose the


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there another resource you can appeal to?  Can you repurpose the 
meeting advantageously?  Can you lay the groundwork for a second 
attempt?  
 
Extend you r definition of “misfortune” to include diversions and 
temptations that might challenge your values.  Determine ahead of 
time how you will handle the free doughnuts in the break room.  That 
cute married lady who fl irts with you.  That guy who is always making 
fun of your co -workers.  
 
Finally, consider how you will handle the undesired  emotions.  How 
will you maintain the space you need to form a reasoned response?  
Just thinking about it lessens the shock.  Knowing your  strengths and 
weaknesses, what else are you going to have to do?  
 
Now you can start the day knowing that you can still be surprised, but 
you can’t be shaken.  
    
 Review Your Impressions  
 
So make a practice at once of saying to every strong impression: ‘An impression is 
all you are, not the source of the impression.’ Then test and assess it with your 
criteria, but one primarily: ask, ‘Is this something that is, or is not, in my 
control?’ And if it’s not one of the things that you control, be ready with the 
reaction, ‘Then it’s none of my concern. ’ (Epictetus, Enchiridion I.5)  
 
Review your recent emotional responses.  What made you angry?  
What nagging fear continues to wear at you?  To whom do you have 
antipathy?  In short, what negative emotions are you experiencing?  
Now ask yourself “why?”  If virtue is sufficient for fulfillment , why are 
you feeling anything other than serenity ? To what inappropriate 
impression have you assented?  What virtue have you lacked to allow 
this disharmony into your “inn er citadel”?  
 
If there is an area of particular conce rn, start keeping a count of those  
incidents when it has raised its ugly head.  Often, just measuring a 
thing goes a long way towards fixing it.  Just know ing that, for 
instance, you lost your cool and yelled at the teenager four times this


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instance, you lost your cool and yelled at the teenager four times this 
week.  Or that you snacked twice when you’d promised yourself you   
 wouldn’t.  It’s not a judgment, it’s just a number.  But there are reasons 
behind the number, and you can work  with those . 
    
 Brace for Trolls  
 
Say to yourself in the early morning: I shall meet today inquisitive, ungrateful, 
violent, treacherous, envious, uncharitable men. All these things have come upon 
them through ignorance of real good and ill.  People do not choose to behave the way 
they do so that men of a certain type should behave as they do is inevitable. To 
wish it otherwise were to wish the fig -tree would not yield its juice.  (Marcus 
Aurelius,  Meditations II.1)  
 
As pessimistic as it sounds,  one can’t  deny the truth of it:  On any 
given day, you will meet a few jerks.  Similarly to “ Prepare for Battle ”, 
it’s best to anticipate th at and remove the sting of surprise.  
 
But further, consider how you will handle them, philosophically.  Go 
through the mental play -acting of  not losing your cool, of 
acknowledging that they could only act as they do.  Consider how you 
will preserve your serenity and remain above the fray.  Admit that you 
have your faults, too, and sometime s you hide them better than other 
times. 
 
Imagine that, somewhere in your fine city, someone else is taking a 
deep breath, making a face, and preparing to deal with you.    
 Ready Your Tools  
As physicians have always their instruments and knives ready for cases that 
suddenly require their skill , so do you have principles ready for the understanding 
of things divine and human, and for doing everything, even the smallest, with a 
recollection of the bond that unites the divine and human to each other. (Marcus 
Aurelius,  Meditations III.13)  
Have memorized those guide -posts you find most helpful in your 
philosophy. Quotes, maxims, the basics of your belief system -


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philosophy. Quotes, maxims, the basics of your belief system - 
whatever it takes to bring you back to center. Keep copies of 
Meditations , The Enchiridion , and whatever else  you find inspirational 
and supportive to your practice (even this thing) close to hand.  
Review them regularly so that you can recall the right response with 
minimal effort.  
A caveat : Preparing your tools should never be used as an excuse to 
not use them.  You can spend so much time getting ready to live that 
you never get around to actually living.  Ready them, but don’t wait for 
them.  
The easier it is to access those guiding principles you have chosen to 
follow, the easier it is to find the right tool s when you face your next 
challenge.     
 Pause, Assess, Then Decide  
 
Remember, it is not enough to be hit or insulted to be harmed, you must believe 
that you are being harmed. If someone succeeds in provoking you, realize that your 
mind is complicit in the provocation. Which is why it is essential that we not 
respond impulsively to impressions; take a moment before reacting, and you will 
find it is easier to maintain control.  (Epictetus,  Enchiridion XX)  
 
Whenever you are assailed with a powerful emotional re action, 
immediately take a deep breath and separate the event from your 
impression of it.  The event is what happened;  your “impression” is 
how you have, initially, instinctively viewed it.  Will you assent?  
 
Anything outside your control is of no real conce rn. It cannot touch 
the you that matters.  But your considered response is, indeed, yours to 
control.  Will you choose to be angry?  Depressed? Afraid?  Why?  How 
do those things help you?  How do they make you stronger or more 
virtuous?  How do they lead to a li fe of eudemonia ? 
 
Instead, take a deep breath and reach for some perspective.  Whatever 
it was that happened, it’s already drifting into the past.  What does this 
moment  require of you?     
 Apply the Fork


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moment  require of you?     
 Apply the Fork  
 
Of all existing things some are in our power, and others are not in our power. In 
our power are thought, impulse, will to get and will to avoid, and, in a word, 
everything which is our own doing. Things not in our power include the body, 
property, reputati on, office, and, in a word, everything which is not our own doing. 
Things in our power are by nature free, unhindered, untrammelled; things not in 
our power are weak, servile, subject to hindrance, dependent on others. Remember 
then that if you imagine tha t what is naturally slavish is free, and what is 
naturally another's is your own, you will be hampered, you will mourn, you will be 
put to confusion, you will blame gods and men; but if you think that only your 
own belongs to you, and that what is another' s is indeed another's, no one will ever 
put compulsion or hindrance on you, you will blame none, you will accuse none, 
you will do nothing against your will, no one will harm you, you will have no 
enemy, for no harm can touch you.  (Epictetus,  Enchiridion I ) 
 
In all things that you believe to concern you, you must apply the Stoic 
Fork:  “Is this thing within my power ?” 
 
Things that occur in your head, those impressions to which you 
assent, the act ions you undertake , the thoughts you form, and the   
 exercise of your will – these you control completely.  No external 
force can make you do any of these, nor stop you from doing them.  
 
But the results of your efforts are largely not under your control. You 
can do everything right and prudent and still not be rewarded. You 
can study extensively and still be considered a fool.  You can work like 
a mule  and still be poor.  You can live a healthy lifestyle and  still get 
sick. 
 
The classic Stoic example is that of the archer.  The archer can take 
the correct stance, aim perfectly, and release the arrow with precision.


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the correct stance, aim perfectly, and release the arrow with precision.  
But anything can happen after that.  The wind can change and blow 
the arrow off target.  The target can move.  The string could break.  
 
None of these results should matte r if the archer restricts his concern 
to performing his task well.  It is the effort put forth , the intent, the 
will that matters, because we control it.  If you restrict your concern to 
that which you control, and you address those concerns with wisdom 
and courage, you will be fulfilled.  
 
Or you can chase after things outside your control and forever be a 
slave to the whims of fate.     
 Use Your Head  
 
I am content if I am in accord with Nature in what I will to get and will to avoid, 
if I follow Nature in impul se to act and to refrain from action, in purpose, and 
design and assent.  (Epictetus, Discourses XXII)  
 
At its very core, the  font from which all other Stoic teaching spring is 
"Follow nature".  This is not a command to hug trees and dance with 
the satyrs, but to act in the manner that naturally  allows us to flourish. 
 These principals work because  they are natural.  Every law in the 
universe supports them and, like gravity, any attempt to ignore  them 
will have unfortunate  consequences.  
 
One can understand t he Stoic discipline  of "Ethics"  as being the 
study of how to correctly follow nature. To do this, one must have a 
solid grasp of the "Logic" discipline.  And the information to which 
one applies that logic comes from the final discipline, Physics.  The 
ancient Stoics understood Physics as a  combination  of what we would 
today refer to as natural science, metaphysics, and theology.  More 
broadly, it can simply be understood as, "the way things are".   
   
 Following nature means following the facts. It means gett ing the facts about the 
physical and social world we inhabit, and the facts  about our situation in it -our


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physical and social world we inhabit, and the facts  about our situation in it -our 
own powers, relationships, limitations, possibil ities, motives, intentions, and 
endeavors  before we deliberate about normative matters.  (Lawrence Becker, A 
New Stoicism)  
 
So, you use Logic to understand Physics, which tells you what is 
Ethical.  Put another way, you use reason to study facts in order to 
figure out what to do.  Or how to live.  
 
If you understand this process, then you'll recognize that all the other 
teachings of the ancients are simply rules of thumb derived from the 
first rule:  To follow nature.  In any situation where you find yourself 
at a loss concerning what is "right", if  your maxims are in conflict, if 
you forget what Epictetus said about it, if the "rules" are counter -
intuitive, your default response should alway s be to  fall back to the 
source and "follow nature".  
 
And that just means,  "Use your head."  If the facts chan ge, you adjust. 
 If you don't have enough information, you get more.  If your current 
path doesn't make sense, you go a different direction.  “Use only that 
which works, and take it from any place you can find it. ” 
   
 There is no "orthodoxy" in a living  philosophy, and you can't be 
doing it wrong if you're making it work.  
    
 Take a 3rd -Party Perspective  
 
We can familiarize ourselves with the will of nature by calling to mind our 
common experiences. When a friend breaks a glass, we are quick to say, ‘Oh, bad 
luck.’ It’s only reasonable, then, that when a glass of your own breaks, you accept 
it in the same patient spirit. Moving on to graver things: when somebody’s wife or 
child dies, to a man we all routinely say, ‘Well, that’s part of life.’ But if o ne of 
our own family is involved, then right away it’s ‘Poor, poor me!’ We would do 
better to remember how we react when a similar loss afflicts others.  (Epictetus,  
Enchiridion XXVI)


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Enchiridion XXVI)  
 
If you hear that your neighbor has a busted water heater, do you 
sympath etically worry that he will go broke dealing with it?  Most 
likely, you take it with a shrug and figure he’ll work it out with no 
significant impact on his lifestyle.  But at your own house, the 
possibility of a significant home repair bill is cause for grea t concern.  
Is it because your neighbor is more capable than you?  
 
It’s natural, but not reasonable, to feel like your challenges are of 
greater import than those encountered by others.  They’re simply 
closer.  To get a more objective perspective, it’s often helpful to take a 
step back and view your obstacles as if you were a disinterested, but   
 sympathetic, 3rd party.  Would someone in that role be concerned for 
you? Or would they see the situation as one of the sort that people 
encounter daily, and daily navig ate without injury?  
 
It’s hard to justify an emotional reaction to a situation that is only 
important because it’s happening to you.  
    
 Support Your Community  
 
If mind is common to us, then also the reason, whereby we are reasoning beings, is 
common. If this be so, then also the reason which enjoins what is to be done or left 
undone is common. If this be so, law also is common; if this be so, we are citizens; 
if this be so, we are partakers in one constitution; if this be so, the Universe is a 
kind of Commonwealth. (Marcus  Aurelius,  Meditations IV:5)  
 
Again, they [the Stoics] hold that the universe is governed by divine will; it is a 
city or state of which both me n and gods are members, and each one of us is a part 
of this universe from which it is a natural consequence that we should prefer the 
common advantage to our own.  (Cicero,  De Finibus)  
 
One must consider that, in a certain way, one's brothers are parts of oneself, just 
as my eyes are parts of me and so too my legs and hands and the rest.  (Hierocles, 
Fragments and Exce rpts)


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Fragments and Exce rpts) 
 
The Stoic concept of oikeiosis  posits that a stoic should steadily 
increase the scope of his concerns to include the wellbeing of not j ust 
himself, not just his family, and not just the nation but all of 
humanity.  They considered this an extension of the foundational 
motto , “The goal of life is to live in agreement with nature ”, because it is   
 natural for  any animal, as it matures, to look  towards the preservation 
of the species.  So, too, should we, if we are to mature.  
 
What can you do to aid in the preservation of your species?  What can 
you do to treat your fellow humans as if they were citizens of your 
universal Commonwealth, your brothe rs, your arms?  
 
Start by thinking of them that way.  
    
 Consider Worst Case Scenarios  
 
"We should remind our spirits all the time that they love things that will leave - 
no, better, things that are already leaving.  You possess whatever is given by 
Fortune without a guarantor."  (Seneca , Consolation to Marcia ) 
 
If an evil has been pondered beforehand, the blow is gentle when it comes. To the 
fool, however, and to him who trusts in fortune, each event as it arrives "comes in a 
new and sudden form," and  a large part of evil, to the inexperienced, consists in its 
novelty. This is proved by the fact that men endure with greater courage, when they 
have once become accustomed to them, the things which they had at first regarded 
as hardships. (Seneca,  Letter 76) 
 
It is important to regularly spend time meditating on the worst 
outcomes you can possibly imagine. Spend 10 minutes imagining 
losing your sight in an accident. Your child to a disease. Your 
livelihood and reputation in one dramatic melt-down. Your life. 
Whatever you are currently most afraid of, whatever has been 
haunting your thoughts - that. 
 
Do it for 10 minutes. For 10 whole minutes, walk through each 
agonizing step of your excruciating loss. What would you do? How  


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agonizing step of your excruciating loss. What would you do? How   
 would you hand le it? Could you really be “Stoic” about it? Possibly 
not. 
 
But in ten minutes, you’ll open your eyes and all will be as it was.  
None of your worst fears will have happened.  
 
Only, now, you will have faced those fears and know that you will get 
past them, one way or another.  If it happens, you will not be 
debilitated with shock.  You will get to work on what comes next.  You 
will appreciate what you have, and yet fully accept that it is only yours 
so long as Lady Luck wills it.   
 
You will be stronger versus t hat which you fear the most.  
 
It sounds horrible and morbid. It sounds like a nasty way to begin the 
day. But only by confronting your fears can you overcome them and 
learn to face whatever fate throws at you with serenity.     
 Retreat into the Self  
 
People s eek retreats for themselves in the countryside by the seashore, in the hills, 
and you too have made it your habit to long for that above all else. But this is 
altogether unphilosophical, when it is possible for you to retreat into yourself 
whenever you ple ase; for nowhere can one retreat into greater peace or freedom from 
care than within one’s own soul, especially when a person has such things within 
him that he merely has to look at them to recover from that moment perfect ease of 
mind (and by ease of min d I mean nothing other than having one’s mind in good 
order). So constantly grant yourself this retreat and so renew yourself; but keep 
within you concise and basic precepts that will be enough, at first encounter, to 
cleanse you from all distress and to s end you back without discontent to the life to 
which you will return. (Marcus Aurelius,  Meditation s 4.3) 
 
How can you "get away from it all" when you always bring "it" with 
you? "It" is, of course, all your baggage. Your fears, your anxiety, your 
anger, yo ur disappointment, your self -loathing, the lies you tell


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anger, yo ur disappointment, your self -loathing, the lies you tell 
yourself, and the various poisons for which you lust.  If that's what 
you want to get away from, there are cheaper tickets than the one at 
the airport.  
   
 The first thing you have to accept is that you cannot buy your peace of 
mind.  And if you are trying to find it on a beach, you might as well 
stick your head in the sand and hum loudly to drown out your 
thoughts.  If you want to see the world to broaden your horizons, 
that's all good, but the only place to go to fix your head is your head.  
 
Try this exercise based upon work by Christopher Gill at 
Exeter:  Next time you need some relief, find some quiet space.  Go 
out to your car, if you must . Take a seat, close your eyes, and consider 
these facts : 
• Only your  opinions, pursuits, desires, aversions, and actions are within 
your control.  Nothing outside your control matters in your pursuit of 
peace. 
• Nothing that happens  to you can hurt you  unless you choose to be 
hurt. It is only your own opinions of eve nts that cause you to be 
disturbed.  
• Change is natural and inevitable.  You m ight as well get angry at the 
rain as be disturbed by change.  
• Momento  mori. The clock is ticking.  What is the very next thing you 
will do to start moving in the right direction?  
   
 Just those 4 things . Put them into your own words and make a mantra 
of them.  Ponder them for as long as it takes  and then get back to your 
work.  
 
You have control over this.  Even if you  occasionally  need to take a 
quick mental vacation to remember it.  
    
 Choose Your Company Well  
 
Avoid fraternizing with non -philosophers. If you must, though, be careful not to 
sink to their level; because, you know, i f a companion is dirty, his friends cannot 
help but get a little dirty too, no matter how clean they started out.  (Epictetus,  
Enchiridion XXXIII.6)


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Enchiridion XXXIII.6)  
 
Refuse the entertainments of strangers and the vulgar . (Epictetus, Enchiridion 
XXXIII)  
 
Associate with people who are likely to improve you.  (Seneca , Letter from a 
Stoic)  
 
You can take this one as far as you will, but the point is simple:  If you 
wallow with pigs, you’re going to come out muddy.  To the extent 
practical, you should surround yourself with peop le who use their 
heads.  People who challenge you and  aren’t entirely impressed with 
you. People who believe things you don’t, and for good reason.  
People who make you wiser for having spent time in their company.  
 
Conversely, avoid people who bring out you r worst.  People who drag 
you back into bad habits, who appeal to your baser instincts.    
  
Jim Rohn say s that everyone is an average of the five people they 
spend the most time with.  If that’s true, would you be okay with it? 
    
 Use Self-Deprecating Humor  
 
If you learn that someone is speaking ill of you, don’t try to defend yourself against 
the rumours; respond instead with, ‘Yes, and he doesn’t know the half of it, 
because he could have said more.’  (Epictetus,  Enchiridion XXXIII.9)  
 
What a perfect way to deflate a verbal attack without climbing down 
into the mud pit.  There’s a skill to it, no doubt, but one that’s easy 
enough to develop.  Like everything else, you just have to practice.  
After a while, you’ll have a few pat phrases and habit s that make it 
impossible to put you down.  
 
Self-deprecation is a gentle way of showing that your self -esteem is 
strong enough to take a beating without losing your sense of humor.  
With every insult, you appear stronger.  Your very willingn ess to 
accept barbs and one -up them show s how far off the mark they must 
be. 
 
And best of all, there is no escalation.  No excuse for further 
animosity.  You agreed  with the harsh assessment, and even piled more 
onto it.  What more can be said against you? What point is there in


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onto it.  What more can be said against you? What point is there in 
further assaults?    
  
There is nothing like showing you can take a punch to suck all the fun 
out of throwing one. 
    
 Let the Other Guy Talk  
 
In your conversation, don’t dwell at excessive length on your own deeds or 
adventures. Just  because you enjoy recounting your exploits doesn’t mean that 
others derive the same pleasure from hearing about them.  (Epictetus - 
Enchiridion XXXIII.14)  
 
So, yeah, no one wants to hear your war stories.  Or, they might, but 
they’ll generally ask if they d o. Otherwise, you can assume that they 
are far more interested in sharing their deeds of amazing adventure.  
And that’s okay.  
 
Spending time talking about yourself is both boring and useless.  The 
most boring guy you know does this all the time.  Always talki ng about 
how rich he is, or how crafty he is, or how good he is with the ladies, 
or how much fun he has.  You hate that guy.  Don’t be that guy.  
 
Furthermore, go ing on about your glory days does virtually nothing to 
help you.  You aren’t learning anything.  You aren’t helping the 
conversation move along.  You aren’t even convincing your associates 
of your conversational skills.  You’re just boring people.  
   
 So let the other guy tell his stories.  They might be entertaining.  They 
might tell you something  about him he might not otherwise share.  Or, 
it might just make him think you are pretty cool for listening.    
 Live Simply  
 
Is it not madness and the wildest lunacy to desire so much when you can hold so 
little? … [it is folly] to think that it is the amoun t of money and not the state of 
mind that matters!  (Seneca,  Consolation t o Helvia ) 
 
For my part, I would choose sickness rather than luxury, for sickness harms only 
the body, but luxury destroys both body and soul. Luxury induces weakness in the


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the body, but luxury destroys both body and soul. Luxury induces weakness in the 
body, cowa rdice and lack of self -control in the soul; and further it begets injustice 
and covetousness in others, and in self the failure in one's duty to friends, city and 
the gods. . So, then, as being the cause of injustice, luxury and  extravagance  must 
be shun ned in every way.  (Musonius Rufus, Lecture XVIIIb)  
 
It can seem natural to want the finer things in life,  possibly  because 
practically everyone does. Who wouldn't want a bigger house, a faster 
car, or a more exotic vacation? Don't haute cuisine  and fine wine simply 
taste better than pizza and cheap beer?  
 
But the fact that something serves its purpose well doesn't mean that 
it serves yours. Your purpose in life is not to consume the best of all   
 things. Yours is to achieve arete' - fulfillment  through excellence 
of character.  
 
The pursuit of luxury precludes  the pursuit of virtue. You can't focus 
on both.  The possession of luxury creates a mental attachment to the 
ephemeral, to things outside ourselves and our control. The 
consumption of luxury becomes a dangerous step upon the hedonic 
treadmill and a  never -ending  need for more and more.  
 
The "good life", then, is anything but. The material objects and 
powerful sensations that so many believe to be the epitome of success 
are, instead, self -inflicted obstacles that prevent it.  The wise man 
would  seek to purge from his life everything that does not contribute 
to his goals, because anything that isn't helping is at best a distraction.  
 
Perfection is achieved not when there is nothing more to add, but rather when there 
is nothing more to take away.  (Antoine de Sa int-Exupry)  
 
Everything of value you can ever hope to possess will exist within 
you. Your wisdom. Your courage. Your sense of justice. Your self -
discipline. Anything else is just noise and baggage.  
    
 Speak Without Judging


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discipline. Anything else is just noise and baggage.  
    
 Speak Without Judging  
 
Someone bathes in haste; don’t sa y he bathes badly, but in haste. Someone drinks 
a lot of wine; don’t say he drinks badly, but a lot. Until you know their reasons, 
how do you know that their actions are vicious? This will save you from perceiving 
one thing clearly, but then assenting to s omething different.  (Epictetus , 
Enchiridion XLV)  
 
One must persistently work on  viewing the world as objectively as 
feasible . This aids in reducing the impact of our initial impressions  
which, in turn, aids us in avoiding unwise reactions . To that end , it’s 
useful to develop the habit of , as much as possible, removing opinion 
and hyperbole from our observations, both mental and verbal.  
 
If you see someone you might be inclined to judge a s overweight, 
think instead of their exact weight, which is a fact, rather than the 
judgment  that there is too much of it.  Better yet, see them as a whole 
person, with all their objective characteristics rather than one you 
would single out.  
 
If the weathe r strikes you as hot, focus instead on the temperature.  If 
your back is killing you, think that there is a sharp sensation.  If your   
 boss is overbearing, think instead that he appears to care deeply about 
the topic . You are in no position to judge if he car es “too much”.  
 
The judgment  adds nothing but unhelpful emotion.  See the world as 
it is and work from that.  
    
 Educate by Example  
 
On no occasion call yourself a philosopher, nor talk at large of your principles 
among the multitude, but act on your principles. For instance, at a banquet do not 
say how one ought to eat, but eat as you ought. (Epictetus,  Enchiridi on 
XLV I) 
 
If you wish t o help others find virtue, telling them about the great 
Truth you have found, the one they didn’t  find, is perhaps the least


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Truth you have found, the one they didn’t  find, is perhaps the least 
effective way to do it.  It’s arrogant and positions you as some kind of 
enlightened guru with private  access to wisdom with others as mere 
acolytes at your feet  
 
The wisdom of your  “teachings” is not as readily apparent coming 
out of your mouth as it would be when derived from your character . 
If you want people to be less rancorous, communicate  without 
rancor.  If you want to teach them how to avoid letting their emotions 
overcome them, be a Zen chill dude.  And if you want to teach them 
the wisdom of applied silence, shut up.  
 
… if any conversation should arise among uninstructed persons about any 
theorem, generally be silent; for there is great danger that you will immediately   
 vomit up what you have not digested.  And when a man shall say to you that you 
know nothing, and you are not vexed, then be sure that you have begun the work 
(of philosophy).  For even sheep do not vomit up their grass and show to the 
shepherds how much they have eaten; but when they have internally digested the 
pasture, they produce externally wool and milk.  Do you also show not your 
theorems to the uninstructed, but show the acts which come from their digestion.  
(Epictetus,  Enchiridion XLVI)  
 
If you derive your happiness from your own virtue, then you have no 
need to convince others of your wisdom.  If you con sider it your duty 
to share what you’ve learned, understand that an unwilling audience is 
unlikely to benefit from your efforts.  If they perceive you are wise, 
they will ask for your help.  If they do not, you cannot force it on 
them, and any effort to do s o will only prove you aren’t as smart as 
you think you are.  
 
By focusing on your own actions, you strengthen your virtue and set a 
good example for others.  You avoid pretentious pontification and 
irritated egos.  And you make your point in the only way you 
effectively can.  
   


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irritated egos.  And you make your point in the only way you 
effectively can.  
    
 Practice Discomfort  
 
Set aside a certain number of days during which you shall be content with the 
scantiest and cheapest fare, with coarse and rough dress, saying to yourself the 
while, 'Is this the condition that I feared?'  (Seneca,  Letters, 18)  
 
Difficulties strengthen the mind, as labour does the body.  (Seneca,  Morals)  
 
Resilience is a huge part of Stoic practical philosophy.  The idea is that 
intentionally subjecting one’s self to inconvenience and minor pains 
will prepare you to better withstand the challenges of the real thing 
with equanimity.  Stoics (and other Greek schools of philosophy) 
would famously do things like hug cold statues in the morning or 
walk about in uncomfortable clothing to build mental scar tissue.  If 
one could develop the habit of dismissing minor annoyances as 
“indifferents” of no consequence, how much harder would it be to 
dismiss major ones?  To view them without d read?  
 
The sage -in-training, then, should practice discomfort in minor ways 
whenever possible. Drink nothing but water one day, to temper one’s 
will-power. Walk outside on a chilly day without the normal degree of 
layering to get a taste of what the weathe r feels like. Park on the other   
 end of the parking lot and take the long way in. Turn the hot water 
down in the shower, or turn the AC off in the house.  If you get an 
itch, metaphorical or otherwise, just let it be.  
 
All of these little tests of the will s trengthen it like a muscle and, 
hopefully, leave you fortified when the real test happens.  
    
 Seek Your Own Approval  
 
Often I marvel at how men love themselves more than others while at the same 
time caring more about what others think of them than what they think of 
themselves.  (Marcus Aurelius,  Meditations Book XII)  
 
If you ever happen to turn your attention to externals, so as to wish to please


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If you ever happen to turn your attention to externals, so as to wish to please 
anyone, be assured that you have ruined your scheme of life. Be contented, then, in 
everything with being a p hilosopher; and, if you wish to be thought so likewise by 
anyone, appear so to yourself, and it will suffice you.  
(Epictetus,  Enchiridion  23) 
 
It is amazing how willing people generally are to put their happiness, 
their sense of worth, and their peace of mind in the hands of others.  
They tell themselves that they cannot be happy unless that one loves 
them, or the other approves. They strive, in futility, to get the 
validation they crave from other people.  They spend their whole lives 
wondering why others r efuse to give them the  acceptance  they 
so desperately  need to reach contentment.  
 
They have chosen a path that simply does not lead where they want 
to go.    
  
Eudemonia , that sense of  fulfillment, of flourishing, that we all seek, is 
not something that someon e else can give to us. It comes only from 
our own actions  and judgments . It is the natural reward for virtuous 
acts - for living up to our standards and acting according to the values 
we hold dear.  It is ours to have, at will, if we so choose to.  We need 
only live our lives with as much wisdom as we can muster.  
 
No one else can know what you have overcome to get where you are.  
They can't know if the efforts that lead to your outcomes were a 
triumph over adversity or a cake walk.  Did you fight against 
tempta tion or phone it in?  Did you stick to your values or do what 
was popular?  Did you sweat and struggle to reach the finish line, or 
did it come naturally?  Did you accomplish something  meaningful  to 
you, given your values and weaknesses, or did you just  do so mething 
that looks good from the outside ? 
 
If you want happiness, you must stop looking for it in other people.  
Set your own standards for excellence and strive to meet them.  There


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Set your own standards for excellence and strive to meet them.  There 
is nothing anyone else on the planet can do to help you reach that 
goal. And it's the only one that matters.  
    
 Enjoy the Silence  
 
Let silence be your general rule; or say only what is necessary and in few words. 
We shall, however, when occasion demands, enter into discourse sparingly, avoiding 
such common topics as gladiators, ho rse-races, athletes; and the perpetual talk 
about food and drink. Above all avoid speaking of persons, either in the way of 
praise or blame, or comparison.  (Epictetus , Enchiridion XXXIII)  
 
When confronted with an uncomfortable pause in the conversation … 
let it be.  When bored and reaching for something witty to say, just 
don’t.  There is nothing wrong with just letting the quiet  stand.  
 
I begin to speak only when I’m certain what I’ll say isn’ t better left unsaid.  (Cato 
the Younger)  
 
In social settings where participation is to be expected, do not, of 
course, maintain a monkish muteness . It is out of place and possibly a 
cry for attention.  Instead, be sure to answer all questions succinctly  
and with a smile, and to make the appropriate responses to grease the 
wheels of communication.  Never let others hear a disparaging remark 
escape your lips, unless you want them to wonder how you speak in 
their absence.  When it is your turn to broach a topic, make sure it is   
 focused on anything but you and your obsessions.  Try, “So what are 
you working on, now?”, or “What are your thoughts on…”, or 
maybe, “I noticed you have a new …”.  
 
And w hen your words come, let it be because they are missed.  Let 
your words have the weight of being sparingly shared; of being well 
considered.  Let them be pulled, rather than pushed.  
    
 Hold On Loosely  
 
In the case of particular things that delight you, or benefit you, or to which you 
have grown attached, remind yourself of what they are. Start with things of little


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have grown attached, remind yourself of what they are. Start with things of little 
value. If it is china you like, for instance, say, ‘I am fond of a piece of china.’ 
When it breaks, then you won’t be as disconcerted. When giving your wife or child 
a kiss, repe at to yourself, ‘I am kissing a mortal.’ Then you won’t be so distraught 
if they are taken from you.  (Epictetus,  Enchiridion III)  
 
This one’s tough for a lot of people.  It goes against much of what we 
are taught fr om birth about holding on tightly  to those  we love.  But, 
to the Stoics, such attachments were plainly to, and subject to, things 
outside our control.  You can, and even should , love the good people in 
your life, but you always must be prepared to carry on without them.   
 
This exercise is similar to “Consider Worst Case Scenarios”, above.  
Imagine the one who is  closest to you, the one  whom you would least 
like to live without , being irrevocably taken from you . Practice 
distancing yourself from the impulse to panic and grieve.  That’s not a 
requirement for appreciation.  Now imagine yourself lovingly releasing 
them and accepting that, will it or fight it, fate has decided and you   
 must carry on.  How would you do so?  What strengths would you 
need to bring to bear?  
 
Never say of anything, “I have  lost it”; but, “I have returned it.” Is your child 
dead? It is returned. Is your wife dead? She is returned. Is your estate taken 
away? Well, and is not that likewise returned? “But he who took it away is a bad 
man.” What difference is it to you who the g iver assigns to take it back? While he 
gives it to you to possess, take care of it; but don’t view it as your own, just as 
travelers view a hotel.  (Epictetus,  Enchiridion XXI) 
 
Go through the practical steps in your mind.  Funeral arrangements, 
divorce proc eedings, account credentials, whatever is required.  How 
would your life be different ? What new responsibilities might you


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would your life be different ? What new responsibilities might you 
pick up, or activities might you cease?  
 
Now consider what you might have said to them, how you might 
have treated them, had you more time.  Well, consider yourself 
fortunate, because you do.  
     
 Renounce  
 
The more of these things a man deprives himself of, or of other things like them, or 
even when he is deprived of any of them, the more patiently he endures the loss, just 
in the same degree he is a better man. (Marcus Aurelius,  Meditations V.15)  
 
It's not the daily increase but daily decrease.  Hack away at the unessential. 
(Bruce Lee ) 
 
You should regularly look to remove from your life that which you 
can do without.  If possible, forever, but if not, at least for a while.  
Possessions, habits, hobbies, social  commitments, whatever you can.  
Simplify your life so that there is less you can lose , less to weigh you 
down.  
 
Likewise, of those things you cannot forever purge, at the very least 
try to occasionally do without.  Skip the coffee for a week to reduce 
caffe ine’s grip on you. Skip your favorite shows so that you are not 
committed to keeping up with the soap opera.  Turn off your phone 
one Sunday and remember how it felt to be offline.  
   
 None of these things are essential to your happiness.  You already 
have what  you need for that and it can’t be taken away.    
 Focus on the Thing at Hand  
 
Every moment , concentrate  steadily as a citizen and a human being to do what you 
have before you with perfect and simple dignity, and feeling of affection, and 
freedom, and justice; and to put aside all else. And you will give yourself peace, if 
you do every act of your life as if it were the last, laying aside all carelessness and 
passionate aversion from the commands of reason, and all hypocrisy, and self -love, 
and disconte nt with the portion which has been given to you. You see how few the


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and disconte nt with the portion which has been given to you. You see how few the 
things are that, should you grab hold of them, you can to live a life which flows in 
quiet, and is like the existence of the gods; for the gods on their part will require 
nothing more fro m him who observes these things.  (Marcus Aurelius, 
Meditations 2.5)  
 
Buddhists have this concept of a thing called the "monkey mind". It's 
that chattering voice in your head that seems to pipe up whenever 
you set yourself to any task. It says things like, "I wonder if anyone 
has liked my Facebook post, yet" and "I bet there's a new article in 
my news feed now". When you wrestle it into grudging silence, it 
squirms and w riggles and waits for a moment of laxity to burst free 
and do a quick check of the Reddit  front page. It simply must know 
what else is going on.    
  
Mastering one's self is  largely  about mastering this tendency we have 
to skip from task to task, trying on our work like coats at a 
department store and waiting for one to grab ou r fancy. There is 
always something shinier right over there. And yet, if our mind is 
always on the next thing, then it is never on what we are actually 
doing. And if our mind is not engaged in the only moment where we 
exist, this one, then we might as well have never existed.  We were 
never "there".  
 
One should, instead,  approach every task as if it mattered, as if it were 
important. Else, why have you chosen to do it? And if you have 
decided that a thing is to be done, then work at it as if it could be the 
very last impression you leave on this planet. Who knows what wil l 
happen next? If this was to be your last moment on Earth, would you 
want to spend it half -heartedly tending the garden of your life while 
checking your Twitter stream?  
 
Better we should grasp every task we choose to do with both hands, 
and not let go un til we have completed the work to our full


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and not let go un til we have completed the work to our full 
satisfaction. Engage with the work - experience it. Live in the 
moment forcefully enough to remember it happened.  
   
 If Death comes while you are washing dishes, let him find you 
scrubbing them spotless . If he comes  while you are driving to work, 
let him find you with both hands on the wheel. And, if he finds you in 
your bed, go with him satisfied  that you have used your allotted 
minutes well.  
    
 Master Your Appetite  
 
The man who eats more than he ought does wrong, and the man who eats in 
undue haste no less, and also the man who wallows in the pickles and sauces, and 
the man who prefers the sweeter foods to the more healthful ones, and the man who 
does not serve food of the same kind or amount to his guests a s to himself . 
(Musonius Rufus,  On Food ) 
 
To the ancient S toics, good health was nothing more than an 
"indifferent", albeit a preferred one.  Being healthy was certainly better 
than being sickly, but was not a virtue in and of itself.  The quest for 
six-pack abs and buns -of-steel was nothing but vanity, and did 
nothing for true fulfillment.  
 
Mastering one's appetite is the very foundation of training in self -control.  
(Musonius Rufus,  On Food)  
 
However, temperance was unquestionably a virtue, and it's opposite,  
gluttony, a vice. Those two qualities were instrumental in determining 
the manner in which an individual reacted to his impressions.  A 
glutton would accept all impressions on presentation, without pausing 
to impose reason upon his reaction.  If a slice of bacon appeared   
 delicious, it would be eaten.  If a portion  of lima beans  looked bland, it 
would be ignored.  
 
How shameful it is to behave toward food in this way we may learn from the fact 
that we liken them to unreasoning animals rather than to intelligent human 
beings.  (Musonius Rufus,  On Food)


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beings.  (Musonius Rufus,  On Food)  
 
It is the reasoning faculty that sets us above the animals, and when we 
set it aside, its lack that makes us no better.  Our reason allows us to 
analyze our initial impressions, and then assent or reject them.  
Because of our reason, we can objectively view the things we might 
initially desire, and decide whether taking them would actually be in 
our best interests.  And we are at our best when we prevent our 
desires and aversions from overpowering our good s ense.  
 
It follows, then, that mastery of one's appetites is an essential step 
along the path toward mastery of one's entire life. If one is unable to 
cease from overeating, how can he learn to hold his tongue ? If 
another  will not  eat her vegetables , will she be able to perform her 
duty?  
 
And, so, daily we must prepare to battle our appetites.  And some 
days, we will lose.  No matter - the battle itself makes us stronger, so   
 long as we never quit trying.  Self-mastery is not a state one achieves.  
It is a skill one hones.  
    
 Break I t Down  
 
When we have meat before us and such eatables, we receive the impression that this 
is the dead body of a fish, and this is the dead body of a bird or of a pig; and 
again, that this Falernian is only a little grape juice, and this purple robe some 
sheep’s w ool dyed with the blood of a shellfish; or, in the matter of sexual 
intercourse, that it is merely an internal attrition and the spasmodic expulsion of 
semen: such then are these impressions, and they reach the things themselves and 
penetrate them, and so we see the things as they truly are. Just in the same way 
ought we to act all through life, and where there are things that appear most 
worthy of our approbation, we ought to lay them bare and look at their 
worthlessness and strip them of all the words by which they are exalted. For 
outward show is a wonderful perverter of reason, and when you are most sure that


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outward show is a wonderful perverter of reason, and when you are most sure that 
you are employed about things worth your pains, it is then that it cheats you most. 
(Marcus Aurelius,  Meditations VI.13)  
 
In any situation, during any struggle, when faced with any 
overpowering experience, break whatever it is down into its smallest 
components. So much of our initial reaction is based upon what we 
have brought to the situation, rather than the situation itself. Brush 
off the dross to  find the truth beneath.  
   
 If you are facing an insurmountable problem, ask yourself what you 
are really looking for.  Maybe it’s as simple as the very next step that is 
doable right now.  Once that’s behind you, the seemingly 
insurmountable problem is alread y on its way to solution.  
 
If you are facing an  overpowering emotional response, ask yourself 
what has, at its most basic level , happened.  Perhaps someone has 
been rude to you.  Once you peel away the hurt pride and silly 
indignation, perhaps it's just a sa d little person trying to save face.  So, 
what of it?  
 
When overcome with attachment to a thing , dig down deeply into 
whatever commands your emotions. Is it a toy, a trinket, you can 
simply live without? A bit of metal and plastic representing a few 
hours w ork and a new life -lesson? Is it truly deserving of your 
emotion?  
 
Stripped of the drama and passion we seem to apply so liberally, most 
situations end up looking rather small.  
    
 Emulate  Your Role Models  
 
We need to set our affections on some good man and keep him constantly before 
our eyes, so that we may live as if he were watching us and do everything as if he 
saw what we were doing. (Seneca, Letters, 65)  
 
When you are going to confer with anyone, and es pecially with one who seems your 
superior, represent to yourself how Socrates or Zeno would behave in such a case, 
and you will not be at a loss to meet properly whatever may occur. (Epictetus,


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and you will not be at a loss to meet properly whatever may occur. (Epictetus, 
Enchiridion XXXIII )  
 
Similarly  to how Marcus Aurelius begins his “Meditations”, and 
almost the completely opposite of his thoughts under the “Brace for 
Trolls” heading, one might find it uplifting and inspirational to 
consider those traits in others they admire the most.  Contemplating 
an actual role model, a real pe rson, who has “nailed” a virtue is one 
way to help get better at it yourself.  It underlines the point that the 
excellence to which you strive can, in fact, be achieved by actual 
humans.  
 
If anything is possible for man, and peculiar to him, think that this  can be 
attained by thee.  (Marcus Aurelius,  Meditations VI.19)    
  
There is, perhaps, an added bonus in lessening one’s cynicism.  It’s so 
easy to find the worst in others, one needs regular reminders that 
there is more to them.  It’s hard to work towards your purpose when 
you wallow in hopelessness.  
 
Do not be discouraged that your role models have failed in other 
ways.  We all do.  That’s what makes their achievements attainable for 
the rest of us.  Admire them for what they have accomplished, and 
integrate their methods, the ones that work, into your own.  
 
Try to act in the manner you would imagine your role models would 
until it is no longer an act.     
 Turn It Around  
 
When you are offended at any man’s fault, immediately turn to yourself and reflect 
in what manner you yourself have erred: for example, in thinking that money is a 
good thing or pleasure, or a bit of reputation, and the like. (Marcus Aurelius,  
Meditations X.30)  
 
Practice this exercise when you f eel the urge to judge another. The 
faults of others are not your concern.  They don’t impact anything 
important in you, and their correct ion is not under your control. 
Further, you are not free of fault yourself.  
 
He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone.  (Jesus of


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He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone.  (Jesus of 
Nazareth,  KJV John 8:7)  
 
In many situations, with a little reflection, you will find an error on 
your own part that has contributed to any conflict you might be 
experiencing . If you are  not in conflict, the fact that you have put 
yourself forward as the judge of another, without knowing all that has 
led them to where they are, is fault enough to consider.  It is also likely 
that you have, yourself, been tempted to act in a similar manner.  You 
may have on occasion even given in to it.    
  
Your only concern is to improve the faults within yourself.  The only 
interest you should take in the “faults” of others is to see if there is in 
them some lesson for you.  
    
 Take a View from Above  
 
You can rid yourself of many useless things among those that disturb you, for they 
lie entirely in your imagination; and you will then gain for yourself ample space by 
comprehending the whole universe in your mind, and by contemplating the eternity 
of time , and observing the rapid change of every part of everything, how short is the 
time from birth to dissolution, and the illimitable time before birth as well as the 
equally boundless time after dissolution. (Marcus Aurelius,  Meditations 
IX.32)  
 
This is an e xercise aimed at helping you maintain perspective.  So 
much of what vexes us only has significance because we have chosen 
to give it significance.  Remembering where we and our petty concerns 
fit into the global scheme of things may change how we view our 
challenges.  
 
Wherever you are, close your eyes and picture yourself from outside.  
The way you are dressed, how you are positioned, your immediate 
surroundings.  With your eyes still closed, pull back and take in the 
area around you and the other people nearby . Continue the exercise, 
pulling further away, but keeping “you” in the center.  Take in the


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pulling further away, but keeping “you” in the center.  Take in the 
nearby streets and build ings, then those further away.    
  
Now, i magine that you are zooming in and out, watching everyone 
around you.  People sleeping, people working,  people having first 
kisses, and people saying goodbye . People experiencing triumph, and 
people going through tragedy.  First days on the job, unexpected 
terminations, car wrecks and marathon finishes. The entirety of the 
human experience happening in one instant , all around you.  
 
After holding all of that in your mind for a moment, it’s hard to 
remember what you thought wa s such a big deal before.  
    
 Own It  
 
When you have decided that a thing ought to be done, and are doing it, never avoid 
being seen doing it, though the many shall form an unfavorable opinion about it.  
For if it is not right to do it, avoid doing the thing; but if it is right, why are you 
afraid of those who shall find fault wrongly?  (Epictetus,  Enchiridion XXXV)  
 
Sometimes, acting according to your values can make you feel like a 
putz.  All the cool kids are doing. whatever is currently cool, and here 
you are, following your silly principles.  It’s enough to make one want 
to slip off to the side and be principled in private.  
 
However, this would, in itself, be a failure of the Stoic precept t hat 
only virtue matters.  Your reputation with the in -crowd is a  definite 
“indifferent ”, and a principled person would not sacrifice virtue for 
something that simply doesn’t matter.  
 
Anything done according to your values is worth doing openly.  
Perhaps others will see your example and learn from it.  Perhaps your 
skin will grow a little thicker.  
   
 And a nything that must be done in secret is better not done at all.  If 
an act is both a vice and an embarrassment, there is simply no 
justification for it.  
   
 Walk in Your Enemy's Shoes


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justification for it.  
   
 Walk in Your Enemy's Shoes  
 
Let us put ourselves in the place o f him with whom we are angry. At present an 
overweening conceit of our own importance makes us prone to anger, and we are 
quite willing to do to others what we cannot endure to be done to ourselves.  
(Seneca, On Anger, 3.12)  
 
When people injure you, ask you rself what good or harm they thought would come 
of it. If you understand that, you’ll feel sympathy rather than outrage or anger. 
Your sense of good and evil may be the same as theirs, or near it, in which case 
you have to excuse them. Or your sense of goo d and evil may differ from theirs. In 
which case they’re misguided and deserve your compassion. Is that so hard? 
(Marcus Aurelius, Meditation Book VII)  
 
It's common to imagine that when someone makes us angry, their 
actions were about us. That they either intended to wrong us or, at 
best, did so out of negligence. But any misdeed, if it exists, is only 
their logical (from their vantage) response to their own circumstances. 
We are, at most, a bystander.  
   
 When any person does ill by you, or speaks ill of you,  remember that he acts or 
speaks from an impression that it is right for him to do so. Now it is not possible 
that he should follow what appears right to you, but only what appears so to 
himself. Therefore, if he judges from false appearances, he is the pe rson hurt, since 
he, too, is the person deceived.  (Epictetus, Enchiridion  XLII)  
 
When you feel another has treated you unkindly, unfairly, 
thoughtlessly, or in any way you would understand to be in error, 
understand that they think the offending act is cal led for. They are 
quite possibly wrong, but it makes sense to them because they don't 
know better. Maybe they don't understand virtue like you do. Maybe 
they think there is something more important at stake. Maybe 
someone they trusted led them astray. If y ou took a moment to


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someone they trusted led them astray. If y ou took a moment to 
consider your impression of events, it shouldn't be too hard for you 
to imagine a plausible sequence of events that might lead you to act 
the same way.  
 
We are all the products of our past; our genetics and experience. 
Yours now include s the capacity to consider events objectively, and 
from the viewpoint of another. You can dismiss the irrelevant details 
of your bruised ego or marginally reduced circumstances to see the 
misfortune of the person who struggles in ignorance and confusion. 
You have full control over how you will respond.    
  
It shouldn't take much effort to realize that you are the fortunate one 
in this encounter.  
    
 Nail Your Part 
 
Remember that you are an actor in a drama, of such a kind as the author pleases 
to make it. If short, of a short one; if long, of a long one. If it is his pleasure you 
should act a poor man, a cripple, a governor, or a private person, see that you act 
it naturally. For this is your business, to act well the character assigned you; to 
choose it is an other's.  (Epictetus, Endichirion 17)  
 
Fate has chosen a role for you.  It is the role you fill right now.  It is 
comprised of all your weaknesses, strengths, wisdom and ignorance.  
It includes the  responsibilities  you have accrued up to now, and all the 
debts  owed to you, or by you.  The entire chain of causality back to 
the beginning of time has conspired to place you into the role you fill 
at this moment in time.  
 
What will you do, now?  
 
The correct answer is, "My job, as best I can."  
 
It is irrelevant how il l-prepared you feel you might be for the 
challenges you face.   It simply doesn't matter if you don't want  the   
 role you find yourself playing.  That's the one you have.  You can fill 
that role well or you can do so poorly, but you will fill it regardless.


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that role well or you can do so poorly, but you will fill it regardless.  
 
Reflect on the other social roles you play. If you are a council member, consider 
what a council member should do. If you are young, what does being young mean, 
if you are old, what does age imply, if you are a father, what does fatherhood 
entail? Each of ou r titles, when reflected upon, suggests the acts appropriate to it . 
(Epictetus, Discourses II)  
 
One seeking wisdom will  analyze  his life objectively, and take honest 
inventory of his roles; as a parent, a student, an employee, a leader - 
whatever those rol es might be.  For some roles, the only virtuous path 
is to leave them.  For others, it is to endure them.  A prisoner, a patient 
and an exile each have their own opportunities for excellence. The 
role itself is unimportant, to be neither desired nor feared.  The role is 
not the person. It is simply part of the environment in which they 
must act.  
 
The world is filled with children who whine and complain bitterly 
about the roles thrust upon them, as if the universe should, somehow, 
bend reality to pave a more gentle path for them.  You should, instead, 
seek to be the adult in the room, the calm voice of practicality who   
 notes that, fairness aside, here we are.  All that matters is what we do 
next.  
    
 Reconsider the Wrong  
 
If any man has done wrong, the harm is his own. But perhaps he has not done wrong.  
(Marcus Aurelius,  Meditations IX.38)  
 
When faced wi th an impression of wrongdoing, consider the 
possibility that it’s just your perspective that makes it appear so.  What 
if there is more to the situation than is initially apparent?  What if 
there are extenuating circumstances?  
 
It is important to remember t hat everyone acts from the facts and 
circumstances presented to them by fate.  From their vantage, their 
acts seem to be rational, even imperative.  Just because it looks


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acts seem to be rational, even imperative.  Just because it looks 
different from yours does not mean that they should  have acted 
differently.  
 
You are ne ver privy to the full story.  You cannot know the entirety of 
another's motivations. You don't know h is burdens, his fears, his 
pain. 
 
Steven Covey tells a story in his "7 Habits" series about a man who 
entered a subway car with a pack of  unruly  children.  They were yelling 
back and forth, throwing things, even grabbing people's papers, while   
 the father just stared off into the distance.  Covey was so distur bed by 
his apparent disinterest in controlling his children, and so irritated by 
their behavior, he was compelled to confront the man and bring it to 
his attention. The man admitted his failure, noting that their mother 
had just died an hour ago and no one  knew quite what to do with 
themselves.  
 
Covey’s “impression of wrongdoing” was immediately adjusted . 
 
You cannot walk another's path.  You are in no position to judge his 
fault.  Rather than wasting energy on being offended and scandalized, 
consider instead  your own imperfections.  These, at least, are not 
hidden from you.  
    
 Police Your Thoughts  
 
There are four principal aberrations of the superior faculty against which you 
should b e constantly on your guard, and when you have detected them, you should 
wipe them out and say on each occasion thus: this thought is not necessary; this 
tends to destroy social union; this which you are going to say comes not from the 
real thoughts — for you should consider it among the most absurd of things for a 
man not to speak from his real thoughts. But the fourth is when you shall reproach 
yourself for anything, for this is an evidence of the diviner part within you being 
overpowered and yielding to t he less honorable and to the perishable part, the body, 
and to its gross pleasures. (Marcus Aurelius,  Meditations XI.19)


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and to its gross pleasures. (Marcus Aurelius,  Meditations XI.19)  
 
Objective thinking comes from reviewing one’s own thoughts as if 
they were separate from the thinker.  It is this very act of viewing 
them as standalone objects that allows us to reject those thoughts that 
are not fit for purpose.  In this way, we select the thoughts according 
to our values, rather than allowing our values to be shaped by 
whatever comes to us.  Thoughts must be see n as tools that help us 
become what we strive for, rather than indicators of who we are.  
 
Some thoughts are not helpful in the moment.  Some distract us or 
tempt us or take us off course.  Some are needlessly hurtful, or are   
 untrue or insincere.  What you con sider to be an unworthy thought is 
entirely up to you and your individual path, but the key is that you 
make a habit of challenging what is going on within your own head.  It 
is more important to be right than to adhere to your “convictions”.  
 
Convictions a re more dangerous foes of truth than lies . (Friedrich Nietzsche , 
Human All Too Human ) 
 
Do your thoughts align with your values?  If not, reject them and 
reach for better ones.     
 Seek Justice  
 
"May be is very well, but Must is the master. It is my duty to sho w justice without 
recompense ." (Seneca)  
 
A good Stoic must seek Justice. "Justice" is one of the four cardinal 
virtues around which Stoicism is constructed. As with the other 
virtues (Wisdom, Courage, & Temperance), a failure to practice 
Justice negates an y progress across all of them.  
 
Not only is knowledge, when divorced from justice, to be termed subtlety rather 
than wisdom; but also the soul prompt to encounter danger, if moved thereto by 
self-interest, and not by the common good, should have the reputation of audacity 
rather than of courage. (Plato, via Cicero, On Moral Duties de Officiis)  
 
So why is Justice so important to the Stoic prokopton ? This is rooted


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So why is Justice so important to the Stoic prokopton ? This is rooted 
in the Stoic concept of oikeiosis  discussed in " Support Your 
Community ”, but is more simply explained as an exercise in reason.  
 
What is not good for the beehive, cannot be good for the bees. (Marcus Aurelius 
- Meditations IV:47)  
   
 A more just world has less conflict. It has simpler rules. Good 
behavior is incented, excellence is promoted, corruption is excised, 
and the community is improved. Justice is a shared good, like air or 
water. It is not something that can be enjoyed in isolation, or with 
occasional exceptions, without lowering its overall quality. It requires 
an entire ecosystem of people supporting it, paying i t forward, and 
deriving advantage from its existence.  
 
Wrong none by doing injuries, or omitting the benefits that are your duty . 
(Benjamin Franklin, Biography)  
 
A Stoic, then, is a proponent of fair -play, and an opponent of bigotry, 
fraud, theft, privileg e, coercion, cheating, and all efforts to deny what 
is due to those who have earned it, or to transfer it to those who have 
not. While one can have a lively debate on how many of the world's 
ills an individual should feel obliged to correct, at the bare mi nimum, 
a Stoic discharges their own daily obligations with integrity and is fair 
and honest in all their interactions.  
 
We make "the beehive" better for all the bees, and are rewarded by 
that act, itself. We seek justice for everyone so that we might live in a 
more just world.  
    
 Amor Fati  
 
Don't demand that things happen as you wish, but wish that they happen as they 
do happen, and you will go on well.  (Epictetus, Enchiridion  8) 
 
Fate leads the willing and drags along the reluctant.   (Seneca, Letters to 
Lucilius) 
 
My formula for what is great in mankind is amor fati : not to wish for anything 
other than that which is; whether behind, ahead, or for all eternity. Not just to put


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other than that which is; whether behind, ahead, or for all eternity. Not just to put 
up with the inevitable – much less to hide it from oneself, for all idealism is lyi ng 
to oneself in the face of the necessary – but to love it.  (Nietzsche, Ecce Homo, 
10) 
 
When the philosophers talk about  Amor Fati , "Love your fate", they 
mean the bad parts. There's no difficulty in loving your fate when 
you’ve just won the lottery. For most people, it should be  relatively 
easy to grasp why we should accept  our fate. It's going to happen, so 
why fight the unavoidable ? It is far more difficult to understand, 
however, why we should "love" it. It seems Stoic enough  if we can 
just "grin and bear it", right?  
   
 Well, no. It's not enough. I suppose it's better than whining about 
how the world is out to get us, but ideally, life is a lot better once we 
learn to truly love the “opportunities for excellence” the universe 
presents to us.  
 
Fate, in the form of the challenges it incessantly spawns, is what 
makes us strong. A universe in which we do not need to overcome 
challenge, where we do not actively seek it, is one where we grow 
weak and our lives are bland and ordinary. Our daily struggles are 
what gives us backbone. Every time we get rained on, or fired, or 
insulted, or robbed, we get a chance to respond with virtue. And, if 
we do, we gain resilience, fortitude, and wisdom.  
 
The manner in which we respond to our fate bec omes the foundation 
of our character. If anything determines who we become, it is this 
interaction. And to be great, to be someone worthy of our own 
respect, we need a great adversary against which to spar and test 
ourselves.  
 
And so we learn to actually love our fate, not merely to bear it. We 
love it because it makes us better. We love it because, without it, who 
would we be?  
    
 Write It Down  
 
The spirit ought to be brought up for examination daily. It was the custom of


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Write It Down  
 
The spirit ought to be brought up for examination daily. It was the custom of 
Sextius when the day was over, and he had betaken himself to rest, to inquire of 
his spirit: ‘What bad habit of yours have you cured to -day? What vice have you 
checked? In what r espect are you better?’  (Seneca, On Anger  III.36)  
 
Another form of “Reviewing Your Impressions” is keeping a journal.  
Much as Marcus Aurelius did with his Meditations, you may find it 
helpful to reflect upon the day’s happenings and your impressions 
thereof in print.  That adds a little weight to the process, and 
encourages a deeper form of reflection.  It creates a record for you to 
review periodically, to pinpoint trends, noting lessons you have 
trouble keeping in mind.  It also provides su ggestions and inspirations 
from the “past” you that might help with current challenges.  You and 
he, after all, have a lot in common.  
 
It’s another opportunity for emotional housekeeping.  
    
 Memento Mori  
 
Acquire the contemplative way of seeing how all thing s change into one another, 
and constantly attend to it, and exercise yourself about this part of philosophy. For 
nothing is so much adapted to produce magnanimity. … Consider in what 
condition both in body and soul a man should be when he is overtaken by d eath; 
and consider the shortness of life, the boundless abyss of time past and future, the 
feebleness of all matter. (Marcus Aurelius,  Meditations X.11)  
 
What wouldst thou be found doing when overtaken by Death? If I might choose, I 
would be found doing so me deed of true humanity, of wide import, beneficent and 
noble. But if I may not be found engaged in aught so lofty, let me hope at least for 
this—what none may hinder, what is surely in my power —that I may be found 
raising up in myself that which had fall en; learning to deal more wisely with the 
things of sense; working out my own tranquility , and thus rendering that which is


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things of sense; working out my own tranquility , and thus rendering that which is 
its due to every relation of life. (Epictetus,  Golden Sayings:189)  
 
Death can come at any time.  What that means is that all of the 
wonderful things you plan on doing this weekend, when your kids 
graduate, when you retire - It’s entirely possible that none of that will 
happen.  If you’re living your life for the future, you just might be 
wasting it.    
  
Thinking about the inevitability of y our death, and on the 
unpredictable timing of it, can’t help but emphasize the importance of 
living in the “here and now”.  You cannot hold off doing the right 
thing until it is more convenient because it might never happen.  You 
cannot hold off doing the things that fulfill you until you have more 
time because you may already be out of it.  
 
You have a 100% chance of doing whatever you are doing right now.  
Nothing more is guaranteed.  
    
 Review the Day  
 
Never allow sleep to close your eyelids, after you went to bed,  
Until you have examined all your actions of the day by your reason.  
In what have I done wrong? What have I done? What have I omitted that I ought 
to have done?  
If in this examination you find that you have done wrong, reprove yourself severely 
for it; 
And if you have done any good, rejoice.  
Practise thoroughly all these things; meditate on them well; you ought to love them 
with all your heart.  
It is those that will put you in the way of divine virtue. (The Golden Verses of 
Pythagoras)  
 
At the end of  the day, shortly before you go to bed, set some time 
aside to review how well you handled the day’s challenges.  Were you 
faithful to your principles?  Did you lose your temper?  Did you 
perform your duties, as you understand them, diligently?  What vices 
did you give in to, and how will you handle them differently 
tomorrow?  What lessons have you learned that you’ll need to apply 
going forward?  
  


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tomorrow?  What lessons have you learned that you’ll need to apply 
going forward?  
   
 Put a capstone on your day.  Take (a little) pride in the courage you 
showed, sticking to your values when it was har d. Resolve to do 
better where your self -discipline was weak.  Nod off secure in the 
knowledge that you’ve gained a little more wisdom with which to face 
your next day’s challenges.    
 A Final Word  
 
How long are you going to wait before you demand the best for yourself and in no 
instance bypass the discriminations of reason? You have been given the principles 
that you ought to endorse, and you have endorsed them. What kind of teacher, 
then, are you still waiting for in order to refer your self -improvement to  him? You 
are no longer a boy but a full -grown man. If you are careless and lazy now and 
keep putting things off and always deferring the day after which you will attend to 
yourself, you will not notice that you are making no progress but you will live and  
die as someone quite ordinary. From now on, then, resolve to live as a grown -up 
who is making progress, and make whatever you think best a law that you never 
set aside. And whenever you encounter anything that is difficult or pleasurable or 
highly or lowl y regarded, remember that the contest is now, you are at the Olympic 
games, you cannot wait any longer, and that your progress is wrecked or preserved 
by a single day and a single event. This is how Socrates fulfilled himself by 
attending to nothing except  reason in everything he encountered. And you, although 
you are not yet Socrates, should live as someone who at least wants to be Socrates.  
(Epictetus , Enchiridion LI ) 
 
Without the action to back it, a philosophy is just a lazy intellectual 
exercise.  A phi losophy is not a puzzle to be unwound and put aside.    
 It is a guide for daily living and, for it to have any worth, it must be


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It is a guide for daily living and, for it to have any worth, it must be 
lived. Do not wait for perfect understanding.  Do not wait for the 
ideal opportunity.  If you believe this is important, it is impor tant 
enough to do right here and right now.  
 
As Marcus Aurelius said, “Stop philosophizing about what a good 
man is and be one.”  
 
The End  
 
For comments, questions, and corrections, you can find me at 
/u/GreyFreeman  on Reddit or my own blog at   0.net .


