12 Lessons from the Stoic Tradition

In 2023, I read ‘The Daily Stoic: 366 Meditations on Wisdom, Perseverance, and the Art of Living’ by Ryan Holiday and Stephen Hanselman.?

I highly recommend it.

As the name suggests, the book includes a daily passage drawn from historic Stoic writings, and a modern interpretation.

A few years ago, I grabbed a copy of Roman Emperor Marcus Aurelius’ ‘Meditations’ and loved the insights.? I was also struck by the similarities between Stoicism and Buddhist teachings.

To learn more about Stoicism see the explanation at the end. **

Here are my Top 12 Stoic Insights

January 25 – ?????? ???????? ?????????? – Marcus encourages us to focus only on those actions (or inactions) that line up with our highest self.? Everything else should be set aside. ???? ?????????? ???????????????????? ?????????????? ?????????? ????? ??????????? ??????? ????????????, ?????? ?????? ????????????? ?????????? ???????????????? ??????????? ?????? ????? ???????? ???? ????.

February 3 – ?????? ???????????? ???? ???????? ?????????????? – “When I see an anxious person, I ask myself, what do they want? …For if a person wasn’t wanting something outside of their own control, why would they be stricken by anxiety?” Epictetus, Discourses, 2.13.1.? ????’???? ?????? ?????????????? ?????????? ?????????????? ???? ????? ???????????? ?????????? ?????????????? ???????. ????’?? ?????????? ?????????????????????? ???????????? ???? ?????? ?????????? ???? ???????? ???? ?????????? ?????????? ??????????? ?????????????? ?????? ??????????????. ??’???? ???????????????????????? ??????? ?????????? ??????????????????????, ???? ??????????’?? ???????; ???????????? ????????????, ?????????????????? ?????? ??????????????????, ?????? ???????????? ????????????? ???????????? – ???????’?? ??????? ?????????? ???? ??????????????.

March 9 – ???????? ?????? ?????????? ?????????? – “From good people you’ll learn good, but if you mingle with the bad, you’ll destroy such soul as you had.” Musonius Rufus, quoting Theognis of Megara, Lectures, 11.53.21-22.? ?????? ???????? ?????????? ?????????????????? ???? ????? ?????? ?????????? ???????? ???????? ????????. ???????????????? ???????? ???????????????????? ?????? ?????????????????? ???????? ???????????? ???? ????? ???????????????? ??????’???? ??????????????? ??????? ?????????? ???????? ??????????????????? ?????????? ?????? ?????????????? ???????????? ????????? ??????? ?????? ????? ????????.

April 20 – ???????? ???????? ???? ???????????? – “…first start by setting your mind upon things that are unquestionably good – wisdom, self-control, justice, courage – with this preconception you’ll no longer be able to listen to the popular refrain that there are too many good things to experience in a lifetime.” Marcus Aurelius, Meditations, 5.12.? ????? ?????????? ?????????????? ?????????????????? ???????????? ???? ???? ????????? ???? ?????????? ?????? ???????? ?????? ????? ?????????????? ???? ?????????????????? ?????? ???????????. ?????????????????????? ?????? ????????. ??????????? ?????? ??????. ?????? ???? ??????? ?????????????? ?????????????? ????????????????????????? ????? ???????? ???????? ??????????? ?????? ?????? ??????????????.

May 16 – ?????? ?????????? ???????????? – “If you don’t wish to be a hot-head, don’t feed your habit. Try as a first step to remain calm and count the days you haven’t been angry. …For habit is first weakened and then obliterated.” – Epictetus, Discourses, 2.18.11b-14. ??????????????? ?? ?????????? ???? ???????????????? ???? ?????????????? ??????? ?????????? ????????? ???? ?????????????? ???????????????? (???? ??????? ???? ????????????????). ?????? ???? ???? ??????? ???????????? ?????? ?????????? ???????????.

June 18 – ???????????????? ?????? ???????????? – “Let Fate find us prepared and active. Here is the great soul – the one who surrenders to Fate. The opposite is the weak and degenerate one, who struggles with and has a poor regard for the order of the world and seeks to correct the faults of the gods rather than their own.” – Seneca, Moral Letters, 107.12.? ??????????? ??????? ?????????????? ?????? ??????????????????????????, ?????????????? ???? ??????????????????, ???? ??????????????? ????? ???????????????? ???? ???????? ???? ??????? ?????? ????????????????????????, ???????????????? ???? ????????? ???????????????? ????????????????????, ?????? ?????? ???????? ?????????? ?????????????????? ???? ????? ???????????????????? ??????????.

July 8 – ???????? ?????????????????? ???????????? – “Enough of this miserable, whining life. Stop monkeying around! Why are you troubled? What’s new here? What’s so confounding?...try being more straightforward and kind. It’s the same, whether you’ve examined these things for a hundred years, or only three.” – Marcus Aurelius, Meditations, 9.37.? ??????’?? ?????????? ???????? ??????????????, ???????? ???? ?????? ???????? ????????????????? ???? ???????? ????????????????. ???????????? ??????? ????????-???????????? ?????? ???????????????? ??????????.

August 28 – ?????? ?????????????? ?????????? – “The founder of the universe, who assigned to us the laws of life, provided that we should live well, but not in luxury.? Everything needed for our wellbeing is right before us, whereas what luxury requires is gathered by many miseries and anxieties. Let us use this gift of nature and count it among the greatest things.” – Seneca, Moral Letters, 119.15b.? ???? ????? ???????????? ??????????, ?????????????????? ?????? ?????????????????????? ???? ???????????????????, ?????????????????????? ???? ???? ?????????????? ?????? ??????????. ??????? ???? ?????? ?????????? ???? ???????????, ?????? ???? ??????? ???????????? ???????? ???? ?????????? ??????? ???? ?????? ??????? ?????? ?????????????? ???? ?? ???????? ???????? ???? ???? ?????????? ?????????????????? ???? ?????????? ???? ??????? ????? ??????????????, ?????? ?????????? ???????????????????? ?????????????? ???????????.

September 3 – ??????????, ?? ???????? ???????????? ???????????????? – “We must undergo a hard winter training, and not rush into things for which we haven’t prepared.” – Epictetus, Discourses, 1.2.32. ????? ?????????????? ??????????, ???????????? ?????????? ?????????????? ?????? ????? ????????????, ?????? ???????????????? ?????????????????? ?????? ???????? ??????????. ???????? ???? ???? ???????? ?????????? ???? ?????????????????? ?????? ??????????????? ????????????, ?????? ???? ?????? ??????????????? ?????? ????? ???????????????? ???? ????????????. ?????? ??????? “????????????????” ?????? ???? ?????????????? ???? ?????? ????? ??????????? ???? ???????? ??????????? ???????? ???????????? ??????????????, ????????????????, ???? ???????????? ?????????????????????????? ???????? ???? ?????? ?? ?????????? ?????????????????, ??????? ?????? ?????? ?????????? ?????????? ?????

October 30 – ?????? ???????? ?????? ????????’?? ??????????? – “Aren’t you ashamed to reserve for yourself only the remnants of your life and to dedicate to wisdom only that time that can’t be directed to business? – Seneca, On the Brevity of Life, 3.5b.? ?????? ???? ?????????? ???????????????????? ???? ????????-??????????????????????, ?????????????? ?????? ????????????????, ???? ???????????????? ?????????????? ?????? ??????????? ???? ???? ???? ?????? ??????????????? ???? ?????? ??????? 168 ????????? ??????? ????????. ??????’?? ?????? ???????? ???????????????? ?????? ?????????????????????? ???? ????? ???????? ???????????? ???? ????? ?????? ?????? ????. ???????????????? ???????? ???????? ???????????? ?????? ?????? ???????? ???????????????? ???????? ????? ?????????? ???? ???????’?? ???????????????? ?????????????????? ???? ??????.

November 27 – ?????? ???????????????? ???? ???????????? ?????? ?????? ???????????????? – “How satisfying it is to dismiss and block out any upsetting or foreign impression, and immediately to have peace in all things.” – Marcus Aurelius, Meditations, 5.2.? ??????? ?????? ????? ????????????????, ????????????, ?????? ???????????????????? ??????? ?????????????? ?? ???????????????? ???? ???????????????????? ?????????? ???? ???????? ?????? ??????? ?????????????? ???????? ????????????????????????, ??????????, ????????????, ???????????????????????? ?????????? ???? ??????????, ?????? ?????? ?????????? ???? ?????? ?????????? ???? ???????? ???????? ??????? ????????????’?? ???? ???????? ?????????? ???? ?????????????????? ????? ????????????????? ?????? ????????????????? ????’?? ?????? ?????????????? ??????????????, ???? ???? ?????????????? ??????????????? ???? ???????? ???? ??????? ?? ?????????????? ??????’???? ????????????????.

December 31 – ?????? ???????????? ???? ???????? ?????? ???????????? – “Stop wandering about! …Get busy with life’s purpose, toss aside empty hopes, get active in your own rescue – if you care for yourself at all – and do it while you can.” – Marcus Aurelius, Meditations, 3.14.? ???????? ????????!

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From studying Stoicism across the year, I’ve deepened my understanding of this ancient yet profoundly useful philosophy for modern life.? More than understanding though, I’ve attempted to grow personally by implementing the principles.? Fair to say, I remain a work in progress.

For now, it’s onwards into 2024 where I’ll be focusing on a new daily practice for the year.? More on this in 12 months.?

What’s your focus for the year ahead?

** ?????????????????????? ???? ???????????????? (excerpts from the book’s introduction)

“…Stoicism, an ancient philosophy that was once one of the most popular civic disciplines in the West, practiced by the rich and the impoverished, the powerful and the struggling alike in the pursuit of the Good Life.”

“The philosophy asserts that virtue (meaning, chiefly, the four cardinal virtues of self-control, courage, justice, and wisdom) is happiness, and it is our perceptions of things – rather than the things themselves – that cause most of our trouble. Stoicism teaches that we can’t control or rely on anything outside what Epictetus called our “reasoned choice” – our ability to use our reason to choose how we categorise, respond, and reorient ourselves to external events.”