Looking at the World Through Stoic-Colored Glasses

Most people live in a made-up story of their own creation.

They don't look at the world objectively, they see it through assumption-tinted glasses. They don't make decisions based on data, they make them based upon impressions and emotions. They let their initial emotional response to a situation guide their reaction to it.

The problem is, their assumptions tend to be incorrect. They're not based on fact, they're based on incomplete data that lead to incorrect response.

Their "reality" ends up being an inaccurate story they're telling themselves about the events of their lives.

Stoics look at the world differently.

They look at it through Stoic-Colored glasses.

Looking at the world through Stoic-Colored glasses means to see the world exactly as it is. To seek the truth, not validation. Stoics aim to see things objectively. Based on data, not on assumptions. Based on objectivity, not bias.

The Stoic philosopher Marcus Aurelius said:

“It’s the truth I’m after, and the truth never harmed anyone. What harms us is to persist in self-deceit and ignorance.”

When you look at the world through Stoic-colored glasses, your goal is to seek the truth. Not to confirm your bias. Stoics don't seek to be right, they seek to be accurate, even if it means proving their assumptions to be incorrect.

Stoics aren't afraid to put their emotional response to a situation to the test in their quest for the truth. The Stoic philosopher Epictetus said:

“Don't let the force of impression when it first hits you knock you off your feet; just say to it, 'Hold on a moment; let me see who you are and what you represent. Let me put you to the test.'”

Stoics don't immediately trust their initial emotional response to a situation. They put it to the test. They take a moment to observe the data to see if they are responding appropriately.

This Stoic desire to seek the truth and respond based on data may seem robotic, a passionless way to live.

Not at all!

A great deal of suffering we experience in life is based on our tendency to act on assumptions instead of data. And we double-down on our suffering when we insist on validating our incorrect assumptions.

Stoics see the world exactly as it is; the good, the bad, and the ugly. They choose to appreciate the good, find strength in the bad, and accept the ugly.

Stop living in a state of deception base on emotion and assumption. Instead, choose to live a life based on truth.

Stop seeing the world through assumption-tinted glasses. Instead, look at the world through the clear, clean glass of objective data.

Put on your Stoic-Colored glasses.

The truth is a much more beautiful story than the one you're making up.