The Stoic Principles of Objectivity, Unselfishness, and Acceptance
I am a huge fan of Stoicism. And this passage from Meditations by Marcus Aurelius is my favorite Stoic quote:
It contains three important principles of Stoicism:
Here are some thoughts on each of these principles and how you can benefit from them.
Objectivity
Don’t be lead around by your emotions. When something happens, do you go with your first emotional response? Or do you evaluate the situation, if only for a second? Our first response isn’t always our best bet. Look at the situation objectively and choose the best response. Our ability to choose lies in the space between stimulus and response. Create that space.
Unselfishness
Do a kind deed, that benefits someone else, without any thought of yourself. You have no idea how a kind deed might change the trajectory of someone’s day … or even their life. Don’t get too wrapped up in yourself and your problems. Take a look around you. Who needs help? Go help them.
Acceptance
Do you Expect or do you Accept? Expecting things to turn out a certain way only leads to disappointment when they do not. Accept whatever happens to you. You can still Act to influence what you can. But it all starts with Acceptance.
Accept –> Act –> Accept –> Act –> Accept … And on and on.
If you want to improve the quality of your life, try a little Stoicism on for size.
It will help you be more objective, unselfish, and accepting of everything that life throws your way.