Do you sometimes have the feeling that you are missing the moment and not enjoying it enough? Do you sometimes feel that you are never really satisfied?
If so, Stoicism is for you.
Stoicism is not some ancient, distant philosophy, reserved for an intellectual elite. Stoicism is a concrete way of life, applicable to everyone on a daily basis.
It is impossible to control and act fully according to its precepts. But the goal is to progress and become better every day. It is an ideal of life.
The main principles
This philosophy has been inherited from Ancient Greece and the 3 major protagonists are: Seneca, Epicteta and Marcus Aurelius. Stoicism can be summarized in several broad principles.
There are things that depend on us, there are things that don't depend on us. Spruce
Actually, we're not much. We must accept this fact and detach ourselves from events, not allow them to take hold of us.
Put your pleasure in one thing: moving from a useful action for the community to a useful action for the community. Marc Aurèle
If you want to be happy, you don't have to wait for anything. The only things in which we must place our desire are truth, justice, simplicity and reserve. What is not useful to the swarm, is not useful to the bee either.
The more we strip ourselves of material things, the more we bear to be stripped and the more we are good men. Marc Aurele
All human things are vain, ephemeral and worthless. Nothing we do matters against the infinity of time. The Earth itself is only a tiny piece of land. What remains of the glory of Achilles or Alexander the Great? How was their fate different from that of a simple peasant?
If you desire things, you will inevitably be dissatisfied.
If you avoid things, you'll be anxious and frustrated.
When a difficulty happens, be proud and excited. Sees it as an opportunity to become better.
Stoicism makes it possible to be comfortable with a certain level of insecurity. To be able to let go. To be less sensitive to events and things from the outside.
I think I have always had this approach towards life, though I don't at times especially recently. There have been times when something bad was going down and rather than freaking out, I reacted accordingly and took care of business with a sense of calm and strength. Those that can live life and get shit done without being slowed down or bothered by hardships are the ones that live happily.
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