A beginner's guide to stoicism, and a journal of its modern application.
Practicing stoicism is not unlike getting in shape. It occurs to me that I didn’t really start exploring what makes me happy until I had a few other things in order, namely my professional skills and my health. I also realize now that focusing on my mental health probably has the most impact on my keep reading…
Health ReflectionI got a letter in the mail congratulating me on completely repaying my loan. We still have one more student loan left, but we are very close to getting debt free (not including mortgage)—about two years early of our five year plan. In hindsight, our path to debt reduction was actually quite stoic. We have keep reading…
Personal ReflectionIt turns out we can get some good practical advice from Ancient Rome to help deal with annoying people today. Marcus Aurelius reminded himself that naturally there are probably people who find us annoying. So, when we feel annoyed by someone’s shortcomings we should stop and reflect on our own. This will help us forgive the keep reading…
PersonalThis morning was rough, and it didn’t need to be. Upon reflection I could have avoided upsetting my kids and in turn avoided getting myself annoyed and frustrated. The problem is I, like most people, have limits. Our kids have been in this “phase” for a while now; approximately 8 months. The defiance, obsession with keep reading…
Personal ReflectionIn A Guide to the Good Life, William B. Irvine introduces the philosophy of life called Stoicism in a very approachable, clear and organized way. This book fuels my quest to be stoic and is the primary source of all my knowledge—for now.
Books ResourcesIf the goal of stoicism is tranquility, then the method to reach it is logic and reason. A stoic believes their purpose in life is to be a rational and social being. I interpret this to mean the most primary and important goal of stoicism is logic and reason. Without logic and reason we have keep reading…
PrinciplesConsidering your size within the context of the universe is an effective way to gain perspective. Stoics, such as Marcus Aurelius, would use this strategy when faced with annoying people. Simply take a moment to think about your body, on the face of the Earth, next to other planets, orbiting the sun, within a galaxy keep reading…
PrinciplesFatalism is the belief in the fates; that everything is predefined for us by the fates, that nothing is within our control therefore we shouldn’t worry about it. The stoics, of course, were more logical than this and didn’t surrender completely to fate. They still felt that we are put here for a reason and keep reading…
PrinciplesNegative visualisation is the practice of imagining losing what you currently value. By doing this daily, the stoics believe you prepare yourself for loss, and are able to appreciate what you have in the moment with deeper meaning. For example, a father while playing with his children who takes a moment to contemplate the loss keep reading…
PrinciplesDuty is simply an inherent responsibility we have to the world in which we live to fulfil our purpose for being on the Earth. Stoics believe that humans are meant to be rational and social beings; therefore our primary purpose for existing is to be the best rational person we can and to benefit society; keep reading…
Principles