Courage Under Fire – James B Stockdale

Details Paperback: 32 pages ISBN-10: 0817936920 ISBN-13: 978-0817936921 Preview Description A short but engaging account of James Stockdale's time as a prisoner of war and how he used Stoicism to cope in the worst circumstances imaginable. Notes The Stoics held that all human beings were equal in the eyes of…

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Being Stoic is a Refined Kind of Selfishness

If you’re anything like me, socializing can sometimes feel like the last thing you want to do. Maybe yesterday was littered with frustrating interactions or you know you’re going to bump into a difficult personality this afternoon. Whether today is one of those days or not, Seneca gave us good…

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The Obstacle Is The Way – Ryan Holiday

Details Paperback: 224 pages ISBN-10: 9781781251492 ISBN-13: 978-1781251492 Preview Description Stoic inspiration for turning every new obstacle into an opportunity to get better. Inspired by Marcus Aurelius's line from his Meditations: "The impediment to action advances action. What stands in the way becomes the way." Highlights Not “be positive” but…

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Ego Is The Enemy – Ryan Holiday

Details Paperback: 256 pages ISBN-10: 9781781257029 ISBN-13: 978-1781257029 Preview Description A useful reminder on the dangers of allowing one's actions to be guided by ego, inspired by relevant teachings from the Stoics. Highlights Our cultural values almost try to make us dependent on validation, entitled, and ruled by our emotions.…

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A Guide to the Good Life – William B Irvine

Details Hardcover: 336 pages ISBN-10: 0195374614 ISBN-13: 978-0195374612 Preview Description The first book I read on Stoicism and one of the most popular modern Stoic books in general. Irvine makes Stoicism accessible and clear to all in this work and it's probably one that every aspiring Stoic should read. Highlights…

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Lessons in Stoicism – John Sellars

Details Hardcover: 96 pages ISBN-10: 0241382777 ISBN-13: 978-0241382776 Preview Description A brief but well-written introduction to Stoicism that would be a good starting point for a beginner wishing to learn more about the philosophy. (Also a handy reference for those already familiar.) Highlights In his Discourses, Epictetus is quite clear…

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How To Think Like A Roman Emperor – Donald Robertson

Details Hardcover: 304 pages ISBN-10: 1250196620 ISBN-13: 978-1250196620 Preview Description An excellent combination of philosophy and psychotherapy presented with biographical detail about the Stoic Roman Emperor Marcus Aurelius. Not only a great reading experience but also a goldmine of CBT techniques that can be practiced regularly to help with things…

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Here’s Why a Dog is a True Philosopher

One of the few social media accounts I check every day is that of Niall Harbison (​Instagram​ / ​Twitter​ / Substack). Originally from Ireland, Niall now lives in Thailand where he feeds and rescues street dogs. His mission is to save 10,000 dogs a month as he tries to scale…

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Stoic Protection From the Dangers of Desire

Desire has a reliable way of making us view our lives through the lens of what we don’t have. This lens obscures from our sight the many blessings we already have and puts us into a discontented state of ungratefulness. There’s a passage in Invisible Cities, Italo Calvino’s novel in…

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