“Wanting to get out of pain is the pain; it is not the “reaction” of an “I” distinct from the pain. When you discover this, the desire to escape “merges” into the pain itself and vanishes.” When I read the above sentences recently in Alan Watts’ book The Wisdom of…
This short explainer will provide you with a straightforward understanding of what the circles of concern are and how you can use them to guide your Stoic practice. Definition Of The Circles of Concern The Stoic philosopher Hierocles developed the circles of concern to describe Stoic cosmopolitanism in regard to oikeiôsis.…
At the beginning of his Enchiridion, Epictetus gave the advice that went on to guide so much of Stoic practice: Some things are within our power, while others are not. Within our power are opinion, motivation, desire, aversion, and, in a word, whatever is of our own doing; not within…
The author Donald Robertson is one of the preeminent authorities on Stoic philosophy today, that much can’t be argued. Through titles like Stoicism and the Art of Happiness, The Philosophy of Cognitive-Behavioural Therapy, and the widely popular How to Think Like a Roman Emperor, Donald draws on his philosophical expertise…
This short explainer will provide you with a straightforward understanding of what the three Stoic disciplines are and how you can use them to guide your Stoic practice. Definition Of The Three Stoic Disciplines The three Stoic disciplines, according to Stoic philosopher Epictetus, are what the aspiring Stoic must practise…
If our human perceptions about time and space are to be trusted, we all exist in the present. We experience everything in the now. We are where we are now. We’re doing what we’re doing now. Because we’re deliberately focusing on it right now, we’re currently more conscious of this…
This short explainer will provide you with a straightforward understanding of what the Stoic concept of living in accordance with Nature is and how you can use the concept to guide your Stoic practice. Definition Of Living In Accordance With Nature Living in accordance with Nature is one of those…
For me, the most difficult thing about future events is the shadow they can cast over the intervening days that lead up to them. Awareness of this state of affairs is, however, strangely comforting at the same time - that the most difficult thing about future events isn’t even the…
This short explainer will provide you with a straightforward understanding of what the Stoic sage is and how you can use the concept to guide your Stoic practice. Definition Of The Stoic Sage The Stoic sage refers to the person who is perfect in their practice of Stoicism. The sage,…
As you read books on Stoicism, you will inevitably encounter some concepts that are referred to by their ancient Greek and Latin terms. While these authentic Stoicism terms are usually well explained when referenced, it can be easy to forget them or even confuse one with another. So, with the…