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 events themselves. Given I’ve made…
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, for example, meets the high…
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 help of Wikipedia and this…
This short explainer will provide you with a straightforward understanding of what the reserve clause is and how you can use it in your Stoic practice. Definition Of The Stoic Reserve Clause The Stoic reserve clause is a means of reminding ourselves that our actions and goals may not always go to plan. In other…
Tony Otoa is an international lawyer from Uganda and a consultant in the extractives sector. I connected with Tony some time ago on Twitter, where he shares his wisdom on leadership and philosophy, among other topics. He is also a long-time student of Stoicism and applies it intentionally as a philosophy of life. It was…
This short explainer will provide you with a straightforward understanding of what the dichotomy of control is and how you can use it in your Stoic practice. Definition Of The Dichotomy Of Control The dichotomy of control as a Stoic concept comes to us from Epictetus. He describes it as follows at the beginning of…
We all submit to distraction once a while (or perhaps more frequently), that much is obvious. It’s rarely the lovely distraction of a gaze out the window at a vivid sunset, but more likely an altogether less engaged gawp at the glass of a glowing screen. Even without an external prompt, buzz, or beep, we…
This short explainer will provide you with a straightforward understanding of what Stoic philosophy considers to be good, what it considers to be bad, and what it considers to be indifferent. Definitions of Good and Bad The Stoic view is that the only true good in life is virtue. Virtue comes in four forms: Wisdom,…
Modern Stoics will be aware of the work of the "big three" Stoic philosophers: Marcus Aurelius, Seneca, and Epictetus. They'll know, too, that Zeno of Citium founded the Stoic school and may even have heard of other prominent figures like Cleanthes, Chrysippus, and Musonius Rufus. What most aren't aware of, however, is all the other…
This short explainer will provide you with a straightforward understanding of what negative visualisation is. You will also learn how you can use it in your Stoic practice. Definition Of Negative Visualisation Negative visualisation is a technique by which we regularly spend a short amount of time imagining the negative events that could befall us.…