People often use the terms values and virtues interchangeably and that is why sometimes it can be hard to determine the differences between the two. However, there are subtle differences between these terms which I will try to explain in this post as simple as possible. 1. Values - What is important to you? Virtues – What are your inner qualities? Values refer to…
In letters from a stoic 53, Seneca narrated a story when he was traveling to a place called Parthenope in unfavorable weather. He couldn’t handle the seasickness brought about by the waves of the sea so he had to ask the pilot to go to the nearest shoreline. He then proceeded by saying the disease of the soul is worse than the disease of the body. This is…
In letters from a stoic 52, Seneca discusses two types of men who are in their path to becoming the best version of themselves - one who needs help from mentors and one who can do it by himself. He said that men who can do the latter are “first class” while the former “second grade”. I think almost everyone belongs to the second grade because even Seneca…
Stoicism (capital S) is different from stoicism (small s). For the purpose of this article, we will call the former capital Stoicism and the latter small stoicism. Capital Stoicism refers to the ancient school of philosophy that teaches several strategies and techniques to prevent the onset of negative emotions and extinguish them as soon as they appear. Small stoicism, on the other hand, refers to the “bottling” of…
In letters from a stoic 51, Seneca talks about the importance of living in a place that’s far from vices but one that should enhance our character instead. “We ought to select abodes which are wholesome not only for the body but also for the character... We ought to see to it that we flee to the greatest possible distance from provocations to vice.” He mentioned several…