Best quotes from the writings of the ancient Stoics (Letters from a Stoic, Meditations, Discourses of Epictetus, and many more)
One of the main tenets of Stoicism is that happiness can be attained from within. The ancient Stoics claim that a wise man is self-sufficient. When he experiences a flux of negative emotions, a wise would be able to deal with them using only his faculty of reasons. Due to the fleeting nature of power, money and fame, a man should not depend on these things for his…
Letters from a Stoic is a collection of letters sent by Lucius Annaeus Seneca to his friend Lucilius. By the time the letters were written, Seneca was already a very old man and was sort of transferring his wisdom to the young Lucilius who was on his way to achieving great things in his career in politics. One of the most dominant themes in a lot of these letters is…
If you ask most people why philosophy is important, they would give you answers like it improves your communication and analytical skills, teaches problem solving, or provides a great tool in the research process. These answers are true but most are in the realm of educational institutions. The Stoics approach to philosophy was never academic. Instead, Stoicism was developed more as a practical tool to help deal with negative…
Memento Mori, a Latin phrase which means “Remember You Must Die”, is a popular practice among ancient stoics to remind themselves of their mortality. This might sound unusual after hearing it for the first time and for some sounds scary but actually it can make one be more appreciative of the present. Seneca, a popular stoic philosopher, said that one of his friends has a daily ritual by sitting aside a coffin with some wine…
[View Handbook] A lot of people compare Stoicism to Buddhism as ancient stoics puts a huge emphasis on living in the present moment. Whether it be the works of Seneca, Epictetus or Marcus Aurelius, time is viewed as probably the most important commodity given to man. As Marcus Aurelius put it, “That the longest-lived and those who will die soonest lose the same thing. The present is all that they can give up, since that is…