Discobolus, from the RomanNational Museum, photo by

the author

How I practice Stoicism, the nuts

and bolts

October 13, 2016 Massimo Modern Stoicism

Stoicism is a practical philosophy, with little

tolerance for logic chopping and hair splitting.

As Epictetus put it: “We know how to analyse

arguments, and have the skill a person needs

to evaluate competent logicians. But in life

what do I do? What today I say is good

tomorrow I will swear is bad. And the reason

is that, compared to what I know about

syllogisms, my knowledge and experience of

life fall far behind.” (Discourses I, 1.32). This is

why people interested in Stoicism don’t just

read classic and modern authors, they

partecipate in practical exercises, such as

those offered during Stoic Week, the Stoic

Mindfulness and Resilience Training course,

and local initiatives such as Stoic Camp.

But what does a regular, everyday Stoic actually do, every day? What does

it mean, exactly, to “practice” a philosophy? Rather than write a theoretical

essay on this, I figured it may be helpful to some readers to take a closer

look at one example of Stoic practice, my own.

I revise my routine from time to time, but it currently consists of a balance of

the following elements (you can find a collection of 24 exercises here):

Morning meditation on a classical quote. I choose a passage from one of the

ancient Stoics, out of my ever expanding anthology, read it several times,

Search …

ARCHIVES

Select Month

YOU ARE FOLLOWING

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You are following this blog,along with 1,673 other amazingpeople (manage).

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Home by Massimo Collections Meditations Books Stoicism 101 Stoic Camp NY STOICON

Discobolus, from the RomanNational Museum, photo by

the author

How I practice Stoicism, the nuts

and bolts

October 13, 2016 Massimo Modern Stoicism

Stoicism is a practical philosophy, with little

tolerance for logic chopping and hair splitting.

As Epictetus put it: “We know how to analyse

arguments, and have the skill a person needs

to evaluate competent logicians. But in life

what do I do? What today I say is good

tomorrow I will swear is bad. And the reason

is that, compared to what I know about

syllogisms, my knowledge and experience of

life fall far behind.” (Discourses I, 1.32). This is

why people interested in Stoicism don’t just

read classic and modern authors, they

partecipate in practical exercises, such as

those offered during Stoic Week, the Stoic

Mindfulness and Resilience Training course,

and local initiatives such as Stoic Camp.

But what does a regular, everyday Stoic actually do, every day? What does

it mean, exactly, to “practice” a philosophy? Rather than write a theoretical

essay on this, I figured it may be helpful to some readers to take a closer

look at one example of Stoic practice, my own.

I revise my routine from time to time, but it currently consists of a balance of

the following elements (you can find a collection of 24 exercises here):

Morning meditation on a classical quote. I choose a passage from one of the

ancient Stoics, out of my ever expanding anthology, read it several times,

Search …

ARCHIVES

Select Month

YOU ARE FOLLOWING

THIS BLOG

You are following this blog,along with 1,673 other amazingpeople (manage).

RSS - Posts

SOCIAL

! "

CATEGORIES

Ancient Stoicism (35)Cato's chronicles (7)Cicero (6)Epictetus (22)History & Biographies (17)Larry Becker (14)Logic (3)Marcus (19)Metaphysics (6)Modern Stoicism (28)Psychology (30)Religion (7)Science (6)Seneca (20)Social living (7)Stoicism & pop culture (11)Stoicism for Kids (1)STOICON & Stoic Week (22)Virtue Ethics (24)

How I practice Stoicism, the nuts and bolts

HOW TO BE A STOICan evolving guide to practical Stoicism for the 21st century

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Home

Home by Massimo Collections Meditations Books Stoicism 101 Stoic Camp NY STOICON

Discobolus, from the RomanNational Museum, photo by

the author

How I practice Stoicism, the nuts

and bolts

October 13, 2016 Massimo Modern Stoicism

Stoicism is a practical philosophy, with little

tolerance for logic chopping and hair splitting.

As Epictetus put it: “We know how to analyse

arguments, and have the skill a person needs

to evaluate competent logicians. But in life

what do I do? What today I say is good

tomorrow I will swear is bad. And the reason

is that, compared to what I know about

syllogisms, my knowledge and experience of

life fall far behind.” (Discourses I, 1.32). This is

why people interested in Stoicism don’t just

read classic and modern authors, they

partecipate in practical exercises, such as

those offered during Stoic Week, the Stoic

Mindfulness and Resilience Training course,

and local initiatives such as Stoic Camp.

But what does a regular, everyday Stoic actually do, every day? What does

it mean, exactly, to “practice” a philosophy? Rather than write a theoretical

essay on this, I figured it may be helpful to some readers to take a closer

look at one example of Stoic practice, my own.

I revise my routine from time to time, but it currently consists of a balance of

the following elements (you can find a collection of 24 exercises here):

Morning meditation on a classical quote. I choose a passage from one of the

ancient Stoics, out of my ever expanding anthology, read it several times,

Search …

ARCHIVES

Select Month

YOU ARE FOLLOWING

THIS BLOG

You are following this blog,along with 1,673 other amazingpeople (manage).

RSS - Posts

SOCIAL

! "

CATEGORIES

Ancient Stoicism (35)Cato's chronicles (7)Cicero (6)Epictetus (22)History & Biographies (17)Larry Becker (14)Logic (3)Marcus (19)Metaphysics (6)Modern Stoicism (28)Psychology (30)Religion (7)Science (6)Seneca (20)Social living (7)Stoicism & pop culture (11)Stoicism for Kids (1)STOICON & Stoic Week (22)Virtue Ethics (24)

How I practice Stoicism, the nuts and bolts

HOW TO BE A STOICan evolving guide to practical Stoicism for the 21st century

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Home

Home by Massimo Collections Meditations Books Stoicism 101 Stoic Camp NY STOICON

Discobolus, from the RomanNational Museum, photo by

the author

How I practice Stoicism, the nuts

and bolts

October 13, 2016 Massimo Modern Stoicism

Stoicism is a practical philosophy, with little

tolerance for logic chopping and hair splitting.

As Epictetus put it: “We know how to analyse

arguments, and have the skill a person needs

to evaluate competent logicians. But in life

what do I do? What today I say is good

tomorrow I will swear is bad. And the reason

is that, compared to what I know about

syllogisms, my knowledge and experience of

life fall far behind.” (Discourses I, 1.32). This is

why people interested in Stoicism don’t just

read classic and modern authors, they

partecipate in practical exercises, such as

those offered during Stoic Week, the Stoic

Mindfulness and Resilience Training course,

and local initiatives such as Stoic Camp.

But what does a regular, everyday Stoic actually do, every day? What does

it mean, exactly, to “practice” a philosophy? Rather than write a theoretical

essay on this, I figured it may be helpful to some readers to take a closer

look at one example of Stoic practice, my own.

I revise my routine from time to time, but it currently consists of a balance of

the following elements (you can find a collection of 24 exercises here):

Morning meditation on a classical quote. I choose a passage from one of the

ancient Stoics, out of my ever expanding anthology, read it several times,

Search …

ARCHIVES

Select Month

YOU ARE FOLLOWING

THIS BLOG

You are following this blog,along with 1,673 other amazingpeople (manage).

RSS - Posts

SOCIAL

! "

CATEGORIES

Ancient Stoicism (35)Cato's chronicles (7)Cicero (6)Epictetus (22)History & Biographies (17)Larry Becker (14)Logic (3)Marcus (19)Metaphysics (6)Modern Stoicism (28)Psychology (30)Religion (7)Science (6)Seneca (20)Social living (7)Stoicism & pop culture (11)Stoicism for Kids (1)STOICON & Stoic Week (22)Virtue Ethics (24)

How I practice Stoicism, the nuts and bolts

HOW TO BE A STOICan evolving guide to practical Stoicism for the 21st century

# $ %

Home

Home by Massimo Collections Meditations Books Stoicism 101 Stoic Camp NY STOICON

Discobolus, from the RomanNational Museum, photo by

the author

How I practice Stoicism, the nuts

and bolts

October 13, 2016 Massimo Modern Stoicism

Stoicism is a practical philosophy, with little

tolerance for logic chopping and hair splitting.

As Epictetus put it: “We know how to analyse

arguments, and have the skill a person needs

to evaluate competent logicians. But in life

what do I do? What today I say is good

tomorrow I will swear is bad. And the reason

is that, compared to what I know about

syllogisms, my knowledge and experience of

life fall far behind.” (Discourses I, 1.32). This is

why people interested in Stoicism don’t just

read classic and modern authors, they

partecipate in practical exercises, such as

those offered during Stoic Week, the Stoic

Mindfulness and Resilience Training course,

and local initiatives such as Stoic Camp.

But what does a regular, everyday Stoic actually do, every day? What does

it mean, exactly, to “practice” a philosophy? Rather than write a theoretical

essay on this, I figured it may be helpful to some readers to take a closer

look at one example of Stoic practice, my own.

I revise my routine from time to time, but it currently consists of a balance of

the following elements (you can find a collection of 24 exercises here):

Morning meditation on a classical quote. I choose a passage from one of the

ancient Stoics, out of my ever expanding anthology, read it several times,

Search …

ARCHIVES

Select Month

YOU ARE FOLLOWING

THIS BLOG

You are following this blog,along with 1,673 other amazingpeople (manage).

RSS - Posts

SOCIAL

! "

CATEGORIES

Ancient Stoicism (35)Cato's chronicles (7)Cicero (6)Epictetus (22)History & Biographies (17)Larry Becker (14)Logic (3)Marcus (19)Metaphysics (6)Modern Stoicism (28)Psychology (30)Religion (7)Science (6)Seneca (20)Social living (7)Stoicism & pop culture (11)Stoicism for Kids (1)STOICON & Stoic Week (22)Virtue Ethics (24)

How I practice Stoicism, the nuts and bolts

HOW TO BE A STOICan evolving guide to practical Stoicism for the 21st century

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Home

Home by Massimo Collections Meditations Books Stoicism 101 Stoic Camp NY STOICON

Discobolus, from the RomanNational Museum, photo by

the author

How I practice Stoicism, the nuts

and bolts

October 13, 2016 Massimo Modern Stoicism

Stoicism is a practical philosophy, with little

tolerance for logic chopping and hair splitting.

As Epictetus put it: “We know how to analyse

arguments, and have the skill a person needs

to evaluate competent logicians. But in life

what do I do? What today I say is good

tomorrow I will swear is bad. And the reason

is that, compared to what I know about

syllogisms, my knowledge and experience of

life fall far behind.” (Discourses I, 1.32). This is

why people interested in Stoicism don’t just

read classic and modern authors, they

partecipate in practical exercises, such as

those offered during Stoic Week, the Stoic

Mindfulness and Resilience Training course,

and local initiatives such as Stoic Camp.

But what does a regular, everyday Stoic actually do, every day? What does

it mean, exactly, to “practice” a philosophy? Rather than write a theoretical

essay on this, I figured it may be helpful to some readers to take a closer

look at one example of Stoic practice, my own.

I revise my routine from time to time, but it currently consists of a balance of

the following elements (you can find a collection of 24 exercises here):

Morning meditation on a classical quote. I choose a passage from one of the

ancient Stoics, out of my ever expanding anthology, read it several times,

Search …

ARCHIVES

Select Month

YOU ARE FOLLOWING

THIS BLOG

You are following this blog,along with 1,673 other amazingpeople (manage).

RSS - Posts

SOCIAL

! "

CATEGORIES

Ancient Stoicism (35)Cato's chronicles (7)Cicero (6)Epictetus (22)History & Biographies (17)Larry Becker (14)Logic (3)Marcus (19)Metaphysics (6)Modern Stoicism (28)Psychology (30)Religion (7)Science (6)Seneca (20)Social living (7)Stoicism & pop culture (11)Stoicism for Kids (1)STOICON & Stoic Week (22)Virtue Ethics (24)

How I practice Stoicism, the nuts and bolts

HOW TO BE A STOICan evolving guide to practical Stoicism for the 21st century

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How I practice Stoicism, the nuts and bolts How to Be a Stoic.pdfSalvataggio in Dropbox • 12 dic 2016, 09K13

and reflect on it. (I also then post it at the Stoicism Facebook group.) This

reminds me of why I chose Stoicism as my personal philosophy, as well as

of some of its basic precepts.

Daylong ethical mindfulness. The word used by the Stoics for mindfulness

was prosochē, which means paying attention. (Here is my list of key Stoic

terms.) What this means, to me, is in part to try to live hic et nunc (here and

now), with no regrets about the past and no worry about the future (neither

of which is under my control). It also means to remind myself that pretty

much everything we do has an ethical dimension, from where we shop for

groceries or bank with our money to how we treat our family, friends, co-

workers and even strangers. (It helps if one picks one or more role models

— Socrates, Cato, Nelson Mandela, or Malala Yousafzai — and, when in

doubt, asks oneself: what would s/he do?)

Consciously attempt to embody Epictetus’ “role ethics.” As Brian Johnson

has argued in his Epictetus’ Role Ethics: Stoicism in Ordinary Life, Stoic

ethics can perhaps best be practiced by following Epictetus’ suggestion of

owning the various roles we play in life (father, companion, friend, teacher,

colleague, etc.) so that we can play them at our best. This — I should

immediately add — isn’t a question of “faking” it, or “performing” in the

negative sense of the term, but of taking seriously who we are and our

responsibilities toward others.

Evening philosophical diary. Every night I retire in a quiet corner of my

apartment and take a few minutes to review the day that just ended,

following Seneca’s suggestion: “The spirit ought to be brought up for

examination daily. It was the custom of Sextius when the day was over, and

he had betaken himself to rest, to inquire of his spirit: ‘What bad habit of

yours have you cured to-day? What vice have you checked? In what

respect are you better?’ … How sweet is the sleep which follows this self-

examination? how calm, how sound, and careless is it when our spirit has

either received praise or reprimand, and when our secret inquisitor and

censor has made his report about our morals? I make use of this privilege,

and daily plead my cause before myself: when the lamp is taken out of my

sight, and my wife, who knows my habit, has ceased to talk, I pass the

whole day in review before myself, and repeat all that I have said and done:

I conceal nothing from myself, and omit nothing: for why should I be afraid

of any of my shortcomings, when it is in my power to say, ‘I pardon you this

time: see that you never do that anymore?'” (On Anger, III.36)

Occasional premeditatio malorum and/or view from above meditations.

Two of the standard Stoic exercises are the premeditatio malorum, a

contemplation of possible adversity to come, and the view from above, a

meditation that helps us put our troubles into the broader perspective of

humanity at large, with its sorrowful history, or even of the cosmos itself, in

its vastness in both time and space. Here and here are suggestions on how

to do them.

STOICON

Stoicism 101

Seneca: on theshortness of life

Meditations

Books

Virtue Ethics (24)What Would a Stoic Do? (13)

TOP POSTS

and reflect on it. (I also then post it at the Stoicism Facebook group.) This

reminds me of why I chose Stoicism as my personal philosophy, as well as

of some of its basic precepts.

Daylong ethical mindfulness. The word used by the Stoics for mindfulness

was prosochē, which means paying attention. (Here is my list of key Stoic

terms.) What this means, to me, is in part to try to live hic et nunc (here and

now), with no regrets about the past and no worry about the future (neither

of which is under my control). It also means to remind myself that pretty

much everything we do has an ethical dimension, from where we shop for

groceries or bank with our money to how we treat our family, friends, co-

workers and even strangers. (It helps if one picks one or more role models

— Socrates, Cato, Nelson Mandela, or Malala Yousafzai — and, when in

doubt, asks oneself: what would s/he do?)

Consciously attempt to embody Epictetus’ “role ethics.” As Brian Johnson

has argued in his Epictetus’ Role Ethics: Stoicism in Ordinary Life, Stoic

ethics can perhaps best be practiced by following Epictetus’ suggestion of

owning the various roles we play in life (father, companion, friend, teacher,

colleague, etc.) so that we can play them at our best. This — I should

immediately add — isn’t a question of “faking” it, or “performing” in the

negative sense of the term, but of taking seriously who we are and our

responsibilities toward others.

Evening philosophical diary. Every night I retire in a quiet corner of my

apartment and take a few minutes to review the day that just ended,

following Seneca’s suggestion: “The spirit ought to be brought up for

examination daily. It was the custom of Sextius when the day was over, and

he had betaken himself to rest, to inquire of his spirit: ‘What bad habit of

yours have you cured to-day? What vice have you checked? In what

respect are you better?’ … How sweet is the sleep which follows this self-

examination? how calm, how sound, and careless is it when our spirit has

either received praise or reprimand, and when our secret inquisitor and

censor has made his report about our morals? I make use of this privilege,

and daily plead my cause before myself: when the lamp is taken out of my

sight, and my wife, who knows my habit, has ceased to talk, I pass the

whole day in review before myself, and repeat all that I have said and done:

I conceal nothing from myself, and omit nothing: for why should I be afraid

of any of my shortcomings, when it is in my power to say, ‘I pardon you this

time: see that you never do that anymore?'” (On Anger, III.36)

Occasional premeditatio malorum and/or view from above meditations.

Two of the standard Stoic exercises are the premeditatio malorum, a

contemplation of possible adversity to come, and the view from above, a

meditation that helps us put our troubles into the broader perspective of

humanity at large, with its sorrowful history, or even of the cosmos itself, in

its vastness in both time and space. Here and here are suggestions on how

to do them.

STOICON

Stoicism 101

Seneca: on theshortness of life

Meditations

Books

Virtue Ethics (24)What Would a Stoic Do? (13)

TOP POSTS

and reflect on it. (I also then post it at the Stoicism Facebook group.) This

reminds me of why I chose Stoicism as my personal philosophy, as well as

of some of its basic precepts.

Daylong ethical mindfulness. The word used by the Stoics for mindfulness

was prosochē, which means paying attention. (Here is my list of key Stoic

terms.) What this means, to me, is in part to try to live hic et nunc (here and

now), with no regrets about the past and no worry about the future (neither

of which is under my control). It also means to remind myself that pretty

much everything we do has an ethical dimension, from where we shop for

groceries or bank with our money to how we treat our family, friends, co-

workers and even strangers. (It helps if one picks one or more role models

— Socrates, Cato, Nelson Mandela, or Malala Yousafzai — and, when in

doubt, asks oneself: what would s/he do?)

Consciously attempt to embody Epictetus’ “role ethics.” As Brian Johnson

has argued in his Epictetus’ Role Ethics: Stoicism in Ordinary Life, Stoic

ethics can perhaps best be practiced by following Epictetus’ suggestion of

owning the various roles we play in life (father, companion, friend, teacher,

colleague, etc.) so that we can play them at our best. This — I should

immediately add — isn’t a question of “faking” it, or “performing” in the

negative sense of the term, but of taking seriously who we are and our

responsibilities toward others.

Evening philosophical diary. Every night I retire in a quiet corner of my

apartment and take a few minutes to review the day that just ended,

following Seneca’s suggestion: “The spirit ought to be brought up for

examination daily. It was the custom of Sextius when the day was over, and

he had betaken himself to rest, to inquire of his spirit: ‘What bad habit of

yours have you cured to-day? What vice have you checked? In what

respect are you better?’ … How sweet is the sleep which follows this self-

examination? how calm, how sound, and careless is it when our spirit has

either received praise or reprimand, and when our secret inquisitor and

censor has made his report about our morals? I make use of this privilege,

and daily plead my cause before myself: when the lamp is taken out of my

sight, and my wife, who knows my habit, has ceased to talk, I pass the

whole day in review before myself, and repeat all that I have said and done:

I conceal nothing from myself, and omit nothing: for why should I be afraid

of any of my shortcomings, when it is in my power to say, ‘I pardon you this

time: see that you never do that anymore?'” (On Anger, III.36)

Occasional premeditatio malorum and/or view from above meditations.

Two of the standard Stoic exercises are the premeditatio malorum, a

contemplation of possible adversity to come, and the view from above, a

meditation that helps us put our troubles into the broader perspective of

humanity at large, with its sorrowful history, or even of the cosmos itself, in

its vastness in both time and space. Here and here are suggestions on how

to do them.

STOICON

Stoicism 101

Seneca: on theshortness of life

Meditations

Books

Virtue Ethics (24)What Would a Stoic Do? (13)

TOP POSTS

and reflect on it. (I also then post it at the Stoicism Facebook group.) This

reminds me of why I chose Stoicism as my personal philosophy, as well as

of some of its basic precepts.

Daylong ethical mindfulness. The word used by the Stoics for mindfulness

was prosochē, which means paying attention. (Here is my list of key Stoic

terms.) What this means, to me, is in part to try to live hic et nunc (here and

now), with no regrets about the past and no worry about the future (neither

of which is under my control). It also means to remind myself that pretty

much everything we do has an ethical dimension, from where we shop for

groceries or bank with our money to how we treat our family, friends, co-

workers and even strangers. (It helps if one picks one or more role models

— Socrates, Cato, Nelson Mandela, or Malala Yousafzai — and, when in

doubt, asks oneself: what would s/he do?)

Consciously attempt to embody Epictetus’ “role ethics.” As Brian Johnson

has argued in his Epictetus’ Role Ethics: Stoicism in Ordinary Life, Stoic

ethics can perhaps best be practiced by following Epictetus’ suggestion of

owning the various roles we play in life (father, companion, friend, teacher,

colleague, etc.) so that we can play them at our best. This — I should

immediately add — isn’t a question of “faking” it, or “performing” in the

negative sense of the term, but of taking seriously who we are and our

responsibilities toward others.

Evening philosophical diary. Every night I retire in a quiet corner of my

apartment and take a few minutes to review the day that just ended,

following Seneca’s suggestion: “The spirit ought to be brought up for

examination daily. It was the custom of Sextius when the day was over, and

he had betaken himself to rest, to inquire of his spirit: ‘What bad habit of

yours have you cured to-day? What vice have you checked? In what

respect are you better?’ … How sweet is the sleep which follows this self-

examination? how calm, how sound, and careless is it when our spirit has

either received praise or reprimand, and when our secret inquisitor and

censor has made his report about our morals? I make use of this privilege,

and daily plead my cause before myself: when the lamp is taken out of my

sight, and my wife, who knows my habit, has ceased to talk, I pass the

whole day in review before myself, and repeat all that I have said and done:

I conceal nothing from myself, and omit nothing: for why should I be afraid

of any of my shortcomings, when it is in my power to say, ‘I pardon you this

time: see that you never do that anymore?'” (On Anger, III.36)

Occasional premeditatio malorum and/or view from above meditations.

Two of the standard Stoic exercises are the premeditatio malorum, a

contemplation of possible adversity to come, and the view from above, a

meditation that helps us put our troubles into the broader perspective of

humanity at large, with its sorrowful history, or even of the cosmos itself, in

its vastness in both time and space. Here and here are suggestions on how

to do them.

STOICON

Stoicism 101

Seneca: on theshortness of life

Meditations

Books

Virtue Ethics (24)What Would a Stoic Do? (13)

TOP POSTS

and reflect on it. (I also then post it at the Stoicism Facebook group.) This

reminds me of why I chose Stoicism as my personal philosophy, as well as

of some of its basic precepts.

Daylong ethical mindfulness. The word used by the Stoics for mindfulness

was prosochē, which means paying attention. (Here is my list of key Stoic

terms.) What this means, to me, is in part to try to live hic et nunc (here and

now), with no regrets about the past and no worry about the future (neither

of which is under my control). It also means to remind myself that pretty

much everything we do has an ethical dimension, from where we shop for

groceries or bank with our money to how we treat our family, friends, co-

workers and even strangers. (It helps if one picks one or more role models

— Socrates, Cato, Nelson Mandela, or Malala Yousafzai — and, when in

doubt, asks oneself: what would s/he do?)

Consciously attempt to embody Epictetus’ “role ethics.” As Brian Johnson

has argued in his Epictetus’ Role Ethics: Stoicism in Ordinary Life, Stoic

ethics can perhaps best be practiced by following Epictetus’ suggestion of

owning the various roles we play in life (father, companion, friend, teacher,

colleague, etc.) so that we can play them at our best. This — I should

immediately add — isn’t a question of “faking” it, or “performing” in the

negative sense of the term, but of taking seriously who we are and our

responsibilities toward others.

Evening philosophical diary. Every night I retire in a quiet corner of my

apartment and take a few minutes to review the day that just ended,

following Seneca’s suggestion: “The spirit ought to be brought up for

examination daily. It was the custom of Sextius when the day was over, and

he had betaken himself to rest, to inquire of his spirit: ‘What bad habit of

yours have you cured to-day? What vice have you checked? In what

respect are you better?’ … How sweet is the sleep which follows this self-

examination? how calm, how sound, and careless is it when our spirit has

either received praise or reprimand, and when our secret inquisitor and

censor has made his report about our morals? I make use of this privilege,

and daily plead my cause before myself: when the lamp is taken out of my

sight, and my wife, who knows my habit, has ceased to talk, I pass the

whole day in review before myself, and repeat all that I have said and done:

I conceal nothing from myself, and omit nothing: for why should I be afraid

of any of my shortcomings, when it is in my power to say, ‘I pardon you this

time: see that you never do that anymore?'” (On Anger, III.36)

Occasional premeditatio malorum and/or view from above meditations.

Two of the standard Stoic exercises are the premeditatio malorum, a

contemplation of possible adversity to come, and the view from above, a

meditation that helps us put our troubles into the broader perspective of

humanity at large, with its sorrowful history, or even of the cosmos itself, in

its vastness in both time and space. Here and here are suggestions on how

to do them.

STOICON

Stoicism 101

Seneca: on theshortness of life

Meditations

Books

Virtue Ethics (24)What Would a Stoic Do? (13)

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and reflect on it. (I also then post it at the Stoicism Facebook group.) This

reminds me of why I chose Stoicism as my personal philosophy, as well as

of some of its basic precepts.

Daylong ethical mindfulness. The word used by the Stoics for mindfulness

was prosochē, which means paying attention. (Here is my list of key Stoic

terms.) What this means, to me, is in part to try to live hic et nunc (here and

now), with no regrets about the past and no worry about the future (neither

of which is under my control). It also means to remind myself that pretty

much everything we do has an ethical dimension, from where we shop for

groceries or bank with our money to how we treat our family, friends, co-

workers and even strangers. (It helps if one picks one or more role models

— Socrates, Cato, Nelson Mandela, or Malala Yousafzai — and, when in

doubt, asks oneself: what would s/he do?)

Consciously attempt to embody Epictetus’ “role ethics.” As Brian Johnson

has argued in his Epictetus’ Role Ethics: Stoicism in Ordinary Life, Stoic

ethics can perhaps best be practiced by following Epictetus’ suggestion of

owning the various roles we play in life (father, companion, friend, teacher,

colleague, etc.) so that we can play them at our best. This — I should

immediately add — isn’t a question of “faking” it, or “performing” in the

negative sense of the term, but of taking seriously who we are and our

responsibilities toward others.

Evening philosophical diary. Every night I retire in a quiet corner of my

apartment and take a few minutes to review the day that just ended,

following Seneca’s suggestion: “The spirit ought to be brought up for

examination daily. It was the custom of Sextius when the day was over, and

he had betaken himself to rest, to inquire of his spirit: ‘What bad habit of

yours have you cured to-day? What vice have you checked? In what

respect are you better?’ … How sweet is the sleep which follows this self-

examination? how calm, how sound, and careless is it when our spirit has

either received praise or reprimand, and when our secret inquisitor and

censor has made his report about our morals? I make use of this privilege,

and daily plead my cause before myself: when the lamp is taken out of my

sight, and my wife, who knows my habit, has ceased to talk, I pass the

whole day in review before myself, and repeat all that I have said and done:

I conceal nothing from myself, and omit nothing: for why should I be afraid

of any of my shortcomings, when it is in my power to say, ‘I pardon you this

time: see that you never do that anymore?'” (On Anger, III.36)

Occasional premeditatio malorum and/or view from above meditations.

Two of the standard Stoic exercises are the premeditatio malorum, a

contemplation of possible adversity to come, and the view from above, a

meditation that helps us put our troubles into the broader perspective of

humanity at large, with its sorrowful history, or even of the cosmos itself, in

its vastness in both time and space. Here and here are suggestions on how

to do them.

STOICON

Stoicism 101

Seneca: on theshortness of life

Meditations

Books

Virtue Ethics (24)What Would a Stoic Do? (13)

TOP POSTS

and reflect on it. (I also then post it at the Stoicism Facebook group.) This

reminds me of why I chose Stoicism as my personal philosophy, as well as

of some of its basic precepts.

Daylong ethical mindfulness. The word used by the Stoics for mindfulness

was prosochē, which means paying attention. (Here is my list of key Stoic

terms.) What this means, to me, is in part to try to live hic et nunc (here and

now), with no regrets about the past and no worry about the future (neither

of which is under my control). It also means to remind myself that pretty

much everything we do has an ethical dimension, from where we shop for

groceries or bank with our money to how we treat our family, friends, co-

workers and even strangers. (It helps if one picks one or more role models

— Socrates, Cato, Nelson Mandela, or Malala Yousafzai — and, when in

doubt, asks oneself: what would s/he do?)

Consciously attempt to embody Epictetus’ “role ethics.” As Brian Johnson

has argued in his Epictetus’ Role Ethics: Stoicism in Ordinary Life, Stoic

ethics can perhaps best be practiced by following Epictetus’ suggestion of

owning the various roles we play in life (father, companion, friend, teacher,

colleague, etc.) so that we can play them at our best. This — I should

immediately add — isn’t a question of “faking” it, or “performing” in the

negative sense of the term, but of taking seriously who we are and our

responsibilities toward others.

Evening philosophical diary. Every night I retire in a quiet corner of my

apartment and take a few minutes to review the day that just ended,

following Seneca’s suggestion: “The spirit ought to be brought up for

examination daily. It was the custom of Sextius when the day was over, and

he had betaken himself to rest, to inquire of his spirit: ‘What bad habit of

yours have you cured to-day? What vice have you checked? In what

respect are you better?’ … How sweet is the sleep which follows this self-

examination? how calm, how sound, and careless is it when our spirit has

either received praise or reprimand, and when our secret inquisitor and

censor has made his report about our morals? I make use of this privilege,

and daily plead my cause before myself: when the lamp is taken out of my

sight, and my wife, who knows my habit, has ceased to talk, I pass the

whole day in review before myself, and repeat all that I have said and done:

I conceal nothing from myself, and omit nothing: for why should I be afraid

of any of my shortcomings, when it is in my power to say, ‘I pardon you this

time: see that you never do that anymore?'” (On Anger, III.36)

Occasional premeditatio malorum and/or view from above meditations.

Two of the standard Stoic exercises are the premeditatio malorum, a

contemplation of possible adversity to come, and the view from above, a

meditation that helps us put our troubles into the broader perspective of

humanity at large, with its sorrowful history, or even of the cosmos itself, in

its vastness in both time and space. Here and here are suggestions on how

to do them.

STOICON

Stoicism 101

Seneca: on theshortness of life

Meditations

Books

Virtue Ethics (24)What Would a Stoic Do? (13)

TOP POSTS

and reflect on it. (I also then post it at the Stoicism Facebook group.) This

reminds me of why I chose Stoicism as my personal philosophy, as well as

of some of its basic precepts.

Daylong ethical mindfulness. The word used by the Stoics for mindfulness

was prosochē, which means paying attention. (Here is my list of key Stoic

terms.) What this means, to me, is in part to try to live hic et nunc (here and

now), with no regrets about the past and no worry about the future (neither

of which is under my control). It also means to remind myself that pretty

much everything we do has an ethical dimension, from where we shop for

groceries or bank with our money to how we treat our family, friends, co-

workers and even strangers. (It helps if one picks one or more role models

— Socrates, Cato, Nelson Mandela, or Malala Yousafzai — and, when in

doubt, asks oneself: what would s/he do?)

Consciously attempt to embody Epictetus’ “role ethics.” As Brian Johnson

has argued in his Epictetus’ Role Ethics: Stoicism in Ordinary Life, Stoic

ethics can perhaps best be practiced by following Epictetus’ suggestion of

owning the various roles we play in life (father, companion, friend, teacher,

colleague, etc.) so that we can play them at our best. This — I should

immediately add — isn’t a question of “faking” it, or “performing” in the

negative sense of the term, but of taking seriously who we are and our

responsibilities toward others.

Evening philosophical diary. Every night I retire in a quiet corner of my

apartment and take a few minutes to review the day that just ended,

following Seneca’s suggestion: “The spirit ought to be brought up for

examination daily. It was the custom of Sextius when the day was over, and

he had betaken himself to rest, to inquire of his spirit: ‘What bad habit of

yours have you cured to-day? What vice have you checked? In what

respect are you better?’ … How sweet is the sleep which follows this self-

examination? how calm, how sound, and careless is it when our spirit has

either received praise or reprimand, and when our secret inquisitor and

censor has made his report about our morals? I make use of this privilege,

and daily plead my cause before myself: when the lamp is taken out of my

sight, and my wife, who knows my habit, has ceased to talk, I pass the

whole day in review before myself, and repeat all that I have said and done:

I conceal nothing from myself, and omit nothing: for why should I be afraid

of any of my shortcomings, when it is in my power to say, ‘I pardon you this

time: see that you never do that anymore?'” (On Anger, III.36)

Occasional premeditatio malorum and/or view from above meditations.

Two of the standard Stoic exercises are the premeditatio malorum, a

contemplation of possible adversity to come, and the view from above, a

meditation that helps us put our troubles into the broader perspective of

humanity at large, with its sorrowful history, or even of the cosmos itself, in

its vastness in both time and space. Here and here are suggestions on how

to do them.

STOICON

Stoicism 101

Seneca: on theshortness of life

Meditations

Books

Virtue Ethics (24)What Would a Stoic Do? (13)

TOP POSTS

Active studying of Stoicism, by way of reading classics and moderns, and

writing about them. This blog is indeed a “web log,” i.e., my public

philosophical diary as I proceed in my role as a prokoptôn. In terms of

readings, not only I keep going back to the ancients, of course (often reading

different translations of a given text), but I also keep expanding my library of

modern authors, of which there is an abundance of good ones (just to

mention a few: Larry Becker, Margaret Graver, Bill Irvine, Anthony Long, Don

Robertson, John Sellars, and many others).

Once weekly fasting. Seneca reminded us several times that one way to

appreciate what we have, as well as to prepare for adversity, is to

occasionally do without some of our preferred indifferents. Musonius Rufus

said that “mastering one’s appetites for food and drink is the beginning of

and basis for self-control” (Lectures 18A.1), so that’s what I try to do: once a

week I fast for the day and take no alcohol (for Italians, having dinner

without a glass of wine is almost a sin…). I call it my “endure & renounce”

day, in honor of Epictetus. As a side-effect, this feels good both

psychologically (self-control is empowering!) and physically (I feel refreshed

and ready to go the following morning).

Regular self-imposed discomfort. This is another version of the exercise just

above, and for me it takes the form of, for instance, finishing my shower by

turning the water to cold, or going outside in the winter slightly

underdressed for the weather. The idea isn’t to suffer for the sake of

suffering, nor to do things that actually imperil one’s health. It is, again, both

a reminder of what we have and may take for granted, and training for the

eventuality that we may actually have to go hungry or with poor clothing —

one never knows what Fortuna has in store for us.

Endurance and physical training. The Stoics were of different opinion about

physical exercise, which broadly speaking was somewhat de-emphasized

by the late Roman Stoics (Seneca, Epictetus, Marcus), and was openly

praised by the early Greek ones (Zeno, Cleanthes, Chrysippus). For myself,

mindful that Cleanthes was a boxer, and because I appreciated martial arts

such as Judo, Kung-fu and Karate when I was young, I signed up at a local

gym for kickboxing. I find that it requires endurance, cultivates patience, and

develops one’s ability to focus. Mens sana in corpore sano, as the Romans

said.

The above may sound like a lot, but most of the activities mentioned actually

take very little time, or do not need to be carried out every day. And at any

rate, this is just my own example of how to live like a Stoic. Different people

will develop their own versions, depending on what they find most useful,

as well as on their level of commitment to the philosophy. The important

thing is to get started and then stick to it, because as Epictetus put it: “When

faced with anything painful or pleasurable, anything bringing glory or

disrepute, realize that the crisis is now, that the Olympics have started, and

waiting is no longer an option; that the chance for progress, to keep or lose,

Active studying of Stoicism, by way of reading classics and moderns, and

writing about them. This blog is indeed a “web log,” i.e., my public

philosophical diary as I proceed in my role as a prokoptôn. In terms of

readings, not only I keep going back to the ancients, of course (often reading

different translations of a given text), but I also keep expanding my library of

modern authors, of which there is an abundance of good ones (just to

mention a few: Larry Becker, Margaret Graver, Bill Irvine, Anthony Long, Don

Robertson, John Sellars, and many others).

Once weekly fasting. Seneca reminded us several times that one way to

appreciate what we have, as well as to prepare for adversity, is to

occasionally do without some of our preferred indifferents. Musonius Rufus

said that “mastering one’s appetites for food and drink is the beginning of

and basis for self-control” (Lectures 18A.1), so that’s what I try to do: once a

week I fast for the day and take no alcohol (for Italians, having dinner

without a glass of wine is almost a sin…). I call it my “endure & renounce”

day, in honor of Epictetus. As a side-effect, this feels good both

psychologically (self-control is empowering!) and physically (I feel refreshed

and ready to go the following morning).

Regular self-imposed discomfort. This is another version of the exercise just

above, and for me it takes the form of, for instance, finishing my shower by

turning the water to cold, or going outside in the winter slightly

underdressed for the weather. The idea isn’t to suffer for the sake of

suffering, nor to do things that actually imperil one’s health. It is, again, both

a reminder of what we have and may take for granted, and training for the

eventuality that we may actually have to go hungry or with poor clothing —

one never knows what Fortuna has in store for us.

Endurance and physical training. The Stoics were of different opinion about

physical exercise, which broadly speaking was somewhat de-emphasized

by the late Roman Stoics (Seneca, Epictetus, Marcus), and was openly

praised by the early Greek ones (Zeno, Cleanthes, Chrysippus). For myself,

mindful that Cleanthes was a boxer, and because I appreciated martial arts

such as Judo, Kung-fu and Karate when I was young, I signed up at a local

gym for kickboxing. I find that it requires endurance, cultivates patience, and

develops one’s ability to focus. Mens sana in corpore sano, as the Romans

said.

The above may sound like a lot, but most of the activities mentioned actually

take very little time, or do not need to be carried out every day. And at any

rate, this is just my own example of how to live like a Stoic. Different people

will develop their own versions, depending on what they find most useful,

as well as on their level of commitment to the philosophy. The important

thing is to get started and then stick to it, because as Epictetus put it: “When

faced with anything painful or pleasurable, anything bringing glory or

disrepute, realize that the crisis is now, that the Olympics have started, and

waiting is no longer an option; that the chance for progress, to keep or lose,

Active studying of Stoicism, by way of reading classics and moderns, and

writing about them. This blog is indeed a “web log,” i.e., my public

philosophical diary as I proceed in my role as a prokoptôn. In terms of

readings, not only I keep going back to the ancients, of course (often reading

different translations of a given text), but I also keep expanding my library of

modern authors, of which there is an abundance of good ones (just to

mention a few: Larry Becker, Margaret Graver, Bill Irvine, Anthony Long, Don

Robertson, John Sellars, and many others).

Once weekly fasting. Seneca reminded us several times that one way to

appreciate what we have, as well as to prepare for adversity, is to

occasionally do without some of our preferred indifferents. Musonius Rufus

said that “mastering one’s appetites for food and drink is the beginning of

and basis for self-control” (Lectures 18A.1), so that’s what I try to do: once a

week I fast for the day and take no alcohol (for Italians, having dinner

without a glass of wine is almost a sin…). I call it my “endure & renounce”

day, in honor of Epictetus. As a side-effect, this feels good both

psychologically (self-control is empowering!) and physically (I feel refreshed

and ready to go the following morning).

Regular self-imposed discomfort. This is another version of the exercise just

above, and for me it takes the form of, for instance, finishing my shower by

turning the water to cold, or going outside in the winter slightly

underdressed for the weather. The idea isn’t to suffer for the sake of

suffering, nor to do things that actually imperil one’s health. It is, again, both

a reminder of what we have and may take for granted, and training for the

eventuality that we may actually have to go hungry or with poor clothing —

one never knows what Fortuna has in store for us.

Endurance and physical training. The Stoics were of different opinion about

physical exercise, which broadly speaking was somewhat de-emphasized

by the late Roman Stoics (Seneca, Epictetus, Marcus), and was openly

praised by the early Greek ones (Zeno, Cleanthes, Chrysippus). For myself,

mindful that Cleanthes was a boxer, and because I appreciated martial arts

such as Judo, Kung-fu and Karate when I was young, I signed up at a local

gym for kickboxing. I find that it requires endurance, cultivates patience, and

develops one’s ability to focus. Mens sana in corpore sano, as the Romans

said.

The above may sound like a lot, but most of the activities mentioned actually

take very little time, or do not need to be carried out every day. And at any

rate, this is just my own example of how to live like a Stoic. Different people

will develop their own versions, depending on what they find most useful,

as well as on their level of commitment to the philosophy. The important

thing is to get started and then stick to it, because as Epictetus put it: “When

faced with anything painful or pleasurable, anything bringing glory or

disrepute, realize that the crisis is now, that the Olympics have started, and

waiting is no longer an option; that the chance for progress, to keep or lose,

Active studying of Stoicism, by way of reading classics and moderns, and

writing about them. This blog is indeed a “web log,” i.e., my public

philosophical diary as I proceed in my role as a prokoptôn. In terms of

readings, not only I keep going back to the ancients, of course (often reading

different translations of a given text), but I also keep expanding my library of

modern authors, of which there is an abundance of good ones (just to

mention a few: Larry Becker, Margaret Graver, Bill Irvine, Anthony Long, Don

Robertson, John Sellars, and many others).

Once weekly fasting. Seneca reminded us several times that one way to

appreciate what we have, as well as to prepare for adversity, is to

occasionally do without some of our preferred indifferents. Musonius Rufus

said that “mastering one’s appetites for food and drink is the beginning of

and basis for self-control” (Lectures 18A.1), so that’s what I try to do: once a

week I fast for the day and take no alcohol (for Italians, having dinner

without a glass of wine is almost a sin…). I call it my “endure & renounce”

day, in honor of Epictetus. As a side-effect, this feels good both

psychologically (self-control is empowering!) and physically (I feel refreshed

and ready to go the following morning).

Regular self-imposed discomfort. This is another version of the exercise just

above, and for me it takes the form of, for instance, finishing my shower by

turning the water to cold, or going outside in the winter slightly

underdressed for the weather. The idea isn’t to suffer for the sake of

suffering, nor to do things that actually imperil one’s health. It is, again, both

a reminder of what we have and may take for granted, and training for the

eventuality that we may actually have to go hungry or with poor clothing —

one never knows what Fortuna has in store for us.

Endurance and physical training. The Stoics were of different opinion about

physical exercise, which broadly speaking was somewhat de-emphasized

by the late Roman Stoics (Seneca, Epictetus, Marcus), and was openly

praised by the early Greek ones (Zeno, Cleanthes, Chrysippus). For myself,

mindful that Cleanthes was a boxer, and because I appreciated martial arts

such as Judo, Kung-fu and Karate when I was young, I signed up at a local

gym for kickboxing. I find that it requires endurance, cultivates patience, and

develops one’s ability to focus. Mens sana in corpore sano, as the Romans

said.

The above may sound like a lot, but most of the activities mentioned actually

take very little time, or do not need to be carried out every day. And at any

rate, this is just my own example of how to live like a Stoic. Different people

will develop their own versions, depending on what they find most useful,

as well as on their level of commitment to the philosophy. The important

thing is to get started and then stick to it, because as Epictetus put it: “When

faced with anything painful or pleasurable, anything bringing glory or

disrepute, realize that the crisis is now, that the Olympics have started, and

waiting is no longer an option; that the chance for progress, to keep or lose,

Active studying of Stoicism, by way of reading classics and moderns, and

writing about them. This blog is indeed a “web log,” i.e., my public

philosophical diary as I proceed in my role as a prokoptôn. In terms of

readings, not only I keep going back to the ancients, of course (often reading

different translations of a given text), but I also keep expanding my library of

modern authors, of which there is an abundance of good ones (just to

mention a few: Larry Becker, Margaret Graver, Bill Irvine, Anthony Long, Don

Robertson, John Sellars, and many others).

Once weekly fasting. Seneca reminded us several times that one way to

appreciate what we have, as well as to prepare for adversity, is to

occasionally do without some of our preferred indifferents. Musonius Rufus

said that “mastering one’s appetites for food and drink is the beginning of

and basis for self-control” (Lectures 18A.1), so that’s what I try to do: once a

week I fast for the day and take no alcohol (for Italians, having dinner

without a glass of wine is almost a sin…). I call it my “endure & renounce”

day, in honor of Epictetus. As a side-effect, this feels good both

psychologically (self-control is empowering!) and physically (I feel refreshed

and ready to go the following morning).

Regular self-imposed discomfort. This is another version of the exercise just

above, and for me it takes the form of, for instance, finishing my shower by

turning the water to cold, or going outside in the winter slightly

underdressed for the weather. The idea isn’t to suffer for the sake of

suffering, nor to do things that actually imperil one’s health. It is, again, both

a reminder of what we have and may take for granted, and training for the

eventuality that we may actually have to go hungry or with poor clothing —

one never knows what Fortuna has in store for us.

Endurance and physical training. The Stoics were of different opinion about

physical exercise, which broadly speaking was somewhat de-emphasized

by the late Roman Stoics (Seneca, Epictetus, Marcus), and was openly

praised by the early Greek ones (Zeno, Cleanthes, Chrysippus). For myself,

mindful that Cleanthes was a boxer, and because I appreciated martial arts

such as Judo, Kung-fu and Karate when I was young, I signed up at a local

gym for kickboxing. I find that it requires endurance, cultivates patience, and

develops one’s ability to focus. Mens sana in corpore sano, as the Romans

said.

The above may sound like a lot, but most of the activities mentioned actually

take very little time, or do not need to be carried out every day. And at any

rate, this is just my own example of how to live like a Stoic. Different people

will develop their own versions, depending on what they find most useful,

as well as on their level of commitment to the philosophy. The important

thing is to get started and then stick to it, because as Epictetus put it: “When

faced with anything painful or pleasurable, anything bringing glory or

disrepute, realize that the crisis is now, that the Olympics have started, and

waiting is no longer an option; that the chance for progress, to keep or lose,

Active studying of Stoicism, by way of reading classics and moderns, and

writing about them. This blog is indeed a “web log,” i.e., my public

philosophical diary as I proceed in my role as a prokoptôn. In terms of

readings, not only I keep going back to the ancients, of course (often reading

different translations of a given text), but I also keep expanding my library of

modern authors, of which there is an abundance of good ones (just to

mention a few: Larry Becker, Margaret Graver, Bill Irvine, Anthony Long, Don

Robertson, John Sellars, and many others).

Once weekly fasting. Seneca reminded us several times that one way to

appreciate what we have, as well as to prepare for adversity, is to

occasionally do without some of our preferred indifferents. Musonius Rufus

said that “mastering one’s appetites for food and drink is the beginning of

and basis for self-control” (Lectures 18A.1), so that’s what I try to do: once a

week I fast for the day and take no alcohol (for Italians, having dinner

without a glass of wine is almost a sin…). I call it my “endure & renounce”

day, in honor of Epictetus. As a side-effect, this feels good both

psychologically (self-control is empowering!) and physically (I feel refreshed

and ready to go the following morning).

Regular self-imposed discomfort. This is another version of the exercise just

above, and for me it takes the form of, for instance, finishing my shower by

turning the water to cold, or going outside in the winter slightly

underdressed for the weather. The idea isn’t to suffer for the sake of

suffering, nor to do things that actually imperil one’s health. It is, again, both

a reminder of what we have and may take for granted, and training for the

eventuality that we may actually have to go hungry or with poor clothing —

one never knows what Fortuna has in store for us.

Endurance and physical training. The Stoics were of different opinion about

physical exercise, which broadly speaking was somewhat de-emphasized

by the late Roman Stoics (Seneca, Epictetus, Marcus), and was openly

praised by the early Greek ones (Zeno, Cleanthes, Chrysippus). For myself,

mindful that Cleanthes was a boxer, and because I appreciated martial arts

such as Judo, Kung-fu and Karate when I was young, I signed up at a local

gym for kickboxing. I find that it requires endurance, cultivates patience, and

develops one’s ability to focus. Mens sana in corpore sano, as the Romans

said.

The above may sound like a lot, but most of the activities mentioned actually

take very little time, or do not need to be carried out every day. And at any

rate, this is just my own example of how to live like a Stoic. Different people

will develop their own versions, depending on what they find most useful,

as well as on their level of commitment to the philosophy. The important

thing is to get started and then stick to it, because as Epictetus put it: “When

faced with anything painful or pleasurable, anything bringing glory or

disrepute, realize that the crisis is now, that the Olympics have started, and

waiting is no longer an option; that the chance for progress, to keep or lose,

Active studying of Stoicism, by way of reading classics and moderns, and

writing about them. This blog is indeed a “web log,” i.e., my public

philosophical diary as I proceed in my role as a prokoptôn. In terms of

readings, not only I keep going back to the ancients, of course (often reading

different translations of a given text), but I also keep expanding my library of

modern authors, of which there is an abundance of good ones (just to

mention a few: Larry Becker, Margaret Graver, Bill Irvine, Anthony Long, Don

Robertson, John Sellars, and many others).

Once weekly fasting. Seneca reminded us several times that one way to

appreciate what we have, as well as to prepare for adversity, is to

occasionally do without some of our preferred indifferents. Musonius Rufus

said that “mastering one’s appetites for food and drink is the beginning of

and basis for self-control” (Lectures 18A.1), so that’s what I try to do: once a

week I fast for the day and take no alcohol (for Italians, having dinner

without a glass of wine is almost a sin…). I call it my “endure & renounce”

day, in honor of Epictetus. As a side-effect, this feels good both

psychologically (self-control is empowering!) and physically (I feel refreshed

and ready to go the following morning).

Regular self-imposed discomfort. This is another version of the exercise just

above, and for me it takes the form of, for instance, finishing my shower by

turning the water to cold, or going outside in the winter slightly

underdressed for the weather. The idea isn’t to suffer for the sake of

suffering, nor to do things that actually imperil one’s health. It is, again, both

a reminder of what we have and may take for granted, and training for the

eventuality that we may actually have to go hungry or with poor clothing —

one never knows what Fortuna has in store for us.

Endurance and physical training. The Stoics were of different opinion about

physical exercise, which broadly speaking was somewhat de-emphasized

by the late Roman Stoics (Seneca, Epictetus, Marcus), and was openly

praised by the early Greek ones (Zeno, Cleanthes, Chrysippus). For myself,

mindful that Cleanthes was a boxer, and because I appreciated martial arts

such as Judo, Kung-fu and Karate when I was young, I signed up at a local

gym for kickboxing. I find that it requires endurance, cultivates patience, and

develops one’s ability to focus. Mens sana in corpore sano, as the Romans

said.

The above may sound like a lot, but most of the activities mentioned actually

take very little time, or do not need to be carried out every day. And at any

rate, this is just my own example of how to live like a Stoic. Different people

will develop their own versions, depending on what they find most useful,

as well as on their level of commitment to the philosophy. The important

thing is to get started and then stick to it, because as Epictetus put it: “When

faced with anything painful or pleasurable, anything bringing glory or

disrepute, realize that the crisis is now, that the Olympics have started, and

waiting is no longer an option; that the chance for progress, to keep or lose,

Active studying of Stoicism, by way of reading classics and moderns, and

writing about them. This blog is indeed a “web log,” i.e., my public

philosophical diary as I proceed in my role as a prokoptôn. In terms of

readings, not only I keep going back to the ancients, of course (often reading

different translations of a given text), but I also keep expanding my library of

modern authors, of which there is an abundance of good ones (just to

mention a few: Larry Becker, Margaret Graver, Bill Irvine, Anthony Long, Don

Robertson, John Sellars, and many others).

Once weekly fasting. Seneca reminded us several times that one way to

appreciate what we have, as well as to prepare for adversity, is to

occasionally do without some of our preferred indifferents. Musonius Rufus

said that “mastering one’s appetites for food and drink is the beginning of

and basis for self-control” (Lectures 18A.1), so that’s what I try to do: once a

week I fast for the day and take no alcohol (for Italians, having dinner

without a glass of wine is almost a sin…). I call it my “endure & renounce”

day, in honor of Epictetus. As a side-effect, this feels good both

psychologically (self-control is empowering!) and physically (I feel refreshed

and ready to go the following morning).

Regular self-imposed discomfort. This is another version of the exercise just

above, and for me it takes the form of, for instance, finishing my shower by

turning the water to cold, or going outside in the winter slightly

underdressed for the weather. The idea isn’t to suffer for the sake of

suffering, nor to do things that actually imperil one’s health. It is, again, both

a reminder of what we have and may take for granted, and training for the

eventuality that we may actually have to go hungry or with poor clothing —

one never knows what Fortuna has in store for us.

Endurance and physical training. The Stoics were of different opinion about

physical exercise, which broadly speaking was somewhat de-emphasized

by the late Roman Stoics (Seneca, Epictetus, Marcus), and was openly

praised by the early Greek ones (Zeno, Cleanthes, Chrysippus). For myself,

mindful that Cleanthes was a boxer, and because I appreciated martial arts

such as Judo, Kung-fu and Karate when I was young, I signed up at a local

gym for kickboxing. I find that it requires endurance, cultivates patience, and

develops one’s ability to focus. Mens sana in corpore sano, as the Romans

said.

The above may sound like a lot, but most of the activities mentioned actually

take very little time, or do not need to be carried out every day. And at any

rate, this is just my own example of how to live like a Stoic. Different people

will develop their own versions, depending on what they find most useful,

as well as on their level of commitment to the philosophy. The important

thing is to get started and then stick to it, because as Epictetus put it: “When

faced with anything painful or pleasurable, anything bringing glory or

disrepute, realize that the crisis is now, that the Olympics have started, and

waiting is no longer an option; that the chance for progress, to keep or lose,

Edited with BlogPad Pro

Stoic movie review: The Magnificent Seven STOICON ’16: the largest gathering ofStoics, ever

turns on the events of a single day” (Enchiridion 51.2).

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12 thoughts on “How I practice Stoicism, the nuts

and bolts”

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Stoicism changed this in my life

(so far)

Philosophy vs rationality vs

therapy

STOICON '16: the largest

gathering of Stoics, ever

In "Modern Stoicism" In "Logic" In "STOICON & Stoic Week"

&

!

Ron

Excellent practical advice – thank you Massimo!

October 13, 2016 at 10:31 am Edit

Liked by you

Gravtum

Thank you for sharing your regular stoic exercises. I’ve been

incorporating stoic practices and ideas to my life for a little less than a

year now. So far, the benefits have been notorious (less anxiety, less

October 13, 2016 at 11:37 am Edit

Edited with BlogPad Pro

Stoic movie review: The Magnificent Seven STOICON ’16: the largest gathering ofStoics, ever

turns on the events of a single day” (Enchiridion 51.2).

Share this:

Twitter Facebook 83 Google Pocket Email Press This

Edit

12 thoughts on “How I practice Stoicism, the nuts

and bolts”

Related

Stoicism changed this in my life

(so far)

Philosophy vs rationality vs

therapy

STOICON '16: the largest

gathering of Stoics, ever

In "Modern Stoicism" In "Logic" In "STOICON & Stoic Week"

&

!

Ron

Excellent practical advice – thank you Massimo!

October 13, 2016 at 10:31 am Edit

Liked by you

Gravtum

Thank you for sharing your regular stoic exercises. I’ve been

incorporating stoic practices and ideas to my life for a little less than a

year now. So far, the benefits have been notorious (less anxiety, less

October 13, 2016 at 11:37 am Edit

Edited with BlogPad Pro

Stoic movie review: The Magnificent Seven STOICON ’16: the largest gathering ofStoics, ever

turns on the events of a single day” (Enchiridion 51.2).

Share this:

Twitter Facebook 83 Google Pocket Email Press This

Edit

12 thoughts on “How I practice Stoicism, the nuts

and bolts”

Related

Stoicism changed this in my life

(so far)

Philosophy vs rationality vs

therapy

STOICON '16: the largest

gathering of Stoics, ever

In "Modern Stoicism" In "Logic" In "STOICON & Stoic Week"

&

!

Ron

Excellent practical advice – thank you Massimo!

October 13, 2016 at 10:31 am Edit

Liked by you

Gravtum

Thank you for sharing your regular stoic exercises. I’ve been

incorporating stoic practices and ideas to my life for a little less than a

year now. So far, the benefits have been notorious (less anxiety, less

October 13, 2016 at 11:37 am Edit

Edited with BlogPad Pro

Stoic movie review: The Magnificent Seven STOICON ’16: the largest gathering ofStoics, ever

turns on the events of a single day” (Enchiridion 51.2).

Share this:

Twitter Facebook 83 Google Pocket Email Press This

Edit

12 thoughts on “How I practice Stoicism, the nuts

and bolts”

Related

Stoicism changed this in my life

(so far)

Philosophy vs rationality vs

therapy

STOICON '16: the largest

gathering of Stoics, ever

In "Modern Stoicism" In "Logic" In "STOICON & Stoic Week"

&

!

Ron

Excellent practical advice – thank you Massimo!

October 13, 2016 at 10:31 am Edit

Liked by you

Gravtum

Thank you for sharing your regular stoic exercises. I’ve been

incorporating stoic practices and ideas to my life for a little less than a

year now. So far, the benefits have been notorious (less anxiety, less

October 13, 2016 at 11:37 am Edit

Edited with BlogPad Pro

Stoic movie review: The Magnificent Seven STOICON ’16: the largest gathering ofStoics, ever

turns on the events of a single day” (Enchiridion 51.2).

Share this:

Twitter Facebook 83 Google Pocket Email Press This

Edit

12 thoughts on “How I practice Stoicism, the nuts

and bolts”

Related

Stoicism changed this in my life

(so far)

Philosophy vs rationality vs

therapy

STOICON '16: the largest

gathering of Stoics, ever

In "Modern Stoicism" In "Logic" In "STOICON & Stoic Week"

&

!

Ron

Excellent practical advice – thank you Massimo!

October 13, 2016 at 10:31 am Edit

Liked by you

Gravtum

Thank you for sharing your regular stoic exercises. I’ve been

incorporating stoic practices and ideas to my life for a little less than a

year now. So far, the benefits have been notorious (less anxiety, less

October 13, 2016 at 11:37 am Edit

Edited with BlogPad Pro

Stoic movie review: The Magnificent Seven STOICON ’16: the largest gathering ofStoics, ever

turns on the events of a single day” (Enchiridion 51.2).

Share this:

Twitter Facebook 83 Google Pocket Email Press This

Edit

12 thoughts on “How I practice Stoicism, the nuts

and bolts”

Related

Stoicism changed this in my life

(so far)

Philosophy vs rationality vs

therapy

STOICON '16: the largest

gathering of Stoics, ever

In "Modern Stoicism" In "Logic" In "STOICON & Stoic Week"

&

!

Ron

Excellent practical advice – thank you Massimo!

October 13, 2016 at 10:31 am Edit

Liked by you

Gravtum

Thank you for sharing your regular stoic exercises. I’ve been

incorporating stoic practices and ideas to my life for a little less than a

year now. So far, the benefits have been notorious (less anxiety, less

October 13, 2016 at 11:37 am Edit

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