Hello there, I thought we could continue this week with the theme of actively applying virtue externally, with some words of motivation from Marcus IV 17: “Do not act as if you were going to live ten thousand years. Death hangs over you. While you live, while it is in your power, be good.” Simple and powerful, let us never […]
Hello there, For this week’s exercise, let us look at the words of Epictetus from his Discourses III 23.1: “First tell yourself what kind of person you want to be, then do what you have to do. For in nearly every pursuit we see this to be the case. Those in athletic pursuit first choose the sport they want and […]
Hello there, For this week’s exercise let us look at some words from Epictetus Discourses I 4-32: “We offer the gods sacrifice because they gave us wheat and wine. But they have produced such wonderful fruit in a human mind, as part of their plan to bestow on humanity the true secret of happiness. Are we going to forget to […]
Hello there, For this week’s exercise let us look at some words from Seneca on the Brevity of Life III.1: “We’re tight-fisted with property and money, yet think too little of wasting time, the one thing about which we should all be the toughest misers.” As you go through your day there will be countless interruptions (cravings, emails, visitors, texts, […]
Hello there, For this week’s exercise let us draw inspiration from Epictetus’ Discourses III 16- 1-3: “It is inevitable if you enter into relations with people on a regular basis, either for conversation, dining or simple friendship, that you will grow to be like them, unless you can get them to emulate you. Place an extinguished piece of coal next […]
Hello there, For this week let us look for inspiration from Seneca’s writings on the tranquillity of the mind: “The mind must be given relaxation – it will rise improved and sharper after a good break. Just as rich fields must not be forced – for they will quickly lose their fertility if never given a break – so constant […]
Hello there, First off I want to remind the participants that unfortunately last week’s exercise was never stickied in r/Stoicism (holidays and whatnot) but they can all be found in r/practicingstoicism as all exercises are archived there. For this week, let us get back to some very core precepts of Stoicism and I will draw upon words from Epictetus’ Discourses […]
Hello there, I was re-reading Epictetus’ Discourses as research for my next book, and had this idea I have been toying with for a while. Since we’re on the 30th week of the PEotW now (yes already 30 weeks guys!), I would like to begin a new routine of an exercise. We will do the same thing every 10th week […]
Hello there, With back to school around the corner, vacations ending and summer almost behind us, let us make an effort to strengthen our volition as we enter busier and more turbulent times with some simple words from Marcus Aurelius’ Meditations IV 3 : “… tranquillity is nothing else than the good ordering of the mind.” In today’s popular lore, […]
Hello there, Last week we practiced changing a habit we prefer we did not indulge in too much. This week for our practice, let us go in the opposite direction and meditate on the one constant of the universe: Change. Marcus Aurelius – VII 18 “Does a man shrink from change? Why, what can come into being save by change? […]