Stoicism

Breakfast with senecia: a stoic guide to the art of living By David Fideler

Virtue

Virtue is the highest good and the key to a well-lived life. Stoics believe that virtue is a form of knowledge and expertise in living well. They identified four cardinal virtues that are essential for achieving moral excellence and aligning with reason and nature:

  1. Wisdom: The ability to understand what is good, bad, and indifferent, and to make sound judgments based on this knowledge.
  2. Courage: The strength to face fears and challenges, especially in situations of danger or adversity.
  3. Temperance: The practice of self-control and moderation, avoiding excess and deficiency in desires and actions.
  4. Justice: The commitment to fairness, honesty, and treating others with respect and benevolence.

These virtues are interdependent and together form the foundation of a virtuous life. By practicing these virtues, Stoics believe one can achieve eudaimonia, or a flourishing and fulfilling life.

Nothing external can harm a wise person who possesses virtue. As long as his virtue stays intact.159

Knowledge

Study not in order know more, but to know better.83

Friendship

You must dwell with a few chosen thinkers and nourished by their works. Someone who is everywhere is no where. Those who travel constantly end up with many acquaintances, but no real friends. 83

Travel

A wise person will be able to travel and get something profound out of the trip, because his mind is prepared for the experience. Others embark on one journey after another in exchange of spectacle after spectacle. 85

Freedom & Joy

Freedom is the prize we are seeking, lasting freedom. Having a good character and being happy overlap. Freedom means not being enslaved by false judgments, extreme negative emotions, anger, compulsions, unhappiness, anxiety about future. Anger is the worst emotion, it can permanently change you.129

Prademitatio malorum

Prademitatio malorum: Premeditation of future adversity. Rehearsing potential negative events in your mind before they occur. Should the event the actually take place in the future you will be mentally prepared for it and the emotional shock will be significantly less.

Say to yourself each morning. Today I will meet with people who are meddling, ungrateful, overbearing, decitful, envious, and unsocial. Prepare for these people. 95