Emotion Flashcards
“Rule Over Yourself”
“Would you have a great empire? Rule over yourself.” - Publius Syrus. When aiming high, pressure and stress will be part of the ride and when faced with adversity, like obstacles, these emotions and many more will try to throw you off. The question is, if you let them or do you keep your cool under pressure. Often asking yourself if an emotion you feel would help the current situation is a good guide to determine helpful emotions from harmful ones. If the emotion can’t help, then let it go. The Greek has a word for this, apatheia, which means the removal of harmful and unhelpful kinds of emotions. The important thing when facing these situations is that they will break people, but it’s your choice whether to surrender your freedom, your attitude, your beliefs, or your choices. No matter what is forced upon you, it’s still your decision whether to rule over yourself or be ruled. Physical control can restrain you, but never your thoughts, beliefs and reactions.
John D. Rockefeller was known for having a coolness when everyone else lost theirs. He learned to ignore the “mad crowd” and could resist temptation or excitement no matter how seductive it looked, letting the “mad crowd” be seduced. He instead saw an opportunity in the disasters the “mad crowd” lost their heads in and this is very much like Warren Buffet saying: “Be fearful when others are greedy and greedy when others are fearful”. Nothing would rattle Rockefeller, which also resulted in him being hard to examine since no one could abuse his emotions to their advantage.
To rule over yourself requires building your inner citadel, giving you the ability to control your emotions. The inner citadel will stand through any adversity and can’t be broken. The inner citadel isn’t something you are born with, but something that is mastered in life, through constant repetition, always improving your defences. The way to master it is not through the path of least resistance, but where there is struggle. “No calm sea ever made a great sailor”.
