Stoic Quotes Flashcards
What should you focus on?
Focus on what you can control.
If it is up to me give it 100% if it isn’t give it 0
Focus on what we control because that is where we can give 100% of our effort and emotion to make a difference
What can you control?
You control how you respond to things.
Epictetus - we don’t control what happens but we control how we respond -
Mindset of this has happened now what am I going to do to move forward with it
You control how you respond to everything
What should we ask ourselves?
Ask yourself, “Is this essential?”
Marcus Aurelius
Do I need to do it? (e.g. is this working towards my potential or chief aim?)
If YES then give it everything you have if NO then eliminate it
Become good at the essential
We should we meditate on?
Meditate on your mortality every day.
Marcus Aurelius - you could leave life right now
Life is short don’t focus on things that don’t matter
Clear sense of mortality is essential to appreciate life
What should we value most?
Value time more than money/possessions.
Seneca - says the time that passes belongs to death
Time is the most valuable commodity
You cannot get more time
You purchase things with your life
What are we a product of?
You are the product of your habits.
Epictetus - if you want to be beautiful make beautiful choices, if you want to be excellent make excellent choices
Excellence is a habit not an act
Aristotle - we are what we repeatedly do
What do we have the power over?
Remember you have the power to have no opinion.
Epictetus - it is not things that upset us but our opinion about things and we control our opinions
Sometimes things just are there is no need to pass opinion on it
Withdraw judgements from them
What should we own?
Own the morning.
Marcus Aurelius’ - was I meant to stay under the covers and keep warm?
Well begun is half done
A good morning leads to good day and good days leads to a good life
What should we do to ourselves to better ourselves?
Put yourself up for review (Interrogate yourself).
Seneca - put the day up for review
What could I have done better? Where did I fall short?
Interrogate yourself
What should we do to avoid suffering?
Don’t suffer imagined troubles.
Seneca - we suffer more in imagination than reality
Worry doesn’t effect anything deal with things when they come
Focus on what is in front of you
Don’t anticipate and suffer in advance
What should we see in people?
Try to see the good in people.
Marcus Aurelius tried to get the most out of people and tried to see the best in people
See the good in things
Find something good in everyone you deal with
Otherwise you will be miserable and unhappy
Never be heard what?
Never be overheard complaining…even to yourself.
Complaints are for losers
Focus on the good
NEVER complain
Two ears…?
Two ears, one mouth…for a reason (Zeno)
Zeno - two ears one mouth…listen more than you talk
There is always?
There is always something you can do.
There is always some way to move forward
Even if you can make something marginally better think of the step forward
Don’t what…?
Don’t compare yourself to others.
Roosevelt - comparison is the thief of joy
Hold yourself to your own standards
Live as if…?
Live as if you’ve died and come back (every minute is bonus time).
Seneca - my life is over hopefully I get a new one tomorrow
Should we seek revenge?
“The best revenge is not to be like that.” Marcus Aurelius
Prove you are a good person by being the exact opposite of the bad person and never stoop to their levels
Best way to beat a cheater is not be like one
Who should we be strict with?
Be strict with yourself and tolerant with others.
Cato - I can forgive any error but my own
Self-discipline is key
What should we put to the test?
Put every impression, emotion, to the test before acting on it.
Initial reactions, pause, then choose who you want to be
What should we strive to do with everyone?
Learn something from everyone.
Everyone I meet is better than me at something and I want to learn that something
Focus on what you can learn even from people you don’t like
And you can learn from peoples failures (if they are not better than you)