The Wisdom of the Stoics: Selections from Seneca, Epictetus and Marcus Aurelius

If you want to know know about Stoicism I suggest you wiki it first because I’m not even going to start on it. Well maybe a little bit. There is so much wisdom in the philosophy. Too bad some of it confused me because of the way they talk that old school English.

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Some things that stood out to me:
– I will live and die with this testimony: that I loved good studies, and a good conscience; that I never invaded another man’s liberty; and that 1 preserved my own. I will govern my life and my thoughts as if the whole world were to see the one, and to read the other; for what does it signify to make any thing a secret to my neighbor, when to God, who is the searcher of our hearts, all our privacies are open.

One part of virtue consists in discipline, the other in exercise; for we must first learn and then practice. The sooner we begin to apply ourselves to it, and the more haste we make, the longer shall we enjoy the comforts of a rectified mind; nay, we have the fruition of it in the very act of forming it: but it is another sort of delight, I must confess, that arises from the contemplation of a soul which is advanced into the possession of wisdom and virtue. If it were so great a comfort to pass from the subjection of our childhood into a state of liberty, how much greater will it be when we come to cast off the boyish levity of our minds, and range ourselves among the philosophers? We are past our minority, it is true, but not our indiscretions; and which is yet worse, we have the authority of seniors, and the weaknesses of children (I might have said of infants, for every little thing frights the one, and every trivial fancy the other). Whoever studies this point well will find that many things are the less to be feared the more terrible they appear.

– Bestowal of benefits: Don’t give because you’ve been asked to give, don’t give because you expect to reap some reward, don’t give to someone who will want more, etc.

– If you know someone is going to ask you for something… don’t wait for them to ask, let them save face and give if it is within your … givinghood?!

– It is better to offend seldom (owning it when we do), and act often wisely, than to say we seldom err, and offend frequently.

– If any one tells you that such a person speaks ill of you, do not make excuses about what is said of you, but answer: “He doth not know my other faults, else he would not have mentioned only these.”

– There is a funny part where Marcus Aurelius cautions one not to get angry over another persons smelly armpits and/or bad breath.

– Speech is the index of the mind.

Big up Tim Ferriss for mentioning Stoicism.

Contents
1. Introduction

2. Seneca
– Of a happy life
Happiness Founded Upon Wisdom
Happiness Founded Upon Virtue
Philosophy the Guide of Life
The Force of Precepts
No Felicity Like Peace of Conscience
A Good Man Can Never Be Miserable
Providence the Cure of Misfortunes
Of Levity of Mind
A Wise Man Proof Against Calamities
Of Sincerity of Manners
Happiness Can Never Depend Upon Fortune
What Befalls One May Befall All
A Sensual Life is a Miserable Life
Of Avarice and Ambition
The Blessings of Temperance and Moderation
The Blessings of Friendship
Consolations Against Death

– Of Benefits
Of Intentions and Effects
Of Judgment in the Bestowal of Benefits
Of the Matter of Obligations
The Manner of Obliging
Of Requital
Of How the Receiver Should Act
Of Ingratitude
Of Anger
Suppressing Anger
Anger a Short Madness
The Effect of Anger

– Epistles
Of Writing and Speaking
The Knowledge of Virtue

3. Epictetus
– Book One
– Book Two
– Book Three
– Book Four
– Fragments of Epictetus

4. Epictetus: The Enchiridion (or The Manual)

5. Marcus Aurelius
– Book One
– Book Two
– Book Three
– Book Four
– Book Five
– Book Six
– Book Seven
– Book Eight
– Book Nine
– Book Ten
– Book Eleven
– Book Twelve