Wisdom Journal

Practical Philosophy

“Make mistakes of ambition and not mistakes of sloth. Develop the strength to do bold things, not to suffer.”

- Niccolo Machiavelli, The Prince

“You should not have a favourite weapon. To become over-familiar with one weapon is as much a fault as not knowing it sufficiently well."

- Miyamoto Musashi, The Book of Five Rings

“It is not sufficient just to remain calm in the event of catastrophe or emergency. When challenged by adversity, charge onwards with courage and jubilation. This is rising to a higher level. It is like the saying, ‘The more water there is, the higher the boat rises.’” 

- Yamamoto Tsunetomo, Hagakure: The Book of the Samurai

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Stoicism:

"I'm an author, perhaps best known for books with titles that sound like infomercial products: the 4-hour workweek and the 4-hour body, which are published in about 45 languages or so. And I am a tech investor, and I've been involved early stage in companies like facebook, twitter, uber, alibaba, and perhaps 30 others ... I only bring up this background because I credit my successes, whatever they might be ... to Stoicism … Think of it as an ideal operating system for thriving in high stress environments. And that is certainly why it's gained a huge foothold in Silicon Valley ... and professional sports.

So if you study Stoicism, you'll be in very good company. It's a rulebook for making better decisions. It was popular with the educated elite of the Greco-Roman empire ...Thomas Jefferson had Seneca at his bedside table ...Bill Clinton reads Meditations by Marcus Aurelius every year. In the NFL ...management, coaches, and players alike ...have embraced Stoicism because it makes them better competitors."

- Tim Ferriss

"Stoicism is not about suppressing or hiding emotion—rather, it is about acknowledging our emotions, reflecting on what causes them, and redirecting them for our own good. It is also about keeping in mind what is and what is not under our control, focusing our efforts on the former and not wasting them on the latter. It is about practicing virtue and excellence and navigating the world to the best of our abilities, while being mindful of the moral dimension of all our actions."

- Massimo Pigliucci

Quotes from the Big Three of Stoic Philosophy:

Seneca (c. 4 BC – 65 AD):

  • “We suffer more often in imagination than in reality”

  • “If you really want to escape the things that harass you, what you’re needing is not to be in a different place but to be a different person.”

  • “It is not the man who has too little, but the man who craves more, that is poor. ”

  • "A gem cannot be polished without friction, nor a man be perfected without trials."

  • “Luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity.”

  • “Associate with people who are likely to improve you.”

Epictetus (c. 50 – c. 135 AD):

  • “Humans are troubled not by events, but by the meaning they give to those events.”

  • "Happiness can only be found within: Freedom is the only worthy goal in life. It is won by disregarding things that lie beyond our control. We cannot have a light heart if our minds are a woeful cauldron of fear and ambition."

  • “Any person capable of angering you becomes your master; he can anger you only when you permit yourself to be disturbed by him.”

  • “Wealth consists not in having great possessions, but in having few wants.”

  • “It is impossible for a man to learn what he thinks he already knows.”

  • “If you want to improve, be content to be thought foolish and stupid.”

Marcus Aurelius (121 – 180 AD):

  • “Vanity is the greatest seducer of reason.”

  • “Bear in mind that a person’s worth is measured by the worth of what he values.”

  • “Everything we hear is an opinion, not a fact. Everything we see is a perspective, not the truth.”

  • “Your mind will come to resemble your frequently repeated thoughts, because it takes on the hues of its thoughts.”

  • “You have power over your mind - not outside events. Realize this, and you will find strength.”

  • “It is not death that a man should fear, but he should fear never beginning to live.”