Wisdom From the Stoics That Will Make You Feel 10% Better Today
Growing up if you’d asked me who Marcus Aurelius was, I’d have replied he didn’t get much screen time in Gladiator.
Yet, like so many when Covid changed our world, I turned to the wisdom of the ancients to make sense of the madness of modern life. Stoicism especially provided great comfort. My grandfather was nicknamed little Seneca and it was nice to see why.
The core tenets of Stoicism are the four cardinal virtues: courage, justice, wisdom, and self-control. A key teaching is that our suffering is only a perception of circumstances, and that we have the power to change our own reality.
Here are some of the quotes that continue to provide comfort to me:
On Purpose
“You have power over your mind – not outside events. Realize this, and you will find strength.” —Marcus Aurelius
“You become what you give your attention to.” - Epictetus
“Whatever can happen at any time can happen today.” —Seneca
On Happiness
“He who laughs at himself never runs out of things to laugh at.” – Epictetus
“The happiness of your life depends on the quality of your thoughts.” — Marcus Aurelius
“There is only one way to happiness and that is to cease worrying about things which are beyond the power of our will”. — Seneca
On Overcoming Adversity
“Fire is the test of gold; adversity, of strong men.” – Seneca
“If you are pained by any external thing, it is not this thing that disturbs you, but your own judgment about it. And it is in your power to wipe out this judgment now.” – Marcus Aurelius
“No man is more unhappy than he who never faces adversity. For he is not permitted to prove himself.” – Seneca
On Learning
“Just because something is hard to master, do not think it is humanly impossible, but, if a thing is humanly possible, consider it within your reach.” — Marcus Aurelius
“If you want to improve, be content to be thought foolish and stupid.” ―Epictetus
“How long can you afford to put off who you really want to be? Your nobler self cannot wait any longer. Decide to be extraordinary and do what you need to do now.” ― Epictetus
To conclude, though these quotes were said thousands of years ago, they still feel relevant right now. The world can be daunting, but the happiness course on 42courses provided great comfort in a strange time. By making accessible the wisdom of the ancients we can live better lives right now. Don’t wait to be extraordinary start learning from the greatest minds of our time with 42courses today.
