Learning Stoicism

“The wise man is self-sufficient.” This phrase, my dear Lucilius, is incorrectly explained by many; for they withdraw the wise man from the world, and force him to dwell within his own skin. But we must mark with care what this sentence signifies and how far it applies; the wise man is sufficient unto himself for a happy existence, but not for mere existence. For he needs many helps towards mere existence; but for a happy existence he needs only a sound and upright soul, one that despises Fortune.

Fear 1. Heed the call, step up to the challenge.  2. Be not afraid.  3. Use logic to see what is really there. 4. What ever people think is not important. People will instill their fears into you. 5a. There are more fears in the imagination than there are in real life. There are always more fears, until you count them. 5b. The imagined fears are worst than real life fears. In our imagination fears never run away. 6. Premeditatio Malorum, “Exile, war, torture, shipwreck,” Seneca said, “all the terms of the human condition could be on our minds.” Predict and prepare against our fears. When fear is defined, it can be defeated. 7. Do not worry about whether things will be difficult. They will be, and they will make you stronger. Anti-Fragility. Our bruises and scars become armour. Nec aspera terrent . Don’t be frightened by difficulties. 8. Focus on what's in front of you. Do not be distracted by what ifs. Do not dwell on the fears, just face them. The sooner the danger is faced the be