February 28th Reading from The Daily Stoic - When You Lose Control

"The soul is like a bowl of water, and our impressions are like the ray of light falling upon the water. When the water is troubled, it appears that the light itself is moved too, but it isn't. So, when a person loses their composure, it isn't their skills and virtues that are troubled, but the spirit in which they exist, and when that spirit calms down so do those things."

~ Epictetus, Discourses, 3.3.20-22

February 27th Reading from The Daily Stoic - Cultivating Indifference Where Others Grow Passion

"Of all the things that are, some are good, others bad, and yet others indifferent. The good are virtues and all that share in them; the bad are vices and all that indulge them; the indifferent lie in between virtue and vice and include wealth, health, life, death, pleasure, and pain."

~ Epictetus, Discourses, 2.19.12b-13

February 26th Reading from The Daily Stoic - To Each His Own

"Another has done me wrong? Let him see to it. He has his own tendencies, and his own affairs. What I have now is what common nature has willed, and what I endeavor to accomplish now is what my nature wills."

~ Marcus Aurelius, Meditations, 5.25

February 25th Reading from The Daily Stoic - The Smoke and Dust of Myth

"Keep a list before your mind of those who burned with anger and resentment about something, of even the most renowned for success, misfortune, evil deeds, or any special distinction. Then ask yourself, how did that work out? Smoke and dust, the stuff of simple myth trying to be legend . . ."

~ Marcus Aurelius, Meditations, 12.27

"Cum Carum Moneas"

     My daily reading from Brevissima today was #170, given the title "Cum Carum Moneas" ("When You Advise Someone Dear To You") by the editor (originally from The Distichs of Cato 1.9, a 4th century work). I liked this one. The Latin runs thus:

Cum moneas aliquem nec se velit ille moneri,

Si tibi sit carus, noli desistere coeptis.

Roughly rendered in English:

When you advise [or "admonish"] someone and he does not wish to be advised ["admonished"],

If he is dear to you, do not hold back from what you have begun.

February 24th Reading from The Daily Stoic - The Real Source of Harm

"Keep in mind that it isn't the one who has it in for you and takes a swipe that harms you, but rather the harm comes from your own belief about the abuse. So when someone arouses your anger, know that it's really your own opinion fueling it. Instead, make it your first response not to be carried away by such impressions, for with time and distance self-mastery is more easily achieved."

~ Epictetus, Enchiridion, 20

February 23rd Reading from The Daily Stoic - Circumstances Have No Care For Our Feelings

"You shouldn't give any circumstances the power to rouse anger, for they don't care at all."

~ Marcus Aurelius, Meditations, 7.38