Courage
Quote
“You have passed through life without an opponent, no one can ever know what you are capable of, not even you” Seneca
Seneca would say that he actually pitied people who have never experienced misfortune. The world wants to know which category to put you in which is why it puts you in difficult situations, to allow you to test your wits and find your strengths.
Think of those not as inconveniences or tragedies but as opportunities — questions and answers.
Let your actions etch a response into the record—and let them remind you of why courage is the most important thing.
Temperance
Bravery, left unchecked, quickly turns into recklessness and becomes a fault when you begin to endanger yourself and others.
Aristotle argued that on the one end of the spectrum, there was cowardice (deficiency of courage) whilst on the other there was recklessness (too much courage) therefore what was required was a golden mean. The right amount between the two.
Temperance is all about doing nothing in excess. Doing the right thing in the right amount in the right way.
Quote
“We are what we repeatedly do, therefore excellence is not an act, but a habit” Aristotle
Impressive results or enormous changes are possible without herculean effort or magic formulas. Small adjustments, good systems, the right processes—that’s what it takes.
Justice
Doing the right thing is important. There is no stoic virtue more important than justice because it influences all the others.
A Stoic must deeply believe that an individual can make a difference.
Successful activism and political manoeuvring require understanding and strategy, as well as realism… and hope. It requires wisdom, acceptance and also a refusal to accept the status quo.
A Stoic sees the world clearly…but also sees clearly what the world can be. And then they are brave and strategic enough to help bring it into reality.
Wisdom
Wisdom. The knowing. The learning. The experience required to navigate the world.
Zeno said that we were given two ears and one mouth for a reason: to listen more than we talk. Since we have a pair of eyes we are obligated to read and observe more than we talk as well.
It’s key that we study, that we keep our minds open always.
Quote
You cannot learn that which you think you already know
This is why we need to not only be humble students but also seek out great teachers. It’s why we should always be reading. It’s why we cannot stop training. It’s why we have to be diligent in filtering out the signal from the noise.
The goal is not just to acquire information, but the right kind of information.
Honour the Stoic virtue of wisdom by slowing down, being deliberate, and finding the wisdom you need.
Two eyes, two ears, one mouth. Remain a student. Act accordingly—and wisely.
tags::#philosophy/stoicism comes from:: Stoicism opposite to:: leads to:: see also::