The list of 10 life changing Stoic quotes

The Stoic philosophers have a diaphanous view of life and it is partly because of what their life has put them through. Marcus Aurelius was an emperor of Rome while it was in over 18 years of war and faced the worst pandemic- Antonine Plague in the 900 year history of Rome. Zeno of Citium, the founder of this philosophy had lost all of his wealth in a storm; Epictetus was a slave for the first 30 years of his life and survived over seven years of his master's torture; Seneca was exiled from his own country for over two times and was given a death sentence by his own emperor.

In spite of what each of them went through, one thing remains the same in each of their's life history- Their unwavering sense of virtue and unclouded judgements. Here is the list of 10 life changing Stoic quotes that I personally like and day by day trying to implement in my own life.

1.

Waste no more time arguing about what a good man should be, be one- Marcus Aurelius.

What can emphasize on 'Action' than this quote? The Stoics are not just eloquent about their beliefs but they lived them. You can read a book about a great man, you can gossip about someone, you can have expectations about other's behaviours and you can talk all day about how good a man should be. But what matters is if you live your life as good as you expect from others or talk or write. If you want to wake up early- do not just say it, do it. If you want to learn a skill, don't postpone it, do it, action is everything.

2.

When you arise in the morning, think what a precious privilege it is to be alive, to breathe, to think, to enjoy, to love- Marcus Aurelius.

'Memento Mori' is what Stoics meditate on. "Remember, you will die" is what it is translated into and what fascinates me about this quote is that even when the Stoics meditate on the reality of death, they truly appreciate what they have at the moment. The gratitude towards what we have right now, the contentment in what this life has given us today and just to be alive and living is a great privilege- while the death is hanging onto us, while we can leave life right now. I like to think of this as a note of gratitude and I say this everyday.

3.

If it is Endurable, then endure it. Stop Complaining- Marcus Aurelius.

I like how straight forward the Stoic's sayings are. As rude as this may sound for many, I like it very much particularly because when we stop complaining, most of the regrets, sadness and gossips these negative emotions can vanish from our lives. Epictetus had a limp in his leg because his leg was twisted by his master multiple times and eventually one day, his master twisted it so hard that Epictetus simply said, "The leg is going to break" and when it broke,he replied "I told you that would happen". That is the tolerance of the Stoics.

4.

We suffer more in our imagination than in reality- Seneca.

These are the truest words about the uncertainty and about our fear of what the future may entail. In reality, all we have is the current moment. What we face at this very moment is less painful that what runs in our mind. We tend to overthink and suffer for borrowed griefs. The grief may or may not occur in the future but what we do is suffer at the present for the anticipated sorrow. So, it is important to realize that the borrowed suffering brings no less harm in the future nor could it alter the happenings of the past.

5.

Would anyone think it normal to return a kick to a mule or a bite to a dog?- Seneca.

Very well said about harming your enemies. "The best revenge is to not be like your enemy" says Marcus Aurelius in his journal. Returning a harm to your enemy is a silly and an immature act to carry on, with the time we have which we could utilize for better things. I think of this quote everytime I lose my patience, or hear a very illogical and judgemental talk to or about me. So, the time between the stimulus and response is in our control. It is upto your judgement about how you respond if at all you want to.

6.

The whole future lies in uncertainty, live immediately- Seneca.

This quote connects with the other ideas we have discussed earlier in this post. We cannot, just cannot take the present moment for granted. We should not take people that we love for granted. They and all of us for that matter is held by a very loose string on this world which can be pulled at anytime. So, be present in the current moment. Enjoy the little things that come your way. Enjoy, appreciate and love the people you are with, for the future is full of uncertainties. Do not procrastinate for we do not know what the future holds!

7.

If you want to improve, be content to be thought foolish and stupid- Epictetus.

Most of us want to look intelligent and we absolutely are not a fan of displaying our ignorance. But we don't realize that the improvement starts from ignorance. So, don't be shameless when you are starting to learn something, to be a novice, to be a fledgling, to be a brand new learner. Most of the times, we don't start fresh in a field that is new to us, just because of the fear of looking foolish in front of others. We may have wanted to learn swimming, learn a new language, hone communication skills and now is the time, to do it.

8.

Someone despises me. That’s their problem- Marcus Aurelius.

This is one of the most impressive aphorisms. We think and worry about the opinions of others, like a lot, all the time. We put in the work just to please someone. Sometimes, this becomes a plague that sticks to our brain. This makes you do things that are not aligned to your goals, this makes you to waste time on non-essential activities. If someone dislikes you, that is their perception, that is their choice, that is their liberty. That doesn't need your consideration or action or reaction. You have an inner compass, you have a brain and you have a vision for life for a reason!

9.

Be tolerant with others and strict with yourself- Marcus Aurelius.

It is called Self- discipline for a reason. Be what you preach. You control yourself and you live with yourself all your life. So, you should make sure you have a wise, courageous, virtuous and sober companion at all times. You are responsible for your actions and reactions, so being strict with you means that you don't give up easily. You extend your breaking points, you set new benchmarks for yourself, you train your body and mind to be resilient. You should forgive others for their mistakes easier than you forgive yourself.

10.

Let each thing you would so, say or intend, be like that of a dying person- Marcus Aurelius.

The book 'When breath becomes air' by Paul Kalanithi speaks about this aphorism through his own journey towards death. We live like we have forever to live better. We do not live more so survive through the day. We do things that we don't like, we do things half hearted or things that don't improve our mind or body. Death is overshadowed, you could leave life right now. Let that determine what we say and do and think, says the Stoics. Do your absolute best and do what is essential for your mind or body at any given time, no one is guaranteed to live the next moment.