Stoicism Thread

I’m getting more interested in Stoicism.

I’ve started working through “The Tao of Seneca,” an e-book I apparently got for free from @tferriss, forgot about, and recently rediscovered.

I’m following his advice and digesting one letter per day.

Here are my thoughts: 🧵👇

@tferriss 1: “On Saving Time”

Don’t let time go to waste because you were a careless steward.

Be about your purpose. And the task at hand.

Don’t postpone starting. Start. Now.

@tferriss 2: “On Discursiveness in Reading”

Go deep with an author and their ideas rather than “dipping into” many different authors and sets of ideas.

Spend the time.

Depth > Breadth.

Seek out an idea each day that will give you the strength to endure hardships.

@tferriss Come back to this thread daily to read my latest thoughts!

3: “On True and False Friendship”

The foundation of friendship is trust.

You must judge whether you can trust another as you trust yourself.

Admitting them as your friend, behave in their presence as you would in secret, cultivating the same behavior in them.

Don’t overshare with strangers.

Don’t undershare with friends.

Seek balance.

4: “On the Terrors of Death”

Don’t be so terrified of dying that you forget to live.

Improve yourself. Fulfill your purpose. Live your truth.

Don’t worry. Let that shit go.

You’re going to die. Until that happens, make sure you live.

5: “On the Philosopher’s Mean”

Don’t set yourself apart for the sake of setting yourself apart. It is vanity, not virtuous.

The poor man that boasts of his poverty is no worse than the rich man who boasts of his riches.

Wisdom is found in the mean, not in the extreme.

Do nothing for the sake of drawing the praise of another.

Live simply. Live excellently.

Be present in the eternal now.