Simple Stoic Advice
All is an opinion
All is an opinion
The beautiful thing about Stoic philosophy is the advice contained within it is just as applicable today as it was when it was first written all those many years ago. We can learn a great deal from interpreting the advice provided and using it to our advantage as we go throughout our own lives.
Today’s quote comes to us courtesy of Marcus Aurelius, Meditations, Entry 2.15:
Quote
“Remember that all is opinion. For what was said by the Cynic Monimus is manifest: and manifest too is the use of what was said, if a man receives what may be got out of it as far as it is true.”
Advice
Monimus was part of the philosophical school known as Cynicism in the 4th century. It is said that Monimus knew and was influenced by both Crates of Thebes and Diogenes of Sinope, the former having also trained Zeno the founder of Stoicism, the later who took his philosophy so far that when Alexander the Great came and asked what he could do for Diogenes in order to learn from him, Diogenes replied asking him to move out of the way of his sun.
From all accounts that remain, Monimus seems to have truly encapsulated the Cynic philosophical view that living in agreement with our own natures is best and rejecting wealth, power, and fame is the key to virtue. He is said to have stated:
“Wealth is the vomiting of Fortune.”
As well as:
“Everything is vanity.”
Most everything we encounter on a day-to-day basis is wrapped up in our preconceived notions of things. Most of us do not rely strictly on fact, we hold a judgment about that fact.
But by becoming wrapped up in the judgment, we can no longer objectively view what is before us.
Epictetus famously stated:
“It is not things themselves that trouble people, but their opinions about things.”
It is important to remember that we all hold opinions about things. This is natural. But if we want to be able to objectively view a situation, we must be ready to abandon our opinions and allow ourselves the freedom to objectively view the situation before us.
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