Simple Stoic Advice
Keep at the forefront of your mind
Keep at the forefront of your mind
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 Epictetus, Enchiridion, entry 21:
Quote
“Keep before your eyes day by day death and exile, and everything that seems terrible, but most of all death; and then you will never have any abject thought, nor will you yearn for anything beyond measure.”
Advice
To most of us today, death is the ultimate fear. It is such an abstract concept. What comes after we die? Is there an after-life? Will we be reunited with our loved ones?
During the Roman Republic and later the Roman Empire, another concern, which some might argue was worse than death, was the thought of being exiled from Rome. Often times, those who were exiled also died. Exiles usually were to a far off desolate place with harsh terrains.
Seneca was exiled, so was Epictetus under under Emperor Domitian. Musonius Rufus, Epictetus’ teacher, voluntarily entered exile with his friend Rubellius Plautus under Nero’s reign.
Neither exile nor death was a defeat to the Stoics. Death was viewed as a natural progression to life, a return to the universe if you will, and exile was something that was seen as being outside of their control.
Seneca, Musonius, and Epictetus all made the most of their exiles. Seneca wrote several letters, Epictetus opened a school for teaching philosophy, and Musonius voluntarily entered prior to actually being exiled.
It is not about the things that happen to us, rather, it is how we respond to those things.
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