Simple Stoic Advice
Child’s Play
Child’s Play
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, 5.2:
Quote
“To shrug it all off and wipe it clean — every annoyance and distraction — and reach utter stillness. Child’s play.”
Advice
We’re all flustered at times from events that occur within our lives. Perhaps it is a problem at work, or a family member who is getting under your skin. Perhaps it is the traffic you had to sit in on your morning commute or the line for Starbucks. We have all become annoyed with things that occur within our lives.
This is a natural part of being human. But the goal of a Stoic is to avoid becoming upset or annoyed by these things. The goal is tranquility, tranquility in times of annoyance or crisis, and tranquility in times of peace and relaxation.
We can achieve this by remember what we do and do not control, what we today call the Dichotomy of Control, as well as observing the judgments we place on events.
The Dichotomy of Control is understand what is and is not within our power. It is within our power to leave the house early in hopes of not hitting traffic. It is not within our power that there is a big rig overturned and our commute has now been delayed.
Things happen in life. We can only control what we have power over. Everything else is outside of our power.
But what is within our power is the judgments we place on events. Sure, we didn’t have control over the sig alert, but we do hold control over what we do, waiting in the traffic, and what our judgment of the occasion is.
This is what Marcus is referring to when he reminds himself to shrug off and wipe clean. We only control what we can. But within our power is to determine the judgments we’re placing on the event.
We can, if we so choose, turn on an audiobook, podcast, etc., and make the most of our time in the car. Or we can sit there and curse the world, which ultimately does nothing. We can shift our perspective and remind ourselves that this traffic has now given us time to catch up on that audiobook, podcast, or phone call we had to make. Or we can brood about how the world is out to get us and that nothing ever goes our way.
It ultimately all comes back to what we do and do not have power over and the judgments we make of the events we encounter.
Both of those our within our power.
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