Any life philosophy relies on a few fundamental truths from which all of its practices are derived. This category summarizes these important principles for a Stoic Optimizer and are meant as a guiding light for all aspects of life.
They aim to explain what we should optimize our existence for and most importantly, why.
Refer to them when you're unsure about a big decision you need to make to remind yourself of the values you should prioritize at all times.
Stoicism is one such First Principle. You can find all the posts relating to it here.
Are you tired of chasing happiness, only to find it slipping through your fingers like sand? What if the secret to a fulfilling life isn’t just about happiness, but something more profound? This blog post will take you on a journey through the wisdom of Socrates, Plato, Aristotle, and the Stoics to unveil what truly makes …
If you’ve ever heard someone end a sentence with fate permitting – the Stoic reserve clause – you might have thought it’s an obvious statement. Of course you’re not gonna show up to meet your friend for coffee if you’re no longer around tomorrow, so there’s no need to mention it explicitly. While the word “fate” …
Epictetus was the first Stoic author to split the philosophical practice into 3 different disciplines (also known as the 3 topoi): perception, action and will. You can think of them as the 3 essential skills one needs to develop in order to live a happy life according to Stoic principles. Keep reading to find out …
Stoicism is one of the most practical philosophies out there and as such, its teachers have come up with exercises and meditations for the most common woes of human existence. One such technique is the so-called View from Above Meditation, which asks the Stoic student to use big picture thinking to consider their place in …
The Stoics did a lot of counter-intuitive things to ensure they lived their best, most virtuous lives. One of them was practicing voluntary discomfort when their lives were good in order to prepare for the times in which the Wheel of Fortune would inevitably turn on them. This post explains what this exercise in Stoicism …
You may have heard Stoics say that you should strive to live in accordance with nature and instantly had a brief cabin-in-the-woods movie play in your mind. Even though the tranquility and fresh air seemed instantly appealing, you couldn’t help but classify it as yet another unattainable requirement set by someone living in their ivory …
