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.
Philosophies pride themselves on how they define good and evil. Even outside of any school of thought, we might have some idea of what aspects of life fall in each of those categories. What’s more, as anyone who has even been exposed to a major religion can tell you, the most pleasurable actions you could …
The Stoics believed that the only goal of a life well lived is to achieve arête, a term usually translated into English as virtue, but which is better understood as moral excellence. (This article uses the two interchangeably and assigns no religious element to either.) Drawing from the writings of Plato and Aristotle, Stoic ethics …
Those who do not understand Stoicism often denounce it as a philosophy that is overly concerned with death, which makes them dismiss it as a way of thinking incompatible with the happy-go-lucky types they identify themselves with. While pondering the end of life does hold an important place in the practice of a Stoic, there …
Admit it: you rarely think of fate when things go your way, yet you are quick to blame destiny when you’re faced with a path that diverges from your expectations. Having a healthy relationship with your destiny is paramount to achieving inner peace – this is where the Latin concept of Amor Fati comes in. …
Whether you’re a Stoicism enthusiast who wants to try all of the techniques of the OGs, or just someone who wants to become more resilient in dealing with difficult situations, there’s a negative visualization exercise that can help you lead a calmer life. Keep reading to find out what premeditatio malorum is, why it works, …
I got the idea to write this post as I was trying to learn more about investing. Yes – it was a book about money that spurred me to write about religion. 🤭 And no – money is not the religion I’m going to talk about, that would be trite. Since I firmly believe that …
