Be Aware, But Not Troubled
The Daily Stoic19 Elo 2019

Be Aware, But Not Troubled

There is a balance to Stoicism between awareness and anxiety. The Stoics want you to be prepared for an uncertain—and oftentimes dangerous—future, but somehow not worry about it at the same time. They want you to consider all the possibilities...and not be stressed that many of those possibilities will not be good. How exactly is that supposed to work?

The answer lies simply in the idea of presence. As Seneca writes:

“It is likely that some troubles will befall us; but it is not a present fact. How often has the unexpected happened! How often has the expected never come to pass! And even though it is ordained to be, what does it avail to run out to meet your suffering? You will suffer soon enough, when it arrives.”

It may well rain tomorrow, but that doesn’t mean you have to get wet in advance. You can enjoy the sunshine today, while still bringing in your furniture just in case. It’s important not to take the phrase premeditatio malorum (a premeditation of evils) too singularly. When Seneca says that all the terms of the human lot should be before our eyes, and then lists only the bad things, he’s accidentally doing that. Because of course good stuff can happen too. Bad stuff can not happen also.

The point is that the future is out of our control. It is uncertain, and also vast. We have to be aware of that, yes, but we don’t need to suffer, particularly not in advance. Because we have plenty of time to prepare, and plenty of wide open present before us still as well.

Enjoy it.


See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Jaksot(2887)

It’s Always Going To Be One-Sided

It’s Always Going To Be One-Sided

It’s always been a dilemma: Why should I be honest when no one else seems to be? Why should I play by the rules when others are so visibly breaking them? Why should I be respectful or kind or fair whe...

4 Helmi 2min

Chuck Klosterman: The NFL Explains More About America Than You Think

Chuck Klosterman: The NFL Explains More About America Than You Think

Few writers understand American culture like Chuck Klosterman, which is why he joins Ryan ahead of the Super Bowl to talk about how football reshaped American culture.In this episode, Chuck and Ryan d...

4 Helmi 1h 16min

Do You Have Double What It Takes? | The Source Of Your Anxiety

Do You Have Double What It Takes? | The Source Of Your Anxiety

Obstacles, adversaries, pitfalls, and bad luck. It’s going to be there. It’s going to happen. 📔 Pick up your own leather bound signed edition of The Daily Stoic! Check it out at the Daily Stoic Store...

3 Helmi 7min

BONUS | You Can't Let The Setbacks Win

BONUS | You Can't Let The Setbacks Win

When jarred by circumstances, Marcus Aurelius writes, we have to revert back to ourselves. We have to come back to the rhythm. We have to intervene. We can't let the challenges win.Let’s not write the...

2 Helmi 2min

Sometimes You Just Lose (But That’s No Excuse) | A Proper Frame Of Mind

Sometimes You Just Lose (But That’s No Excuse) | A Proper Frame Of Mind

We have to stay at it. We have to accept the losses that come…without accepting the status quo. We should not give up. 📘 Grab the hardcover edition of The Daily Stoic here: https://store.dailystoic.c...

2 Helmi 7min

This Is Why You Have To Care

This Is Why You Have To Care

Immigration is a complicated issue. Crime is complicated. But this is not complicated.👉 Support the podcast and go deeper into Stoicism by subscribing to The Daily Stoic Premium - unlock ad-free list...

1 Helmi 11min

Why Bert Kreischer Thinks He Needs a Stoic Coach

Why Bert Kreischer Thinks He Needs a Stoic Coach

Bert Kreischer and Ryan continue their conversation about the tension between discipline and indulgence, why Bert sometimes feels better hungover than sober, and the pull of routines built around puni...

31 Tammi 37min

The Age of Catos is Gone (or Is It?) | Ryan Holiday Owes Everything To This One Book

The Age of Catos is Gone (or Is It?) | Ryan Holiday Owes Everything To This One Book

It always feels like the traditional values are slipping away…Maybe they are. Maybe they aren’t. 📕 Pick up your own Premium Leather Edition of Meditations - Marcus Aurelius (Gregory Hays Translation)...

30 Tammi 14min

Suosittua kategoriassa Liike-elämä ja talous

sijotuskasti
mimmit-sijoittaa
rss-rahapodi
psykopodiaa-podcast
rss-rahamania
ostan-asuntoja-podcast
juristipodi
rss-seuraava-potilas
pomojen-suusta
taloudellinen-mielenrauha
rss-sami-miettinen-neuvottelija
leadcast
yrittaja
rss-lahtijat
rss-myyntikoulu
rss-sisalto-kuntoon
oppimisen-psykologia
rss-h-asselmoilanen
rss-bisnespaiva
rss-paasipodi