Why Be Angry About Something That’s Already Gone?
The Daily Stoic19 Helmi 2020

Why Be Angry About Something That’s Already Gone?

It’s another mess. It’s not your fault, but you’re dealing with it. It’s another rude person— representing a company you are paying money to—who doesn’t seem to get how this is supposed to work. It’s another example of disrespect, or bias, or plain discrimination. It’s precisely the kind of thing that pisses you off.

So you’re angry. It shouldn’t be like this. It doesn’t need to be like this. When will it stop?

The Stoics have an answer. It might not be the one you want to hear, but it’s an answer. The answer is that this will stop soon. It always does. Everything does.

As Marcus Aurelius writes in Meditations:

Keep in mind how fast things pass by and are gone — those that are now, and those to come. Existence flows past us like a river: the ‘what’ is in constant flux, the ‘why’ has a thousand variations. Nothing is stable, not even what’s right here. The infinity of past and future gapes before us — a chasm whose depths we cannot see. So it would take an idiot to feel self-importance or distress. Or any indignation, either. As if the things that irritate us lasted.

This is one of the reasons the Stoics were big advocates of “the pause” (which we talk about in our Taming Your Temper course). Yes, this thing is angering you right now. But the truth is that it will be gone soon enough. And so will you for that matter!

Life is short. Do you want to spend it being upset? Most problems resolve themselves. Most bad news is followed, eventually, by good news. Most frustrations lessen with time. Use that to your advantage. Don’t give them more substance and permanence than they deserve. Go with the flow.

Don’t be angry. It’s pointless.

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

Jaksot(2917)

Is Anxiety Playing Tricks On You?

Is Anxiety Playing Tricks On You?

You’ll likely know Charlamagne Tha God as the host of the nationally revered radio show The Breakfast Club where provocative celebrity interviews help drive the daily national conversation about issue...

30 Loka 20182min

The Present Is Pleasurable Enough

The Present Is Pleasurable Enough

On one of his more arduous hunts, after days of patiently tracking (and weeks of planning before that), crawling through the dirt and enduring difficult conditions, Theodore Roosevelt finally got the ...

29 Loka 20183min

We Are So Soon Forgotten

We Are So Soon Forgotten

A few miles outside Rome, along the still-smooth stone-paved Appian Way, is a tall brick tomb that is rumored to belong to Seneca. Unfortunately, no one is certain if this rumor has any truth to it. T...

26 Loka 20183min

Time Doesn’t Make Everything Better...It Just Makes Them What They Are

Time Doesn’t Make Everything Better...It Just Makes Them What They Are

When we get dumped or we fail or we lose someone, we often hear that “Time heals all wounds” or some such remark, all of it in consolation. Obviously this is meant well, but it’s also frustrating--if ...

25 Loka 20182min

Be Severe Only With Yourself

Be Severe Only With Yourself

One of the things that separates us from other people--indeed that has been responsible for our success--is our ability to be strict and self-disciplined. Where other people are fine making excuses or...

24 Loka 20182min

We All Have The Same Nature

We All Have The Same Nature

Robert Greene’s five international bestsellers earned him descriptions like genius and master of human behavior. His newest book was just released. The Laws of Human Nature is the culmination of his l...

23 Loka 20183min

We Take The Bitter To Get To The Sweets

We Take The Bitter To Get To The Sweets

“The hunter worthy of the name always willingly takes the bitter if by so doing he can get the sweet, and gladly balances failure and success, spurning the poorer souls who know neither.”Theodore Roos...

22 Loka 20182min

How To Be A Winner and a Loser

How To Be A Winner and a Loser

Michael Lombardi is a former NFL coach, GM and front office strategist who is largely responsible for introducing Stoic philosophy to professional sports. In 2014, he read The Obstacle is the Way and ...

19 Loka 20183min

Suosittua kategoriassa Liike-elämä ja talous

sijotuskasti
mimmit-sijoittaa
rss-rahapodi
psykopodiaa-podcast
ostan-asuntoja-podcast
herrasmieshakkerit
rss-rahamania
rahapuhetta
rss-seuraava-potilas
rss-merja-mahkan-rahat
rss-40-ajatusta-aanesta
rss-bisnesta-bebeja
rss-20-30-40-podcast
rss-draivi
rss-strategian-seurassa
rss-porssipuhetta
rss-lahtijat
rss-levosta-kasin-yrittajyys
rss-paasipodi
rss-inderes