Manage our emotions and desires from "summary" of How To Be a Stoic by Epictetus,Seneca,Marcus Aurelius
The Stoics were adamant about the importance of controlling our emotions and desires. They believed that our emotions and desires are the root cause of much of our suffering, and that by learning to manage them, we can live a more peaceful and fulfilling life. Epictetus, for example, taught that we should strive to be indifferent to things that are outside of our control, such as the actions of others or the natural world. By focusing on what is within our control – namely, our own thoughts and actions – we can free ourselves from the tyranny of external events. Seneca also emphasized the importance of mastering our desires. He argued that desire is the cause of much of our unhappiness, as it leads us to constantly seek more and more, never being satisfied with what we have. Instead, Seneca believed that we should learn to be content with what we already possess, and not allow our desires to dictate our happiness. Both philosophers believed that by learning to manage our emotions and desires, we can achieve a state of inner peace and tranquility. This does not mean suppressing our emotions or denying our desires, but rather acknowledging them and learning to respond to them in a rational and balanced way. By cultivating this kind of emotional and psychological resilience, we can weather the storms of life with grace and equanimity.
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