JOURNAL OF THE STOIC GYM

STOIC SKILLS
Chasing the right rabbits
Concentrating amid distraction
Doing the present work
Using logic to avoid fallacies
Making use of obstacles
Choosing a diet
Living until dying

Magazine for modern Stoics

THE STOIC VOLUME 3 1ISSUE 3 MARCH 2021 MARCH 2021

Dr. Chuck Chakrapani
Editor-in-Chief
THE STOIC
Journal of The Stoic Gym
Volume 3 Issue 3
March 2021
© The Stoic Gym, 2021
Published by TheStoicGym.com
Issued free online
Subscribe here
Follow us on
www.TheStoicGym.com
twitter @thestoicgym
Facebook: The Stoic Gym
BACK ISSUES
The Stoic Gym does not carry back
issues of THE STOIC. They may,
however, be obtained from
Magzter.com:
https://bit.ly/3aVVmeY
THE STOIC
THE STOIC
JOURNAL OF THE STOIC GYM
HOW TO CHASE THE RIGHT rabbits
John Bogle , founder of the
Vanguard Group, one the world’s
largest mutual fund companies, has
this to say about how we live
ineffectively: We chase the ‘wrong
rabbits’, things that don’t matter,
instead of going after the ‘right
rabbits’, things that do matter.
I challenge myself as to whether the
rabbit I’ve been chasing all these long
years is real. Because the way we look at
success – wealth, fame, and power – is
generally the wrong way.
There are plenty of people who are
chasing real rabbits, like doctors, poets,
artists, and teachers. ... If you are not
chasing the right rabbit, then make sure
to find the right one. – John Bogle
The Stoic rabbits
How about us? Are we chasing the
right rabbits or the wrong ones?
The Stoics taught us that there are
only four rabbits worth chasing:
wisdom, courage, justice, and moderation.
No other rabbit is worth chasing.
There is nothing inherently wrong
with wealth, fame, and power. But
when we pursue them at the
expense of ‘real rabbits’, our life
stops flowing smoothly.
Chasing the right rabbits is not just
a matter of intention, It is also a
matter of developing the skills
required. Translating knowledge into
skills is not an easy task.
Knowing vs. acting
We can read all we want about Stoic
wisdom. But, when rubber meets
the road, when we are actually
facing a life situation, how do we
2 MARCH 2021
apply the wisdom that we learned?
This is nowhere near as simple as it
may sound. The gap between what
we know and how we act can be
wide.
Can Stoic skills help?
Consider situations like these:
• When we see an ad that goes
something like, “Introducing the
iPhone XYZ-154353 Ultra:
the newest way to call, text, and take
pictures,” do we recognize in
ourselves a surge of desire that
clouds the fact that we already have
a phone that does all these things?
How do we counter our desires that
are on auto-pilot? How do we
identify the fallcies in our thinking?
• Because of Covid, we are confined to
our homes, where diversions abound.
How do we concentrate on our work
and help our children concentrate on
theirs?
• There are so many things clamouring
for our attention. What do we do?
When do we do them? Did the
Stoics say anything that will help us
here?
• We want to practice virtue. But then
we face many impediments to
practicing virtue. How do you turn
impediments into opportunties for
practicing virtues?
• Diet seems to have become an
obsession with us. Vegetarianism?
Veganism? But is the diet we choose
anything to do with Stoicism?
• Many of us are worried about
dying. We are afraid of death. How
do we develop the skill of lving until
dying?
If we view Stoicism as a guide to
living the good life, we should also
expect Stoicism to provide some
Continued... Next page
From the previous page
guidance in situations like the ones
described above. Even though we are
familiar with the principles of
Stoicism, when we read an ad and get
carried away with desire, do we have
the skill to recognize it for what it is
and moderate our desire? This is where
the Stoic skills, the main theme of this
issue of THE STOIC, come in.
Skills require practice
We cannot develop Stoic skills by
reading about them. We need to
practice them. So the purpose of this
issue is to draw your attention to the
relevance of Stoicism to the problems
we face in our daily lives.
Stoicism is a rational way of thinking.
Stoic skills are not a set of rules to live
by. but a means of appplying Stoic
principles to everyday situations.
For example, should you be a vegan or
not? There is no single Stoic answer to
this question although there is a Stoic
thought process to guide us in making
our decision. What we end up doing
may depend on our motives and the
context. What is expected of us is the
rational application of Stoic prinicples.
Only one thing matters
It does not matter what your actual
action is. Whatever it is, by itself it
does not matter. What does matter is
why you made the decision. Your
judgment matters. Your rationality
matters. In the final analysis, Stoicism
is resting on your own rationality, not
on external things. No action in and of
itself is good or bad. What matters is
our interpretation of the impressions
we receive, the skill of judging them
the right way.
You should never praise or blame someone for
an action that may be good or bad, but for the
reasons for his action – their judgment about
it. Judgments are unique to each individual
and they are what make one’s action good or
bad. – Epictetus, Discourses 4.4 (lightly
paraphrased)
Only one thing matters: your
judgment. As long as it is rational, the
right actions follow. This is the most
basic of all Stoic skills.
Chuck Chakrapani

LIMITED TIME FREE EBOOK OFFER

ABOUT THE BOOK
During the Fall-Winter 2020 season, two modern Stoics,
Tim LeBon and Chuck Chakrapani, exchanged a series of
letters on modern Stoicism. Which ancient Stoic concepts
are still useful? Which ones are not useful? Their letters
explored the following topics:
• What are the cobwebs and gems of Stoicism?
• What did Stoics think about God?
• Is their idea of God still relevant today?
• Do we have to accept determinism to be a Stoic?
• Is Stoic physics really necessary?
• What about Epicureanism?
• Is the universe really benevolent?
• Is the universe a living thing?
• Does the universe embody wisdom?
This book is an edited and expanded version of those
conversations with references added. If you are interested
in Stoic philosophy as it applies to modern life, you may
want to read this book.
ABOUT THE AUTHORS
Tim LeBon is an accredited CBT psychotherapist,
counsellor, and Stoic Life Coach in private practice in
London (UK) and one of the founders of Modern
Stoicism.
Dr. Chuck Chakrapani is the editor of THE STOIC
magazine and the author of more than fifteen books on
Stoicism, including Unshakable Freedom and How to be a Stoic
When You Don’t know How.

GET YOUR FREE EBOOK HERE.

Paperback is available from Amazon:
https://amzn.to/3qWC5TC

THE STOIC 3 MARCH 2021

 S T OIC
SKILLS
HOW TO CHASE THE RIGHT RABBITS . 2
Chuck Chakrapani
PLUS
obstacles as opportunities TO PRACTICE .5
Jonas Salzgeber
Housekeeping .11
Fun with fallacies .6 General information
Sharon Lebell
stoic every day .12
The present work .7 Stoic thoughts for every day
Piotr Stankiewicz of the month

CONCENTRATION IN A WORLD OF DISTRACTION .8 Stoic fellowships .14

Meredith A. Kunz Stoic groups around the world

Veganuary (2) .9 Stoic publications .16

Kai Whiting Our books on Stoicism

Be alive until you die .10 The stoic advisory board .22
Seneca

THE STOIC 4 MARCH 2021

 THE SKILL OF MAKING USE OF OBSTACLES
Obstacles as opportunities
– for practicing virtues
Every annoying person is a chance for patience,
kindness, and forgiveness. Every challenging
situation is a chance for perseverance and
hard work.
Pain and Provocation: Great
Opportunities for Virtue
For every challenge, remember the resources
you have within you to cope with it.
Provoked by the sight of a handsome man or
a beautiful woman, you will discover within
you the contrary power of self-restraint.
Faced with pain, you will discover the power
of endurance. If you are insulted, you will
discover patience. In time, you will grow to be
confident that there is not a single impression
that you will not have the moral means to
tolerate. – Epictetus, Enchiridion, 4
Thanks to Ryan Holiday’s book The
Obstacle is the Way, many aspiring
Stoics are aware of Marcus’ famous
line,
The impediment to action advances action.
What stands in the way becomes the way.
Meditations, 5.20
We can turn seeming adversity into an
advantage by using it as practice. As
warrior-philosophers, we use these
situations to practice being the best
we can be.
While other people see adversity as
bad, as something preventing them
from achieving their goals, we
recognize the opportunity for growth
and flip it around – we see
opportunity where they see evil.
Disease is not an impediment
to the will
“Disease is an impediment to the
body, but not to the will, unless the
will itself chooses,” explains
THE STOIC
Epictetus.
Lameness is an impediment to the leg, but
not to the will. – Enchiridion, 9
Epictetus had a lame leg, and he
decided to look at it as an impediment
to the leg, not the mind. Pain and
sickness, too, are to the body, not the
mind. We must not allow to be taken
over by self-pity. Such a self-indulgent
response will only increase our
suffering.
Instead, we want to remember that
pain can be an opportunity to test and
improve our virtue. We can practice
patience and endurance – two noble
strengths.
Marcus agrees,
Who is there to prevent you from being good
and sincere? We have the inborn power to
choose our actions and craft our character. So
display those virtues which are wholly in your
own power – integrity, dignity, hard work,
self-denial, contentment, frugality, kindness,
independence, simplicity, discretion,
magnanimity. – Meditations, 5.5
We can display so many great qualities
without any excuse. The only thing
that can hold us back is ourselves,
because our mind is always available.
Making use of every obstacle
Just like nature can take every obstacle
and turn it to its purposes, says
Marcus, so, too, a rational being can turn
each setback into raw material and use it to
achieve its goal. – Meditations, 8.5
We should start with small things, says
5 MARCH 2021
Epictetus. If we have a headache, we
can practice not to curse. If it’s
abusive words, we can practice
patience. And he underlines that if we
complain, we must make sure not to
complain with our whole being.
Let’s remind ourselves that every
minor accident that happens to us
presents an opportunity to practice
virtuous behavior. Every headache is a
chance not to curse. Every attractive
person is a chance for self-restraint.
Every annoying person is a chance for
patience, kindness, and forgiveness.
Every challenging situation is a chance
for perseverance and hard work.
Awareness of the present moment
Finding opportunities to practice our
virtues requires a certain awareness in
the present moment. When we’re
unaware, we’re quick to judge a
seeming adversity as such and won’t
be able to turn it around. Unless… we
can find a mindful moment and
become able to step back from the
judgment, test it, and respond as we
wish to. With our chosen virtue.
Which situations often cause a
troubled mind in your own life?
Do you find a way to practice your
virtues when you’re in a similar
situation next time?
Jonas Salzgeber of jonas@njlifehacks.com is
the author of The Little Book of Stoicism.

“The Ancient sage Booboo Baba
described the healing powers of
celery and skunk dung poultices.”
THE SKILL OF USING LOGIC
Fun with fallacies
Logic, Physics, and Ethics are Sto-
icism's main divisions. By studying
and practicing the teachings within
these categories, we become better
‘doctors of our own souls’, thereby
moving us closer to well-lived lives.
Rational thinking
Modern Stoics often emphasize Sto-
icism’s ethical dimension, but we also
know Stoics put great stock in the
power of reason and the importance
of its continual development. Think-
ing clearly improves the quality of our
judgment, and it parts the fog when
we scrutinize our perceptions, mo-
tives, and behaviour.
Rational thinking is the bulwark
against the seductions of unexamined
popular beliefs fostered by propa-
ganda or the fervor of the herd.
Clear-thinking individuals provide in-
surance that groups of which they are
a part will not succumb to tyrants.
Social media vs. Thinking skills
With the growing prevalence of social
media, our traditional understanding
of credibility and authority based on
expertise, specialized knowledge,
THE STOIC
demonstrated merit, or relevant expe-
rience has been muddled. Keeping our
thinking skills well honed is more im-
portant than ever. Reason is how we
distinguish truth from falsehood, the
important from the trivial, the worthy
from the unworthy. Though we are en-
dowed with reason, it must be trained,
because we are equally endowed with
emotions that are easily swayed.
Keeping thinking muscles toned
One of my favorite ways to keep
thinking muscles toned is by studying
fallacies. Fallacies are tricks of logic or
language that help a claim be passed
off as something it isn’t. The motiva-
tions of those who commit fallacies
can be anywhere from innocent to
wickedly manipulative. Fallacious
thinking, speech, and argument pull
our attention away from truth. So, the
ability to spot fallacies is as handy as it
is intellectually and morally essential.
The bifurcation fallacies
Here are a few of my favorite falla-
cies: The stunningly common Fallacy
of Bifurcation. This fallacy sets up an
‘either/or’ framework to distract from
6 MARCH 2021
other alternative options. A classic ex-
pression of the FofB is ‘If you aren’t
with us, you’re against us’. Or, ‘There
are two types of people in this world:
those who dream big and therefore
win versus those who think small and
therefore live the small lives they de-
serve’.
Concealed quantification fallacy
One more: Concealed Quantification.
CQ is found in statements made
about a class that sometimes are
about all of its members, but some-
times about only some of them, and
it’s not clear which is referred to. Ex-
ample: “Contractors don’t finish on
time or on budget.”
Age-related fallacies
Finally, two common age-related falla-
cies we run into all the time are the ar-
gumentum ad novitam and the argu-
mentum ad antiquitam. The first fos-
ters the mistaken belief that the new-
ness of something contributes to its
soundness or value. ‘Introducing the
iPhone XYZ-154353 Ultra: the new-
est way to call, text, and take pictures’.
(Please ignore your current phone
which does those things fine.)
The second equates oldness with
truth or value. ‘The Ancient sage Boo-
boo Baba described the healing pow-
ers of celery and skunk dung poul-
tices for removing the body’s impuri-
ties’.
Strengthen your reason and have
some fun with fallacies!
Sharon Lebell is the author of The Art of
Living: The Classic Manual on Virtue,
Happiness, and Effectiveness, the first mod-
ern interpretation of Epictetus’ teachings. She
Tweets@SharonLebell.

THE SKILL OF DOING THE WORK
The present work
As long as you are alive there will always be
time to have a shot at betterment. That
time is right now.
Only the present is
under our control
My piece last month was focused on
one of the key applications of the
Dichotomy of Control. I
demonstrated how the Dichotomy
divides the axis of time into three
parts which are separate and not
equal: the past, the present, the
future. They are not equal for all
sorts of reasons, the most stoic of
which is that only the present is
under our control. From this follows
the Stoic advice to immerse ourselves
in the present moment fully and with
no mental reservations.
This reasoning applies to all our
activities, mundane and metaphysical,
but perhaps most importantly it
refers to work. There are many types
of work in human life, including
work we must do, the work we
pretend to be doing and which we
intend to do, and finally the work we
are actually doing. Whatever the
particulars are, all our work has one
in thing common. It all happens in
the same moment in time. It only
happens now, in this present
moment.
Don’t get distracted
This is the common recommenda-
THE STOIC
tion of all coaches, self-development
authors, and entrepreneurial writers
of every hue. Don’t get distracted.
Avoid overt multitasking. Focus on
the present work and on what you
can get done at this very moment.
This is the only way to get any
results. Not through daydreaming
about the past, not through
mooning over the future, but
through the task at hand.
This approach is hardly surprising,
of course. It is still important
though and the Stoic perspective
provides it with meaningful backing.
It’s not just a random piece of
wisdom. Instead, it follows directly
from the Dichotomy of Control
which in turn rests on the deep
metaphysical assumptions about
human condition and agency.
‘Work’ is not just your job
In Stoicism the concept of work is
not limited to a job which pays, i.e.,
to what we do to earn a living. It is
certainly relevant here (stoic
applications have been proven to
boost productivity indeed) but more
importantly it refers to the more
subtle and intimate sense of the
term ‘work’. It refers to what we do
to turn ourselves into better persons.
7 MARCH 2021
Or better Stoics, if you will.
This process is daily, perennially
unpaid, and never-ending work in
which we are always on our own.
Also, it needs to be mindful and
purposeful. As Seneca puts it,
money may come to us by an
unexpected inheritance, while fame
can be brought by a random twist of
fortune (particularly true in the
social media culture). Yet virtue
never comes to us unless we earn it.
And there is only one way to do so –
by continuous work on self-
improvement.
Our work is never in vain
The perk of it is that it is never in
vain. In this trade we can never be
alienated from the outcome of our
work. After all, I work on myself so
who is there to strip me from what
I have earned? Contrary to other
walks of life, here I will never be
separated from the gains I have
gotten. Moreover, as long as I put a
proper Stoic lens to it, I will always
be able to make some actual
progress. The key is quite simple. I
needn’t aim at achieving some lofty
level of moral perfection. Instead, I
need to humbly focus on bettering
myself just a bit. This is fail-safe
since there is always room to try to
become a little better.
Now is the time
And when is the time for it? There
will be no surprises here. The time is
always available. Regardless of the
circumstances, no matter what one’s
condition, as long as you are alive
there will always be time to have a
shot at betterment. That time is
right now.
Piotr Stankiewicz, Ph.D., has authored
Manual of Reformed Stoicism and
other books. He can be reached at
mikolaj.piotr@gmail.com

THE SKILL OF CONCENTRATION
Concentration in a World of
At-Home Distraction
Every minute of every day
Concentrate every minute... on doing what’s
in front of you with precise and genuine
seriousness, tenderly, willingly, with justice.
And on freeing yourself from all other
distractions. Yes, you can—if you do
everything as if it were the last thing you
were doing in your life, and stop being
aimless, stop letting your emotions override
what your mind tells you, stop being
hypocritical, self-centered, irritable. –
Marcus Aurelius, Meditations 2.5 (lightly
paraphrased.)
What is the meaning of “concentra-
ting every minute on doing what’s in
front of you” in a time when
everything we’re doing – our work,
school, meals, sleep, and leisure – is all
taking place inside our homes?
The impact of COVID-19
Here in California, the COVID-19
lockdown continues as the pandemic
has reached new heights in the winter
months. A few restrictions have
loosened recently, but in general,
many, many of the activities of daily
life are still limited to the home.
The situation is making it harder to
stay focused and tune out distractions,
especially as it drags on long-term.
THE STOIC
Do with
“genuine
seriousness,
tenderly,
willingly”
Even though we have little enticement
to go out to activities outside our
homes, and we’re saving time by not
commuting or driving around our
kids, my friends and I often talk about
how hard it is to get things done these
days – especially things that require
mental effort.
Separating your non-work
from work life
In general, people working from
home have a difficult time separating
their work life from their non-work
life. Everything is ‘in front of ’ us,
literally. At any hour of the day, we
could be working. Or eating. Or
watching the news, or streaming
binge-worthy content. Or taking a
nap. Everything is co-mingling, and
it’s taking extra self-control to keep
things apart, organized, and on track.
This matters, because one of the key
causes of job burnout is the lack of
separation between work and non-
work, according to productivity
experts. They recommend covering
your workstation after a certain hour
to avoid the temptation to work more.
Separating roles into different times
of day is critical to avoid overwhelm.
8 MARCH 2021
All this is especially tough if you have
children who are not attending in-
person school or childcare due to the
pandemic: You have a built-in,
potentially overwhelming distraction
in your home. The younger the kids,
the more this is true. In my case, my
children are a high schooler and
middle schooler now, and pretty
independent. But even they need help,
encouragement, and human
interaction as we approach the one-
year anniversary of remote-only
school.
After my formal workday on my
laptop is done, I’m homework helper
and cheerleader. I’ve learned more
about medieval Persian decorative arts
than I ever thought possible
(surprisingly, it’s covered in our public
middle school curriculum!).
Though this is diverting me from my
other informal work demands, I want
to be supportive of kids suffering
from a lack of social interaction…
kids who are trying to concentrate
long enough to learn what their
teachers require from them in remote
school, and to get an education in
challenging times.
Doing things as if they
were our last
Marcus’ warning to do things as if
they were our last would be too
daunting for children. But it certainly
puts things in perspective for us as
adults. And for me, it helps me define
the things I can tune out – the
distractions I decide not to pursue –
and separate out the competing jobs/
responsibilities in my life. This helps
narrow down my focus to those
things I can do with “genuine
seriousness, tenderly, willingly”.
Meredith A. Kunz is a Silicon valley-based
writer. You can follow her on her website
www.thestoicmom.com or @Thestoicwoman
on Twitter

Tje
eating meat is
‘bad’ or ‘good’
THE SKILL OF EATING RIGHT
Veganuary (2)
No diet is virtuous or vicious
In Part 1, I introduced the idea that
one could use Stoic principles to
decide whether a plant-based diet, or
at least a less meat-heavy diet, was an
appropriate action. My main point
was that there is no vicious or
virtuous particular diet per se.
It is anti-Stoic to rank diets
In Part 2, I want to highlight that it
would be anti-Stoic to rigidly rank
diets from great to terrible.
After all, and within reason, what
would be ‘great’ for someone would
be ‘terrible’ for others. For example,
while nuts are largely seen as healthy
fibrous sources of nutrition, people
with nut allergies would die from
eating them!
In the same way, and if we consider
the Stoic virtue of self-control, we
know that eating excessively (greedily)
is a vicious action. However, it is not
Stoic to decide that everyone should
eat no more than 2,500 kcals per day.
Some people are less active and need
less food while others partake in
extreme sports or undertake heavy
labouring jobs and need more. In
THE STOIC
It is not as
simple as
stating that
short, there is no perfectly virtuous
Stoic diet for everyone everywhere.
However, diet is not just about what
we choose to eat (and how much) but
also how we choose to produce it, as
Musonius Rufus makes clear:
The earth repays most beautifully and justly
those who care for her, giving back many
times what she receives… Only someone
decadent or soft would say that agricultural
tasks are shameful or unsuitable for a good
man… To me, this is the main benefit of all
agricultural tasks: they provide abundant
leisure for the soul to do some deep thinking
and to reflect on the nature of education –
Musonius Rufus, Discourses Lecture 11,
1-3 (as translated by King, 2010) .
Musonius obviously believes that
farming in a careful, considerate, and
conscientious way is beneficial to the
soul. It is thus difficult to reconcile
aggressive farming practices, which
involve the mass slaughter of
uncared-for animals with the “deep
thinking” and the nourishing of the
soul that Rufus promotes.
Furthermore, the common practice
of tearing away a calf from its mother
is contrary to ‘oikeiosis’, the process
of extending moral consideration to
others beyond ourselves.
9 MARCH 2021
Avoiding cruelty
Given that oikeiosis is a process we
share with other animals, any action
that cruelly prevents a calf from
developing their own understanding
of what it means to be a cow (or bull)
and part of their own herd cannot be
anything short of vicious (especially
as it is so unnecessary).
In this respect, there is considerable
weight to an argument in favour of
removing meat from our diet, unless
we can be certain (based on the facts)
that the animals that provided us with
meat or milk were cared for and
treated appropriately as living beings,
as opposed to mere commodities.
Not a simple decision
That said, it is not as simple as stating
that eating meat is ‘bad’ or ‘good’.
Instead, we must ask a deeper
question: Is this animal being raised in
a way that I would consider to be
appropriate or reasonable?
If the answer is ‘no’, then I would
argue that while a particularly meaty
dish might nourish your body, it
cannot possibly be nourishing your
soul. And, in which case, our choice
to eat (or abstain from) meat does
make the moral difference. Because
while we may not be raising animals
ourselves, we are indirectly
responsible for the way they are
treated. After all, we do (for the most
part) have control over whether we
choose to spend our money on meat
that is produced by the kind of
farmer that Musonius Rufus would
praise, or in their absence choose to
forgo meat and milk altogether.
Kai Whiting is the author of Being
Better: Stoicism for a World Worth
Living In. He a researcher and lecturer in
sustainability and Stoicism based at
UCLouvain, Belgium. He Tweets
@kaiwhiting and blogs over
at StoicKai.com

The worst of all is
to leave the ranks
of the living
before dying
THE SKILL OF BEING ALIVE UNTIL WE DIE
Key ideas
1. Sometimes circumstances can place us in
miserable conditions.
2. We can be free even in an oppressive society
and be oppressed in a free society.
3. The most important thing is not to leave
the rank of the living before dying. However,
we must adjust what we do based on
circumstances.
Living in miserable times
Could you find any place more
miserable than Athens when it was
being torn to pieces by the thirty
tyrants? [Thirty tyrants were oligarchs
who ruled Athens during the
Peloponnesian war around 404 BCE.]
They killed thirteen hundred citizens,
all the best men. They did not leave
after this. Their cruelty was sustained
by its own momentum.
In the city that had the most revered
court, the Court of the Areopagus,
THE STOIC
Be
Alive
until
you
die
where there was a Senate, and a
popular assembly like the Senate, there
met daily a miserable crew of
butchers. The unhappy Senate House
was full of tyrants. Could that city, in
which there were as many tyrants as
there were onlookers, reach a state of
peace? People could not even be
offered any hope of regaining their
liberty. They could see no room for a
remedy in such a mass of evil. Where
was this unhappy city to look for
enough people like Harmodius [one
of the three men who plotted to kill
the tyrant Hippias] it would need to
slay so many tyrants?
Being free among cruel masters
Yet Socrates was in their midst,
offering comfort to the city fathers in
their grief and encouraging those who
despaired of the republic; he
admonished the rich, who were now
afraid that their wealth would be their
ruin, showing late repentance of their
10
greed. He moved about as a great
example to those who wished to copy
him because he walked a free man
among thirty masters. Yet this was the
man Athens itself put to death in
prison. Freedom could not tolerate
the freedom of the one who had
mocked an entire group of tyrants.
Being deprived of freedom
by the free
From this, you may learn that a wise
person can make his mark even when
oppressed. And that, even in a
prosperous and flourishing city, willful
imprudence, jealousy, and a thousand
other cowardly vices reign. We must,
therefore, expand or contract our
efforts depending on how the state
accommodates us or circumstances
dictate. But, in any case, we should
continue to move and not become
frozen by fear. No, the best person is
one who, though danger threatens on
every side and weapons and chains
rattle the path, will not damage or
conceal their virtue. To keep oneself
safe does not mean to bury oneself.
Leaving the rank of living
before dying
I think that Curius Dentatus [a
Roman general around the third
century BCE] said it right when he
said that he would rather be dead than
to live like a dead person. The worst
of all is to leave the ranks of the
living before dying. Yet it is your duty,
if you happen to live at a time when it
is not easy to serve the state, to
devote more time to leisure and
literature. It is like making a
dangerous voyage: you may, from time
to time, make for harbour and set
yourself free from public affairs
without waiting for it to do so.
Think about this
The worst of all is to leave the ranks of the
living before dying.
This is an excerpt from Stoic Tranquility
(https://amzn.to/3doERNk) which is a
plain English version of Seneca’s On
Tranquility.
MARCH 2021

The stoic gym
Visit our new website
https://thestoicgym.com/
For everything Stoic
Over the past several months, we have
been redesigning our website in an
effort to make it the single most useful
website for Stoic practitioners. While
the website does offer articles that
relate to Stoic theory, our main
emphasis is on practice: What can I do
now to lead a better life?
The basic website is complete now. In
the coming weeks and months we will
be adding more features to the site.
Read any article ever published
All the articles ever published in the
THE STOIC magazine are on the site.
You can read them in pdf or text form.
You can print any article that you want
to save.
Search any article by author or topic
All articles are in a searchable database.
You can search the articles either by
topic or by author. Save or bookmark
anything that interests you for future
reference.
Read ancient texts in modern English
You can find here the entire Discourses
by Epictetus rendered into plain
English. You can also find other
THE STOIC
ancient Stoic writings.
Read our blog
Our blogs are mostly about how to use
the Stoic principles to lead the good
life. Most of our blogs are not about
esoteric Stoic theories. They are about
how you can use the Stoic principles
right away to lead a better a life.
Read book reviews
From time to time we review new
books on Stoicism. They’re here.
Get free books
You can get free books such as The
Good Life Handbook (Epictetus
Enchiridion) and A Fortunate Storm
(history of ancient Stoicism).
Find a Stoic group
If you want to find a Stoic group that
may be around where you live, you will
find it on our website.
Find Stoic exercises
Many Stoics use mental exercises to
practice Stoicism. We have many such
exercises for you here.
Please visit https://thestoicgym.com/
and let us know what you think.
11
housekeeping
Disclosure
THE STOIC digital magazine is entirely
funded by The Stoic Gym and is
distributed to subscribers free of cost.
The Stoic Gym underwrites all expenses
associated with the production and
distribution. The Stoic Gym neither
solicits nor accepts donations.
Affiliate links
Amazon links in this magazine are
affiliate links. If you purchase anything
from Amazon using these links, you will
not pay anymore, but The Stoic Gym will
receive a small commission, contributing
to the cost of producing THE STOIC.
Copyright
Feel free to use and disseminate any idea
expressed in THE STOIC. However, you
may not reproduce any article (or a
substantial part thereof) without prior
permission from THE STOIC. All
materials are copyrighted and are subject
to copyright laws.
Views of columnists
THE STOIC is a curated publication.
This means we do take care that what
goes into the magazine meets our quality
standards. However, within reason,
columnists are free to express their
opinions. So any opinion expressed in the
magazine should be treated as that of the
columnist and not of THE STOIC.
Back issues
We do not carry back issues of THE
STOIC. However, they may be obtained
from Magzter.Your comments and
suggestions are most welcome. Please
feel free to comment on the magazine, its
contents, quality, etc. We may publish
your comments from time to time. Please
address all your comments to
thestoic@thestoicgym.com.
Writing for THE STOIC
THE STOIC is a carefully curated
publication. If you would like to
contribute an article to THE STOIC,
please keep the following in mind. The
articles should be applied in nature,
should not be longer than 550 words, and
must be written in plain English. All Stoic
quotes should be fully sourced (e.g., Not
“Marcus Aurelius, Meditations,” but
“Marcus Aurelius, Meditations 7.11)
MARCH 2021
 STOIC EVERY DAY
STOIC THOUGHTS FOR
EVERY DAY OF THE MONTH
1 10
Whenever you receive any disturbing news, keep this thought What does someone’s evil have to do with you? [Epictetus
ready at hand:The news cannot affect anything that is of your D3.18]
choice. [Epictetus D3.18] 11
2 If the crew belittle the captain or patients their doctor, then
You don’t have to have an opinion about anything. Nothing whose authority would they accept? [Marcus Aurelius 6.55]
needs to upset you. [Marcus Aurelius, M6.52] 12
3 Let your senses encourage reason to look for the truth and
Respect only yourself, feel confident in your spirit, and order draw its first principles from it. [Seneca, H8]
your life as to be ready for good or bad luck. [Seneca, H8] 13
4 But whether you are condemned or acquitted is someone else’s
It is never the case that one person does something wrong and business. It is also that person’s evil. [Epictetus D3.18]
someone else suffers harm. [Epictetus D3.18] 14
5 Things have no power to force you to have an opinion about
Pay careful attention to what people say. Try your best to them. [Marcus Aurelius, M6.52]
understand where they are coming from. [Marcus Aurelius, 15
M6.53]
Where agreement and unity are, there must the virtues be. It is
6 the vices that are at war with one another. [Seneca, H8]
Let not your confidence be without knowledge and your 16
knowledge without commitment. [Seneca, H8]
Whenever you go astray, if you are so inclined, blame yourself
7 for it. [Epictetus D3.19]
Your job is to defend yourself strongly, respectfully, and without 17
anger. [Epictetus D3.18]
How many came into this world with me! How many of them
8 have already left! [Marcus Aurelius, M6.56]
What is not good for the beehive is not good for the bee. 18
[Marcus Aurelius, M6.54] Even though virtue may give us pleasure, we don’t practice
9 virtue for that reason.Virtue does not give us this but gives us
this in addition. [Seneca, H9]
Once you have decided, stand by it and do not erase your
principles. [Seneca, H8]

THE STOIC 12 MARCH 2021

 STOIC EVERY DAY
STOICFOR
STOIC THOUGHTS THOUGHTS
EVERY DAYFOR
OF THE MONTH
EVERY DAY OF THE MONTH
19
If you remember that nothing except your own judgment can
cause you to become disturbed or confused, then I swear to
you by all the gods that we’ve made progress. [Epictetus D3.19]
20
To a person with jaundice, honey tastes bitter.To a person bitten
by a mad dog, water looks terrifying. To a child, a ball is a great
treasure. Why should I be angry with anyone, then? [Marcus
Aurelius, M6.57]
21
Pleasure is neither the reward for nor the cause of virtue, but it
comes with it. We don’t choose virtue for pleasure, but virtue
gives pleasure when we choose it. [Seneca, H9]
22
Even when we are all grown up, we resemble children.After all, it
is being a child to be uncultivated in matters of culture,
unschooled in matters of literature, and uneducated in matters
relating to the art of living. [Epictetus D3.19]
23
No one can stop you from living according to the laws of your
personal nature. Nothing can happen to you against the laws of
universal nature. [Marcus Aurelius, M6.58]
24
Would you like to know what I seek from virtue? Virtue itself.
Nothing is better. Virtue is its own reward. [Seneca, H9]
25
The good and the bad come from ourselves, not from things
external to us. [Epictetus D3.20]
26
People try to please miserable folks.They pursue miserable ends
in miserable ways. How quickly time covers everything! How
many has it covered already! [Marcus Aurelius, 6.59]
THE STOIC 13
27
You devote yourself to pleasures, I check them.You indulge in
pleasure. I use it.You think it is the highest good. I don’t even think
it’s good.You do everything for the sake of pleasure. I do nothing
for its sake [Seneca, H10]
28
If I form the right idea about poverty, or disease, or not holding
office, isn’t that enough for me? Will it not help me? How then do
you expect me to seek for good any longer in external things?”
[Epictetus D3.20]
29
What is evil? The same thing you have seen before. Remind
yourself that you have seen this many times, like you have seen
many other things. [Marcus Aurelius, 7.1]
30
I do not call a person wise who is overcome by anything, let
alone pleasure. How can those who are immersed in pleasure
guard themselves against toil, danger, want and all the problems
that surround and threaten their lives? How will they bear the
sight of death or of pain? [Seneca, H11]
31
But what is the reality? You accept these ideas as far as the door
but no one takes them home with them.All at once you are at
war with your servants, your neighbours, and those who laugh
at you. [Epictetus D3.20]
Notes
D = Discourses
M = Meditations
H = On Happiness
MARCH 2021
 STOIC FELLOWSHIPS AROUND THE WORLD

AUSTRALIA
Austraila/NZ Stoa Antipodea https://www.facebook.com/groups/1278346425530552
Brisbane Brisbane Stoics https://www.meetup.com/en-AU/Brisbane-Stoics
Darwin Darwin Stoics https://www.facebook.com/groups/275041669844912/?ref=share
Perth Perth Practicing Stoics https://www.facebook.com/groups/PerthPracticingStoics/
Queensland Stoicism Sunshine Coast https://www.meetup.com/en-AU/Stoicism-Sunshine-Coast/
Victoria Melbourne City Stoics https://www.meetup.com/Melbourne-City-Stoics/

AUSTRIA
Linz Stoa-Linz/Austria philopraxis-holzinger.com

BRAZIL
Arcaju Estoicismo Artesanal aldodinucci.blogspot.com
Brasilia Stoa Brasil (Online) https://bit.ly/stoabrasil

CANADA
Edmonton Alberta Stoa https://www.meetup.com/Edmonton-Stoic-Philosophy-Meetup/
Vernon Okanagan Stoics https://meetu.ps/c/40LR2/FRpdl/d
Winnipeg Stoicism Winnipeg www.stoicismwinnipeg.com

CHILE
Sanitago Via Estoica @viaestoica (Instagram)

DENMARK
Copenhagen Copenhagen Stoa https://www.facebook.com/groups/CopenhagenStoa

FINLAND
Helsinki Stoa Finlandia https://www.facebook.com/groups/432794020635132

FRANCE
Sélestat Stoa Gallica stoagallica.fr/

GERMANY
Aschen Aachen Stoics https://www.meetup.com/Aachen-Stoics-Group/
Berlin Berlin Stoics https://www.meetup.com/Berlin-Stoics/
Bonn Rheinland Stoiker http://www.stoiker.net/rheinland-stoiker/
Frankfurt Frankfurt Stoics https://www.meetup.com/de-DE/Frankfurt-Stoics/
Hannovar Live! - Stoics´ Hangout Hannover https://www.meetup.com/de-DE/hannover-stoics/

INDIA
Delhi Delhi Stoics https://www.meetup.com/DelhiStoics/

IRELAND
Ireland Stoics of Ireland https://www.instagram.com/theirishstoic/

ISRAEL
Tel Aviv-Yalo Stoa Tel Aviv-Yalo https://www.facebook.com/groups/stoatelaviv

JAPAN
Japan Tokyo Stoics meetup.com/Tokyo-Stoicism-Meetup-Group/

MEXICO
Mexico City Estoicismo Practico https://www.facebook.com/groups/478740189519819/?ref=share
Mexico City Estoicismo Mx https://www.facebook.com/groups/353876228954911

NETHERLANDS
Utrecht Stoics the Netherlands https://mailchi.mp/395a8fa8a177/stoics-the-netherlands

THE STOIC 14 MARCH 2021

NORWAY
Online Norway Stoics https://norwaystoics.com/norway-stoics/
Oslo Oslo Stoics https://norwaystoics.com/oslo-stoics/
Stavanger Stavanger Stoics https://norwaystoics.com/stavanger-stoics/
Trondheim Trondheim Stoics https://norwaystoics.com/trondheim-stoics/

RUSSIA
Moscow Moscow Stoa https://www.facebook.com/groups/russianstoa
Moscow Stoicism21 https://vk.com/stoicism21

SOUTH AFRICA
Pretoria Pretoria Stoics facebook.com/PretoriaStoics

SPAIN
Barcelona Stoa Barcelona https://gettogether.community/stoa-barcelona-escuela-de-filosof%C3%ADa-estoica-en-espa%C3%B1a/
Madrid Habitum Vitae https://habitumvitae.wordpress.com/
Madrid Stoa Madrid https://stoamadrid.home.blog/

UAE
Dubai Dubai Stoics https://www.meetup.com/Dubai-Stoic-Meetups/

UK
Cambridge Cambridge Stoics https://www.meetup.com/Cambridge-Stoics/
Cardiff Welsh Stoics https://www.facebook.com/groups/1038557303271294
Edinburgh The Scotland Stoics https://sites.google.com/view/the-scotland-stoics/home
London London Stoics https://www.meetup.com/London-Stoic/
Manchester Manchester Stoics https://m.facebook.com/groups/398232340356000/?ref=bookmarks
Saltash Saltash Stoic Fellowship https://www.facebook.com/groups/saltashstoicfellowship
St. AlbansSt Albans Stoic Philosophy Group https://www.facebook.com/groups/StAlbansStoics

USA
Arizona
Tucson Tucson stoa Contact Vanida Revell: vrevell5@gmail.com
Arkansas
Fayetteville Fayetteville Stoicism Meetup https://www.meetup.com/Fayetteville-Stoicism-Meetup-Group/
California
East Bay Redwood Stoa https://redwoodstoa.wordpress.com
Fremont remont Stoa https://www.meetup.com/Fremont-Stoics/
Los Angeles Los Angeles Stoics www.losangelesstoics.com
Monterey Monterey Stoics https://www.meetup.com/Monterey-Stoicism-Meetup-Group/
Coloroda
Denver Denver Stoics https://www.meetup.com/Denver-Stoics/
Florida
Daytona Beach Stoics of Daytona Beach Meetup.com/stoics
Orlando Orlando Stoics https://www.meetup.com/Orlando-Stoics
Tampa Tampa Stoics Meetup.com/tampa-stoics
Illinois
Chicago Second City Stoics https://meetu.ps/c/4xNnn/sq9y/a
Iowa
Des Moines Des Moines Stoics https://www.meetup.com/Des-Moines-Stoics/
Massachusetts
Boston New England Stoics www.Nestoics.org
Michigan
Pleasant Ridge M1 Stoa https://stoa-woodward-corridor.mailchimpsites.com/
Minnesota
Minneapolis Minnesota Stoics https://www.meetup.com/Minnesota-Stoics/
New York
New York City New York City Stoics https://www.meetup.com/New-York-City-Stoics/
New York City Stoa Nova NYC https://www.meetup.com/Stoa-Nova/
Ohio
Delaware The Midwest Virtual Stoa https://www.meetup.com/The-Midwest-Virtual-Stoa/
Oregon
Portland PDX Virtual Stoa https://www.pdxstoa.club/signup
Pennsylvania
Philadephia Philadelphia Stoics https://www.meetup.com/Philadelphia-Stoics/
Texas
Houston The Houston Stoics https://www.facebook.com/groups/222407908310848
Utah
Orem Wasatch Stoics https://www.facebook.com/groups/wasatchstoics
Vermont
Burlington Vermont Stoics https://www.meetup.com/Burlington-Stoicism-Group/
Washington
Bellingham Bellingham Stoics https://www.meetup.com/Bellingham-Stoicism-Meetup/
Washington, DC
Washington, DC Stoics of Washington, D.C. https://www.facebook.com/groups/1317763334903291
Wisconsin
Milwaukee Milwaukee Stoic Fellowship https://www.meetup.com/MKE-Stoic-Fellowship/

THE STOIC 15 MARCH 2021

 Unshakable freedom
How to free not matter what
Achieving unshakable freedom
How can we achieve total personal freedom when we have
so many obligations and so many demands on our time? Is
personal freedom even possible? Yes, it is possible, said the
Stoics and gave us a blueprint for freedom. The teachings
were lost but have been rediscovered in recent times and
form the basis of modern cognitive therapy.
In his book, Unshakable Freedom, Dr. Chuck Chakrapani
outlines the Stoic secrets for achieving total freedom, no
matter who you are and what obstacles you face in life. Using
modern examples, Chuck explores how anyone can achieve
personal freedom by practicing a few mind-training
techniques.
The book is built around six big ideas:
Problems are only problems if you believe they are.
Leave your past behind.
Don’t let the indifferents rob your freedom.
Where there is fear, freedom is not.
You can never lose anything because you don’t own anything.
Life is a festival. Enjoy it now.
Contents of this book
1. Freedom is a choice
2. What the Stoics knew that we don’t
3. Be free to enjoy every sandwich
4. Be free of the past
5. Be free of the emotional roller coaster
6. Be free of fear
7. Be free of future anxieties
8. Be free to enjoy the festival of life
9. The Stoic model of freedom
10. Where did Stoicism come from?
11. Unshakable freedom: Reality or fantasy?
THE STOIC
12. Freedom and physical fitness
13. Freedom and mental fitness
Each main chapter of this book concludes with an exercise
aimed to reinforce what you have learned that you can
practice in your daily life.
What others are saying about this book
One of the best books on Stoicism
“This book is probably one of the best introductions to
Stoicism that I’ve read. I think it’s very well-written. The
philosophy seems crystal clear and the use of examples from
various famous philosophers and modern role models makes
it engaging and easy to read. I really think Chuck has a way of
expressing Stoic ideas that’s very clear and concise. I would
definitely recommend that people who are new to the subject
start with a book like this...I’m not sure how he managed to
cover so much ground so well in so few pages but he did, and
I find that very impressive...Chuck’s book is a page-turner that
gives you more bang for your buck. Sorry to have wasted your
time but it’s probably easier to read than my review to be
honest! I know that if I can persuade someone to read this –
and they should – then they’ll probably get through it in a few
hours, enjoy the whole thing, and come away with an accurate
and workable idea of Stoic philosophy. So please do just go
and read it.”
Donald Robertson, Author How to Think Like a Roman Emperor
A wonderful book
“If you want to apply [the Stoic principles] right away, it is a
wonderful book for that. This will help a lot of people. This is
a gateway book.”
Dr. Gregory Sadler, Sadler’s Honest Book Reviews
Choose this book
“Chuck Chakrapani reveals for modern eyes what the ancient
Stoics knew: True freedom comes from choosing wisely.
Here’s an aligned piece of advice – choose this book.”
Robert Cialdini PhD, Author Influence
Get your copy here!
16 MARCH 2021
 HOW TO BE A STOIC
WHEN YOU DON’T KNOW HOW
Learn the fundamentals of
Stoicism in ten short weeks
A UNIQUE 10-WEEK COURSEhelp those ould l
Whether you are new to Stoicism or have been
practicing Stoicism for a while, this course is for you.
We believe that, to be a Stoic, first you need to have a
systematic understanding of Stoicism. Second, even
more important, you have to practice it systematically.
This course aims to (1) teach the basic principles of
Stoicism in simple English with modern examples; and
(2) provide systematic exercises so you can practice
what you have learned. This course strips Stoicism of its
nonessential components and concentrates only on the
most important principles that are relevant to our
everyday life.
CAREFULLY DESIGNED
The course is designed to help those who would like to
understand and practice the fundamentals of Stoicism,
but are hard pressed for time. This unique course put
together by The Stoic Gym ia a special 10-week self-
study training course, carefully designed to teach the
essence of Stoicism.
Each week’s lesson starts with a big idea, followed by a
discussion of how it works in practice, supported by a
Stoic exercise to reinforce it, and a Stoic quote.
HOW DOES THE COURSE WORK?
The course has ten lessons, one for each week.
� Each lesson starts with an explanation of a critical
Stoic concept and how it applies to your daily life.
� Three specially selected readings from modern and
ancient Stoics follow this.
THE STOIC
� In the third section of each lesson, you are given a
carefully created exercise for the week so you can
apply your understanding to your daily life.
� You are given a quote to repeat throughout the day
for each day of the week.
WHAT WILL YOU LEARN?
Here is what you will learn in ten weeks:
� The foundational principles of Stoicism
� Four special skills we need to practice Stoicism
� Three disciplines we need to develop
� How to live a Stoic life
� How to enjoy the festival of life
By the time you finish the course, you should have a
solid understanding of the foundations of Stoicism. You
will know how your judgments create all your problems,
how to avoid them by living in accordance with nature,
how to use the principle of dichotomy to live effectively,
why you need to practice the four virtues—wisdom,
justice, moderation, and courage—and how to practice
the three disciplines: assent, desire, and action.
You will know how to apply what you have learned to
your daily life. And, most importantly, you will learn how
to enjoy the festival of life! Because this is a self-study
course, you can learn at your own pace. This course was
very carefully designed by The Stoic Gym to enable you
to learn all the fundamentals quickly and easily.
Get your copy of the course today! https://amzn.to/2PioGFc
ndamentals of Stoicism, The Stoic Gym has put
together a unique 10-week self-study training
course carefully designed to teach the essence of
17 Stoicism. MARCH 2021
Each week’s lesson starts with a big idea, followed
 RECENT releases
BE FOREVER ANGER FREE!
STOIC BOOK OF ANGER
(SENCA’S ON ANGER IN PLAIN ENGLISH)
Stoic Book of Anger is the plain English version of Seneca’s classic trilogy, On
Anger. Seneca’s On Anger is probably one of the best books ever written on
the subject. It is a detailed analysis of anger: what causes it, what price we
pay for it, and how we can be totally free from it.
Seneca warns us that “NO PLAGUE HAS DONE GREATER HARM TO
HUMANKIND.” He had firsthand experience with anger, having faced the
wrath of three Roman Emperors: Caligula, Claudius, and Nero.

STOIC BOOK OF ANGER

1. ANGER: CAUSES & CONSEQUENCES
Volume 1 of Stoic Book of Anger, encompassing the first two books of
On Anger, explores the causes and consequences of anger.
• What causes anger?
• Why is anger destructive?
• Does anger serve any useful purpose?
• Can we completely get rid of anger?
• How can we manage anger?

In the second companion volume, Seneca provides specific strategies

to control and eliminate anger from our lives. If you are ever
bothered by your anger (or the anger of others) you cannot afford
not to read this Stoic classic. Get your copy now!
.

STOIC BOOK OF ANGER

2. HOW TO BE ANGER-FREE
In Volume 2, which covers the third book of On Anger, Seneca
answers questions like:
• Why we should avoid anger
• How to stop anger arising
• Historical examples we should avoid
• Historical examples we should follow
• What strategies you should adopt to be completely anger-free

If you are ever bothered by anger — either yours or others’ — you

cannot afford not to read this Stoic classic.
Get your copy now!

THE STOIC 18 MARCH 2021

 Stoicism in plain english
Ancient Stoic texts in modern English
The complete works of epictetus (5 volumes)
Stoic Foundations
(Discourses Book 1)
Stoic Foundations revolves around 10 themes
which are also repeated in other places
throughout Discourses. These are:
• Concern yourself with only what is in
your power
• Be content to let things happen as they
do
• Your thinking, not the externals, drives
your behaviour
• Do not place value on external things
• Don't give in to your anger or animal
instincts
• You can handle anything; always act
your best
• Learn to think properly and logically
• Practice, not knowledge, results in
progress
• Only you can make you happy
Stoic Choices
(Discourses Book 2)
Stoic Choices discusses some of the choices
open to us:
• What should you act upon: External
things or internal things?
• When should you choose to be
confident and when to be cautious in
making decisions?
• What should you protect: Your
inherent qualities or qualities that are
not inherent to you?
• Is there a choice between knowledge
THE STOIC
•
and action?
Is there a choice between knowledge
and anxiety?
•
•
Should you study logic? Why?
Choose to be faithful.
•
•
Choose habits that fight impressions.
Show yourself to be worthy.
• Choose to be skillful.
Stoic Training
(Discourses Book 3)
Stoic Training shows how to train ourselves
in Stoic philosophy.
• Stoic training aims to make you
excellent as a human being.
• Stoic training consists of three
disciplines: desire, action, and assent.
• Stoic training consists only of dealing
with one’s choices.
• Train your mind to want whatever
actually happens.
• Stoic training means to prepare
ourselves for the challenges to come.
• Ascetic training is unnecessary unless it
serves some purpose.
• Train to see things as they are without
adding your judgments to them.
• Your judgments are the sole cause of
your distress, because nothing outside
of you can harm you.
• Don’t imitate others without
understanding the basis of their
actions.
• Train to be at home wherever you are.
• Things are impermanent.
19
• Your goal is happiness and good
fortune.
Stoic Freedom
(Discourses Book 4)
In Stoic Freedom, Epictetus shows us how to
achieve freedom – how to be free
irrespective of what happens to us. In these
brilliant discourses, Epictetus shows us how
to be free and what a free person looks like.
• A free person is not in conflict with
anyone.
• A free person is patient.
• A free person is not envious.
• A free person is not anxious.
• A free person is pure.
• A free person is steadfast.
• A free person chooses what to reveal
about themselves and when.
Stoic Inspirations
Stoic Inspirations is the fifth book in the
Stoicism in Plain English series and
completes the works of Epictetus. It
contains Epictetus’ sayings (Fragments) some
of which are not found in Discourses, a
concise summary of Epictetus' teachings
(Enchiridion) by Flavius Arrian, inspirational
extracts (Golden Sayings) from Epictetus’
works by Hastings Crossley, and a
biography of Epictetus.
MARCH 2021
 Stoicism in plain english
Ancient Stoic texts in modern English

The complete works of marcus aurelius (2 volumes)

Stoic meditations
Stoic Meditations is the personal journal kept by the beloved
Roman Emperor Marcus Aurelius. It was never meant for
publication and yet, after his death, it has become probably
the most widely read book on Stoic philosophy. Meditations
is a deeply moving personal journal which is uplifting and
invigorating.

Aurelius the Unknown

While Meditations is one of the best-read Stoic books, not
many of us know about Marcus’ other writings: his personal
letters and speeches. For the first time ever Aurelius, the
Unknown presents all his letters and speeches in a single
volume. This volume also includes a biographic sketch and
several anecdotes from his life. A must-read for all fans of
Marcus Aurelius.

The complete works of MUSONIUS RUFUS (SINGLE VOLUME)

Stoic lessons
This is the complete works of Musonius Rufus (25-95CE), the man who taught
Epictetus. While he was very well-known and respected during his time, he is
less widely known now. He was a social activist, a proto-feminist, a vegetarian,
and a minimalist. No topic is too small or too big for him. Here are some of the
topics covered in this book:
• Women and men are equal.
• Why hardships are of little importance.
• Why everyone should study philosophy.
• Where you live or are forced to live is of no importance.
• Don’t take things personally and be personally insulted.
• Live "according to nature”.
• Live a virtuous family life.
• Live a simple life.
• Children should obey their parents, but not indiscriminately.
• If you keep practicing virtue, you don’t need anything special in your old age.
Get your copy here!

THE STOIC 20 MARCH 2021

 Stoicism in plain english
Ancient Stoic texts in modern English

The complete works of seneca (In progress)

Stoic happiness
“If you want to be happy, don't follow the crowd”, warns Seneca, one of the best exponents of
Stoicism.

Seneca was concerned about applying Stoicism to everyday life. How can we make Stoicism work for
us, so we can live happily, fearlessly, and peacefully? In this short book addressed to his brother,
Seneca addresses the problem of happiness.
• What are the basics of happiness?
• What is the path to happiness?
• How to use pleasure and not be used by it.
• Why should we ignore criticism and pursue virtue?
• How to enjoy wealth that comes our way and not be a slave to it.
https://amzn.to/36ralwL

Stoic tranquility
Inthis gentle book, Seneca explains how to achieve a tranquil life, and advises on how to be
peaceful, no matter what happens in life.
Contents.
• Why We Are Restless.
• Be Alive Until You Die.
• Match Your Tasks With Your Ability.
• Be Careful in Choosing a Friend.
• Don’t go After Possessions.
• Avoid Excess.
• Handle Life With Skill.
• Foresee Adversity.
• Avoid Useless Activity.
• Be Prepared for Disappointments.
• Avoid Stubbornness and Indecision.
• Take a Lighter View of Things.
• When Bad Things Happen to Good People.
• Relax, Practice Moderation, and Be Vigilant.
https://amzn.to/3o95QOx

Stoic atlas
This short volume is an indispensable reference for modern Stoics. It covers the following topics:
• The Geography of Ancient Stoicism * The Geography of Modern Stoicism
• The Timeline of Ancient Stoicism * The Timeline of Modern Stoicism
• Stoicism in Words, Pictures, and Numbers
• The History of Ancient Stoicism * The History of Modern Stoicism
• An Outline of Ancient Stoicism * An Outline of Modern Stoicism with pictures of Stoic sites
(both ancient and modern) and photographs of the Modern Stoic movement.
Both the online and the print editions are in full colour, beautifully produced.
Get your copy now! https://amzn.to/2Wd8s1O

THE STOIC 21 MARCH 2021

 Alkistis Agio, Greece Elizabeth Azide, USA Flora Bernard, France Elen Buzare, France

Chris Gill, UK Liz Gloyn, UK Meredith Kunz, USA Sharon Lebell, USA

Tim LeBon, UK Anthony Long, USA Gregory Lopez, USA Antonia Macaro, UK

Ron Pies, USA Massimo Pigliucci, USA Donald Robertson, Canada Greg Sadler, USA

THE STOIC
ADVISORY
BOARD

Andi Sciacca, USA John Sellars, UK Editor-in-Chief

Chuck Chakrapani

THE STOIC 22 MARCH 2021