the daily stoic

P December 3rd THE PHILOSOPHER AS AN ARTISAN OF LIFE AND DEATH “Philosophy does not claim to get a person any external possessio ...

T December 4th YOU DON’T OWN THAT “Anything that can be prevented, taken away, or coerced is not a person’s own—but those things ...

P December 5th THE BENEFITS OF SOBERING THOUGHTS “Keep death and exile before your eyes each day, along with everything that see ...

T December 6th THE SWORD DANGLES OVER YOU “Don’t behave as if you are destined to live forever. What’s fated hangs over you. As ...

W December 7th THE CARDS WE’RE DEALT “Think of the life you have lived until now as over and, as a dead man, see what’s left as ...

W December 8th DON’T HIDE FROM YOUR FEELINGS “It’s better to conquer grief than to deceive it.” —SENECA, ON CONSOLATION TO HELVI ...

T December 9th SPENDTHRIFTS OF TIME “Were all the geniuses of history to focus on this single theme, they could never fully expr ...

P December 10th DON’T SELL YOURSELF TOO CHEAPLY “I say, let no one rob me of a single day who isn’t going to make a full return ...

L December 11th DIGNITY AND BRAVERY “As Cicero says, we hate gladiators if they are quick to save their lives by any means; we f ...

A December 12th THE BEAT GOES ON “Walk the long gallery of the past, of empires and kingdoms succeeding each other without numbe ...

T December 13th IT’S JUST A NUMBER “You aren’t bothered, are you, because you weigh a certain amount and not twice as much? So w ...

F December 14th WHAT WE SHOULD KNOW BY THE END “Soon you will die, and still you aren’t sincere, undisturbed, or free from suspi ...

T December 15th A SIMPLE WAY TO MEASURE OUR DAYS “This is the mark of perfection of character—to spend each day as if it were yo ...

A December 16th EVERLASTING GOOD HEALTH “I tell you, you only have to learn to live like the healthy person does... living with ...

S December 17th KNOW THYSELF—BEFORE IT’S TOO LATE “Death lies heavy upon one who, known exceedingly well by all, dies unknown to ...

I December 18th WHAT COMES TO US ALL “Both Alexander the Great and his mule-keeper were both brought to the same place by death— ...

T December 19th HUMAN SCALE “Think of the whole universe of matter and how small your share. Think about the expanse of time and ...

T December 20th FEAR THE FEAR OF DEATH “Do you then ponder how the supreme of human evils, the surest mark of the base and cowar ...

from your fears to your pain receptors to your worries and your remaining wishes, they will perish with you. As frightening as d ...

H December 21st WHAT DO YOU HAVE TO SHOW FOR YOUR YEARS? “Many times an old man has no other evidence besides his age to prove h ...