The Daily Stoic

A

April   17th

NO  HARM,   NO  FOUL

“Do away    with    the opinion I   am  harmed, and the harm    is  cast    away    too.    Do  away    with    being

harmed, and harm    disappears.”

—MARCUS AURELIUS,   MEDITATIONS,    4.7

word can have multiple meanings. One usage can be harsh and another might be completely innocent.
The same word can mean a cruel slur or a pile of sticks. In the same way, something said sarcastically
differs drastically from something that was pointed and mean.
The interpretation of a remark or a word has an immense amount of power. It’s the difference between
a laugh and hurt feelings. The difference between a fight breaking out and two people connecting.
This is why it is so important to control the biases and lenses we bring to our interactions. When you
hear or see something, which interpretation do you jump to? What is your default interpretation of
someone else’s intentions?
If being upset or hurt is something you’d like to experience less often, then make sure your
interpretations of others’ words make that possible. Choose the right inference from someone’s actions or
from external events, and it’s a lot more likely that you’ll have the right response.