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November 27th

THE PLEASURE OF TUNING OUT THE NEGATIVE

“How satisfying it is to dismiss and block out any upsetting or

foreign impression, and immediately to have peace in all things.”

—MARCUS AURELIUS, MEDITATIONS, 5.2

he Stoics were mercifully spared the information overload endemic to
today’s society. They had no social media, no newspapers, no
television chatter to rile them up. But even back then, an undisciplined
person would have found plenty to be distracted and upset by.
Part of the Stoic mindset then was a sort of a cultivated ignorance.
Publilius Syrus’s epigram expresses it well: “Always shun that which
makes you angry.” Meaning: turn your mind away from the things that
provoke it. If you find that discussing politics at the dinner table leads to
fighting, why do you keep bringing it up? If your sibling’s life choices
bother you, why don’t you stop picking at them and making them your
concern? The same goes for so many other sources of aggravation.
It’s not a sign of weakness to shut them out. Instead, it’s a sign of strong
will. Try saying: “I know the reaction I typically take in these situations,
and I’m not going to do it this time.” And then follow it with: “I’m also
going to remove this stimulus from my life in the future as well.”
Because what follows is peace and serenity.