Born around 50 AD in Hierapolis, Phrygia (modern-day Pamukkale, Turkey), Epictetus came into the world as property of another man. Even his name ‘Epictetus’, derived from the Greek word “ἐπίκτητος” meaning “acquired,” reflects his slave born status. His early life serves as a reminder that despite overwhelming circumstances, each of us can rise from darkness and contribute powerful and lasting ideas to the world. Epictetus served under Epaphroditos, a powerful freedman who was the secretary to Emperor Nero. While the specifics of this relationship remain largely unknown, it’s clear that Epa ..read more

“Why” is one of the most important questions that anyone can ask, and can continue to ask, in daily living. The simple three-letter word provides the magnifying glass that looks into why we do what we do, why we say what we say, and why we believe what we believe. With the demands of modern living, and the exposure to innumerable influences both in person and via your smartphone, it can become extremely easy to get sucked into patterns that come not from ourselves, our own sources of reason, but from external sources. From the big questions in life to the extremely mundane, we should take t ..read more

At some point today, you will likely feel the jolt of anger. It might be on your commute home when someone cuts you off in traffic, or during an unpleasant interaction with your boss. Anger, in a primal sense, is a defense mechanism. It accelerates us to action during emergencies or ignites us with the courage to defend those closest to us. But it is also a trap. Rather than observe our emotions during small inconveniences and daily mishaps, we are instead consumed by anger. And while our circumstances have evolved, ancient Stoic insights on managing and understanding anger remain as releva ..read more

In the context of modern culture, the ego is often very partially defined as “big-headedness” or feeling superior or inferior to what you actually are. However, this is just one aspect of the entire functioning of the ego. A fuller definition of the ego would be the belief and feeling that “I am this body or I am in this body, living separately and independently of everyone and everything else.” This belief is the fundamental definition of the ego. Once a belief is so widely accepted and left uninvestigated, it seems to become real. It is a belief that exacerbates itself through internal an ..read more

If you have ever lived away from home, maybe for a job, for college or university, you might have experienced a pretty terrible roommate one time or another. In fact, you may be unfortunate enough to have had a good few of them. Maybe they never did their dishes, left mess everywhere, locked themselves in their room. Or, they were never in their room. They were just always… there. Chances are, as soon as living arrangements permitted or the opportunity arose, you got them out of your life as soon as you could, and never looked back. Yet many of us have found ourselves living with a roommate ..read more

Stoicism, an ancient philosophy originating from Greece, is finding its way back into the limelight of modern culture. Yet, as with many teachings that are revived or repurposed for contemporary audiences, Stoicism is often misinterpreted, leading to misconceptions that are starkly different from its core principles. Stoicism’s revival in modern discourse, while a testament to its value, has led to a series of modern-day misunderstandings. As the philosophy gets distilled for social media soundbites and casual conversations, nuanced principles are often oversimplified or misinterpreted. Bel ..read more

One extremely interesting life experiment to try is, at least for a little while, to act as if you have already arrived at your destination, not as if you have somewhere else to get to or to be. To act as if there is nothing to do or accomplish at all, if only for a few moments. Underlying most of our motives in daily living, is the unease and anxiety that there is somewhere else we need to be that isn’t here. Even when you’ve completed your work for the day or have a particularly quiet day with no urgent tasks, you might be familiar with the “something doesn’t seem right” sensation or the ..read more

In the heart of the Roman Empire, in what’s now modern-day Spain, Lucius Annaeus Seneca was born in 4 BC. This child, known to us now as Seneca the Younger, would grow to become not only a leading figure of Stoicism but also an enduring symbol of the power of intellectual curiosity and perseverance through hardship. Seneca’s early years were steeped in exploration and intellectual pursuits. Relocating to Rome as a child, he immersed himself in rhetoric and philosophy, a common educational path for high status Roman families. Under the guidance of charismatic teacher Attalus, Seneca’s mind w ..read more

One of the most popular thought experiments is to imagine if you were told that you had one month or only a few weeks to live. What would you do? How would you spend your time? It’s likely that you would do a lot of things. There would be some lifelong dreams fulfilled, bucket list items ticked off and no doubt lots of quality time spent with friends and family. But what about 2 days to live? This is a much different thought experiment to the more conventional timeline. It is also potentially much more practical and life-changing. After all, being told that you have one month or only a few ..read more

Epictetus once asserted, “An unexamined life is not worth living.” If we’re living in the world without reflecting and meditating on our actions and virtues, we’re missing an opportunity to live a more integrated and meaningful life. For the Stoics, writing and reflection was less of a “practice”, and more of a daily necessity. When we write, we engage with ourselves and find the important lessons from each day. The Guiding Principle The focus of Stoic journaling lies in reflecting on what’s within our control, accepting external events as they occur, and developing our virtues in response ..read more