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Stoicism for Work
Work is a steady training ground for the things Stoics cared about: doing what is in front of you well, not outsourcing your calm to outcomes, and treating colleagues as fellow travelers. Focus on the task, not the applause.
Stoic ideas for this
“Waste no more time arguing about what a good person should be. Be one.”
Marcus Aurelius · Meditations
“If it is not right, do not do it; if it is not true, do not say it.”
Marcus Aurelius · Meditations
“First say to yourself what you would be; and then do what you have to do.”
Epictetus · Discourses
“Philosophy is not a skill for display, but a discipline for living.”
Musonius Rufus · Lectures
Put it into practice
A Stoic tool is only useful if you actually use it. Try this small loop the next time work shows up:
- Name it plainly. Say what is happening without the story you are adding on top of it.
- Split what’s yours from what isn’t. Invest your energy only in the part you can actually choose.
- Do one small thing. A single deliberate action today beats a week of intending to.
Related ideas
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