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This is an evolving resource of Stoicism quotes on the various situations you'll come across in life. The goal is to stick to the original texts as much as possible.

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Stoicism

Stoicism is divided into three main disciplines:

First, by means of the discipline of thought, we are to strive for objectivity; since what causes human suffering is not the things in the world, but our beliefs about those things. We are to try to perceive the world as it is in itself, without the subjective coloring we automatically tend to ascribe to everything we experience (“That’s lovely,” “that’s horrible,” “that’s ugly,” “that’s terrifying,” etc.).

Second, in the discipline of desire, we are to attune our individual desires with the way the universe works, not merely accepting that things happen as they do, but actively willing for things to happen precisely the way they do happen. This attitude is, of course, the ancestor of Nietzsche’s “Yes” granted to the cosmos, a “yes” that immediately justifies the world’s existence.

Finally, in the discipline of action, we are to try to ensure that all our actions are directed not just to our own immediate, short-term advantage, but to the interests of the human community as a whole.

Introductory reading

I recommend that any newbie to Stoicism starts with the book Unshakable Freedom, by Chuck Chakrapani. It is a quick read, and breaks the concepts down into a very easy-to-understand format.

He also has a freely available Kindle translation of The Enchiridion, called The Good Life Handbook, which I highly recommend as well.

From there, the best beginner/intermediate guide is Stoicism and the Art of Happiness by Donald Robertson.

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