stoicism – Friends of Words

If You Desire to be Good, Begin by Believing that You are Wicked – Epictetus

a portrait of philosopher epictetus where he looks back with his face resting on his palm

I was roaming in the neighborhood library one day, glancing through the books on the shelves to pick one for reading. I noticed that the library folks had put up some quotes from famous personalities on the walls. Francis Bacon, Newton, and Gandhi were all featured. As I head to check out my book, IContinue reading “If You Desire to be Good, Begin by Believing that You are Wicked – Epictetus”

Whenever You Are About To Find Fault With Someone, Ask Yourself The Following Question – What Fault Of Mine Most Nearly Resembles The One I Am About To Criticize: Marcus Aurelius

the quote "Whenever you are about to find fault with someone, ask yourself the following question: What fault of mine most nearly resembles the one I am about to criticize" written against a blue background

I read this the other day and felt an itch, I would grand it up a little bit by calling it a philosophical version of Hell’s itch. Suffice to say that the itch is painful. Fun fact #1 In my life so far, I am yet to meet a person that likes to be criticized.Continue reading “Whenever You Are About To Find Fault With Someone, Ask Yourself The Following Question – What Fault Of Mine Most Nearly Resembles The One I Am About To Criticize: Marcus Aurelius”

If Anyone Tells You That A Certain Person Speaks ill Of You, Do Not Make Excuses About What Is Said Of You But Answer, “He Was Ignorant Of My Other Faults, Else He Would Not Have Mentioned These Alone.”: Epictetus

the quote "If anyone tells you that a certain person speaks ill of you do not make excuses about what is said of you but answer He was ignorant of my other faults else he would not have mentioned these alone." written agains a blue background

On one of my random internet surfing days, I came across this meme: Now if you are like me, you did smile looking at it, didn’t you? What you might not have done is put up a mental roster of people that you hate enough to say this. I am no angel but I couldn’tContinue reading “If Anyone Tells You That A Certain Person Speaks ill Of You, Do Not Make Excuses About What Is Said Of You But Answer, “He Was Ignorant Of My Other Faults, Else He Would Not Have Mentioned These Alone.”: Epictetus”

Flee Sloth; For the Indolence of the Soul is the Decay of the Body: Cato the Younger

the quote "Flee sloth for the indolence of the soul is the decay of the body" written against a blue background

You know what a sloth is, right? It is a lethargic, unbelievably slow and might I say adorable animal that lives on treetops and travels 41 yards per day – less than half the length of a football field – on average. Cato the Younger, in his famous quote, urges you to “flee sloth.” DoesContinue reading “Flee Sloth; For the Indolence of the Soul is the Decay of the Body: Cato the Younger”

To Accuse Others for One’s Own Misfortunes is a Sign of Want of Education. To Accuse Oneself Shows that One’s Education has Begun

Wikipedia defines accusation as: “….is a statement by one person asserting that another person or entity has done something improper. The person who makes the accusation is an accuser, while the subject against whom it is made is the accused.” Now I do not need to be a sScientist to tell you this, but IContinue reading “To Accuse Others for One’s Own Misfortunes is a Sign of Want of Education. To Accuse Oneself Shows that One’s Education has Begun”

Do You Ask What is the Proper Limit to Wealth? It is First to Have What is Necessary and Second to Have What is Enough – Seneca’s Letter from a Stoic

the quote "Do you ask what is the proper limit to wealth It is first to have what is necessary and second to have what is enough" written against a blue background

Every time I watch the movie Crazy Rich Asians, two things happen: Thing #1 My jaws drop like an idiot. Realizing that, I brace myself, close my mouth and smile like an idiot, my eyes shine like a maniac every ten minutes (or so my people that watch it with me tell me). This continuesContinue reading “Do You Ask What is the Proper Limit to Wealth? It is First to Have What is Necessary and Second to Have What is Enough – Seneca’s Letter from a Stoic”