If you were a giant, could an ant hurt you?

Of course not.

Logically, only things which are bigger, and stronger than us can hurt us.

Yet why do we let others harm us? That would be admitting that others are stronger than us.

You have a skin of steel

Nobody is stronger than us. You have a colossal mind, which nobody can penetrate. You have a skin of steel. Can the insults of others penetrate your skin? No, they will just bounce off your steel skin, like little play-things.

Nobody is stronger than you

To let the insults or actions of another is to admit that you are weaker than them.

Do you want to admit that?

Hell no. Because it isn’t true.

You can always control your interpretation of things

Know that you can never be hurt by the opinion of someone else. Only you can give yourself the permission to be hurt by someone else. Because it isn’t the actions of others who hurt us, but our interpretation of their actions which hurt us.

Can we let the movement of someone’s hands, the movement of their mouth, or the movement of their head disturb us? No— that makes no logical sense.

Yet how many of us get offended by the middle-finger, insulting words, or having people turn their head away from us.

Be strong friend, don’t let those weaker than you hurt you.

Always,
Eric

Learn more: Stoic Philosophy >