STOIC STRATEGIES.

Each and every new day as a new chance and opportunity towards experimenting with new life and living strategies, new stoic strategies:

The first thought:

Treat yourself like a rare plant. You are not equivalent to anyone else, but yourself.

This means–

You are not bound to by the ‘normal’ rules and ethics of society.

Treat yourself carte blanche.

1. Become more obedient

The first thought:

Nietzsche tells us that the soldier and commander share a common thing (The Will to Power on Discipline and Training) — the ability to obey, and the ability to command.

A simple thought:

Know when it is wise to be obedient, and know when it is wise to command.

For example, if you know the pet peeves of your wife, become more obedient towards your wife. If anything, it is a cowardly and base thing to disobey your wife for the sake of it.

However, also know when to obey and command. To only be obedient for your whole life is a slave mentality. To also have a master and commander mentality, you also must know when to lead, and command.

A simple life heuristic I’ve pioneered for myself:

99% of the time be obedient (blindly), yet for the 1% for what is truly important and essential to you … be insanely (extremely) stubborn.

2. Don’t speak your mind for at least 48 hours

A mental buffer:

When you feel injustice, or anger … wait 48 hours before responding.

Why? The hormonal rush of anger (adrenaline, nonephrine, other stress hormones) is not ‘rational’. All things considered, better to become colder and more rational, less emotional and irrational.

A heuristic from Nassim Taleb (the bed of procrustes):

If over time you become MORE angry, you’ve been dealt injustice, but if over time you become less angry, you’re the one who dealt the injustice.

And ultimately, it doesn’t even matter whether it was ‘just’ or ‘in-just’. What is better–

Act in a way in which you consider majestic, grand, and non-petty.

3. Barbell

Another thought:

99% of the time, be uber-zen, but if push comes to shove … then let your 1% of your anger unleash.

For example, if people want to fuck with you, that is fine. But when it comes to matters of people fucking with your loved ones or people you care for, you must defend your loved ones. You must know when to be a defender, an avenger.

4. Don’t attack your loved ones

This is a big thing:

You, your wife, and your kid(s) are a single unit, a battalion or squad/army.

Why would you attack and weaken those who are part of your own party?

For example let us say that your family squad is like a Diablo II squadron. You are the Paladin, your wife is the Javazon, and your child is like the mini fire golem. Would you attack and take away the HP or the Mana from your wife, when the goal is all of you to level-up, in order to fight the bosses (Baal, etc).

STOICISM 101

Become invincible:

The Stoic Masters

Marcus Aurelius

Learn from the master stoics:

See all philosophy >