สโตอิก ปรัชญาเสริมแกร่งเพื่อชีวิตไม่สั่นคลอน

by Jonas Salzgeber, Nils Salzgeber (Editor), วิไลรัตน์ เอมเอี่ยม (Translator)

หากคุณเป็นคนที่สนใจในปรัชญาต่างๆ ของโลก ไม่ว่าจะเป็น อิคิไก, เต๋า, นุนชี่, ลากอม หรือฮุกกะ คุณต้องไม่พลาดสโตอิก ปรัชญาจากกรีกที่ชาวตะวันตกกำลังให้ความสนใจมากที่สุดในตอนนี้

แม้สโตอิกจะเป็นปรัชญากรีกโบราณ แต่กับโลกยุคใหม่อันสับสนวุ่นวายนี้ หนทางที่เราจะรับมือได้อาจด้วยการนำภูมิปัญญาจากสโตอิกมาใช้อีกครั้ง เรื่องราวปรัชญาสโตอิกเป็นที่สนใจของชาวตะวันตกมาพักใหญ่ๆ แล้ว และตอนนี้ก็เริ่มแพร่หลายมาถึงโลกตะวันออก

ด้วยแนวทางที่เข้าใจง่ายและการตั้งคำถามที่สำคัญต่อการดำเนินชีวิต เช่น เราจะหาความสุขได้จากที่ไหน ความเข้มแข็งอยู่ที่ใด จะกำราบความกลัวได้อย่างไร หรือจะจัดการกับความคิดที่พรั่งพรูได้อย่างไร สโตอิกจะชวนให้คุณใช้ปัญญาและความกล้าหาญเผชิญหน้ากับปัญหาและความหวาดกลัวต่อสิ่งต่างๆ อย่างภาคภูมิ

The Little Book of Stoicism จะพาคุณไปทำความรู้จักสโตอิก ปรัชญาที่ได้รับการยอมรับอย่างกว้างขวางจากชาวกรีกทุกชนชั้น และถูกนำไปใช้เป็นหลักในการปกครองทั้งประชาชนและตนเองโดยจักรพรรดิโรมัน มาร์คัส ออเรเลียส แล้วคุณจะพบว่าปรัชญาเก่าแก่ที่พยายามสร้างชีวิตที่เต็มเปี่ยมด้วยความสุขและความหมายนั้นยังใช้งานได้ดีในวิถีแห่งปัจจุบัน

Genres: Philosophy, Nonfiction, Self Help, Psychology, Personal Development, Spirituality, Health

448 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2019

About the author

Jonas Salzgeber is an author and writes for a small army of remarkable people at NJlifehacks.com. On his quest to be the best he can be, he stumbled upon Stoicism – and got hooked. At the core of this actionable philosophy lies the goal of leading a happy life even (especially) in the face of adversity.

His practical rather than academic writing style helps people with the most important step: to put the wisdom from book page to action. Jonas shares Stoic strategies so people gain back their confidence and feel ready to deal effectively with whatever life throws at them. He's passionate about self-made dark chocolate and buttered coffee with collagen.

Reviews

[Danielle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mixed feelings on this book. The philosophy itself is interesting and I largely agree with the principles of Stoicism. The layout of the book did a very fine job of breaking Stoicism down into actionable bites; in fact, I took extensive notes in a journal so I can practice some of the points better.

UPDATE 7/24/19: I have cut my criticisms of this book and changed my review rating from two to four stars. I did this because the author, Jonas Salzgeber, contacted me directly and discussed the shortcomings, said he was editing the book and apparently has done so. He is a stand-up guy and my esteem of him came way up by the way he handled a low review. So my corrected review is this: buy this book. This kid has got it goin’ on.

[Valeriu Gherghel · Rating 2 out of 5]

Încă o confecție lamentabilă, care transformă filosofia stoică într-o sumă de rețete și îndemnuri băbești: „Alegeți curajul și calmul în locul mîniei”, „Amintiți-vă că totul este trecător”, „Faceți ce aveți de făcut”. Autorul propune 55 de exerciții „spirituale”. De pildă, exercițiul 50 cere să ne alegem cu abilitate prietenii. Mă gîndesc, totuși, că nu era nevoie nici de stoici, nici de Salzgeber, pentru a sesiza că e preferabil să ni-i alegem cu mare grijă.

Răsfoind această confecție precară, cititorii ar putea crede că filosofii stoici nu se ocupau decît de exerciții și rețete pneumatice, că nu gîndeau absolut deloc, că nu-și propuneau să discute probleme, fiindcă erau striviți cu totul de practică. Fals... Întîmplător, stoicii mai și gîndeau. Iar cînd gîndeau, gîndeau întotdeauna pozitiv. Autorul se grăbește să ne asigure că stoicii au inventat „psihologia pozitivă”. Dar și Albert Ellis se revendica de la preceptele lor. Prin urmare, ar fi fost mult mai bine dacă sublimul autor ar fi spus că stoicii au inventat absolut totul. Inclusiv, masajul, gimnastica și jogging-ul. Se știe că Seneca alerga zilnic alături de un sclav specializat în curse de maraton. Împăratul Marcus Aurelius mărșăluia pe graniță pentru a-și controla legiunile. În concluzie, stoicii au iubit mișcarea și, în cazul împăratului, și sporturile extreme.

Cartea se adresează, firește, celor care sînt ferm hotărîți să-și realizeze (prin aceste exerciții) „cea mai bună versiune a lor” (cît de elegant spus!) și să devină „războinici ai minții” (de ce nu și ai Luminii?) În acest chip, ei vor trăi „în armonie cu sinele lor real mai înalt”. În plus, cei ce vor practica exercițiile vor cunoaște o „viață de supremă fericire”. Nimic mai mult, nimic mai puțin...

Decît să vă pierdeți vremea cu produsul comentat mai sus, vă recomand să citiți cartea lui John Sellars, The Art of Living: the Stoics on the Nature and Function of Philosophy, Ashgate, 2003, 238p. E pe aceeași temă, dar a fost scrisă de un om cu adevărat competent.

P. S. Eul, sinele sînt invenții tîrzii, de la sfîrșitul Renașterii. E imposibil să știm la ce se gîndeau Seneca sau Marcus Aurelius cînd spuneau: EU.

[Vishnu Chevli · Rating 4 out of 5]

Every year while making resolution of reading activity, we specifically give % of books/pages to be read for different language/genre than our comfort zone. We also give certain % books/slot assigned to foreign authors as variation/diversity brings new ideas/information for us. Till now we have tried biographies, parenting, memoirs, business cases/concepts, even, and semi herbology, but philosophy is the first time for us. Frankly speaking, I was not aware of the word (subject) in detail when I first saw the cover & title. I did Google to get more idea. Description of the word was related to philosophy so I said yes as with just one book I can tick mark non-fiction and foreign author both. So this is how I landed up to this book.

Another reason why we selected this book was the word "The Little Book" I thought it would be a quick read. But I was proved wrong, just like the time of "Art of War" by Sun Tzu.

The first part (15-20%) covers the basic idea of what is stoicism. And why one should read this book. Those who are not sure what the book is all about can make a judgment by checking the first chapter. This section covers some ancient (Roman/Greek) preacher (yes because they observed the same values in life). It covers how the concept came into existence and how it evolved and declined during the spread of the Christian religion. Follow by that comes basic concepts explanation of some fundamental stoicism fellowship. Largely divided into two parts, what is good (positive) and bad (negative energy) and how it effect us. The gem of the book is 55 practice of stoicism. I personally liked this part most. Well, I did not agree or cannot observe all these practices, I have listed down few which I liked and would not mind following as well.
1) Accept and love whatever happens
2) Consider everything borrows from nature
3) Negative Visualization - Foreseeing bad stuff. I somehow follow this from a very young age
4) Win at what matters
5) Blame your expectation
6) Othr-ized This is something new I learned from this book
7) What do you have to show for your years?
8) Pity rather than blame the wrongdoer

These practices actually talk about real-world behavior (rather than plan theory). Many of them are situational practices as well. This part covers around 60% and I think its justified. Without them, the book might be plain philosophy 1.0 class reference book. A good point is you may skip practice if you are not comfortable with it (I skipped a few), they can be read in random order. You may skip earlier chapters and directly take these.

Overall, ignoring the slow beginning of the book is a great read.

Detailed Review Link - https://chevusread.blogspot.com/2019/...

Author Interview Link - https://chevusread.blogspot.com/2019/...

Guest post link - http://chevusread.blogspot.com/2019/0...

[Diz · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is stoicism written as a self-help book. It felt more like a sales job than an insightful book on stoicism. It's written in a jokey, breezy, and chummy manner that feels a little bit like a used car salesman trying a little too hard to be your best friend when you just want to buy a car. Also, it's incredibly repetitive--not just between chapters but from paragraph to paragraph. You'll read a paragraph that makes the exact same point as the paragraph before it.

If you're interested in stoicism, I would recommend going straight to Marcus Aurelius' Meditations. It's not too difficult to understand and you don't have to put up with the pandering that is common in self-help books.

[Tomas · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the third book I have read about Stoicism and it was completely unnecessary. I had a feeling that the Author read couple of books like the idea and wrote a book about it like it was some sort of mix between self-help and high-school essay. The book puts emphasis on the practices that you should do in order to be happier but there is a lot of repetition and motivational stuff which really puts me off. I would recommend to read (1) if you are starting (2) if you want to get serious and to read something from Seneca, Epictetus or Marcus Aurelius if you want some quotes to live by.

Book itself is not bad but I consider it quite shallow.

(1) https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/5...
(2) https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1...

[Tenzin Chemi · Rating 5 out of 5]

The practices laid out in this book is very close to what I have read in 37 verses of the practice of bodhisattvas. We need more Stoics in this world than ever before, it shows you how and why it is important to live a life that's not only honorable but healthy and fulfilling one. I did not get tired or bored while reading, it just strengthened my own beliefs. Thank you Jonas, for this little book of stoicism.

[Anthony · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received a free copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review. All opinions are my own.

In the age of the internet and growing technology, authors Jonas and Nils Salzgeber have brought the ancient philosophy of Stoicism to the modern age and have found a way to show readers how to adopt this philosophy to everyday life in their novel, “The Little Book of Stoicism: Timeless Wisdom to Gain Resilience, Confidence and Calmness”. Here is the synopsis.

The Synopsis

“How long are you going to wait before you demand the best for yourself?”
– Epictetus, Stoic philosopher
Where can you find joy? Gain strength? How should we face our fears? Deal with the death of a loved one? And what about those reoccurring depressing thoughts?
While traditional schooling doesn’t address such questions, it’s exactly what ancient schools of philosophy were all about: They taught you how to live. Even though these schools don’t exist anymore, you and I and most people are in as much need of a philosophy that guides us through life as we ever were.
This compelling, highly actionable guide shows you how to deal more effectively with whatever life throws at you and live up to your best self.
A mix of timeless wisdom and empowering advice, The Little Book of Stoicism will point the way to anyone seeking a calm and wise life in a chaotic world.

The Review

This is one of the most comprehensive and in-depth guides to Stoicism I’ve ever read. Readers will be delighted to read everything from what Stoicism is, the history of the philosophy in our world and over fifty different practices that anyone living the Stoicism philosophy can use in their daily life. They even go in depth into what negative influences often cause people to fall off of the philosophical path of Stoicism.

One of my favorite moments came from the history part of the book. As a history buff myself, it was fascinating to read about all of the infamous philosophers who adopted this viewpoint, most notably Zeno of Citium. The father of Stoicism, this philosopher’s story of moving to Athens, studying under Crates the Cynic, and developed the philosophy many know and practice today. The Ancient Greek world and it’s influence on philosophy has always been a great subject for me to study, and the author’s attention to detail in this arena blended well with the message they were getting across.

The practices the author’s give readers was great to read as well. My favorite would be practice 15: Forget Fame. This practice is so relevant in this age of digital and social media, especially as an author who’s book sales are dependent on being active via social media. While it’s important from a business point of view, from a philosophical viewpoint it makes sense to put what other’s think of you out of your mind, as it limits us and forces us to do things according to other’s standards rather than our own.

The Verdict

This is a must read for any readers who are fascinated with philosophy and in particular Stoicism. It’s incredibly detailed and delves into every aspect of not only the history of Stoicism, but the practices that will help us stay on that path. It’s a truly fascinating and one of a kind read, so if you haven’t yet be sure to grab your copy of The Little Book of Stoicism by Jonas and Nils Salzgeber today!

[Buck Wilde · Rating 4 out of 5]

Our man Salzgeber opens this cute little think piece with:
"So you went to school for twelve years, then college for four to ten more, and come out the other side realizing they didn't teach you dick about how to be alive. All you learned was math, and not even the useful tax evasion math. Well, good news. These four dead guys figured it out two millennia ago."

And from there, he rattles off the hits. Epictetus, Seneca, Musonius Rufus, and my long-time #MCM Marcus Aurelius. Here's why:

"When you first rise in the morning tell yourself: I will encounter busybodies, ingrates, egomaniacs, liars, the jealous, and cranks. They are all stricken with these afflictions because they don't know the difference between good and evil."

You can imagine him waking up and staring at his saturnine, perpetually drowsy mug in the mirror, as we all do when gripped with existential dread, then heaving a sigh. "All right, Mark. You're gonna have to see some motherfuckers today. They're not awful on purpose, they're just too stupid to know better. Good talk. Carpe diem."

We call this a meditation.

The book itself has an introductory vibe, and Salzgeber's deliberate distancing from academic language makes it a quick and pleasant read, despite the volume of content. 225 pages is no longer "little" book status, but it would be immodest to just call it "the book of stoicism", not to mention misleading since it's a conjecturing deconstruction of Salzgeber's opinions on the writings of each philosopher, interspersed with little biographical snippets to give a better understanding of why they think like they do. Besides, the official book of stoicism is basically the Enchiridion.

Salzgeber holds a high respect for the philosophy, especially as applied to hardship. Most of the latter half of the book, the "55 Practices", are rephrasings of "sometimes life sucks. Think of it as a challenge. And if you can't control it, whining won't help." I've got to assume much of this was his experience having the last name "Salzgeber".

(Fun fact: Catastrophic phonetics aside, Salzgeber is German for "Salt giver", which also describes anyone who plays competitive overwatch. This philosophy can and must be applied to placement matches.)

The book dwells on the concept of excellence as attained by virtue. The big take-home is play your part and do your best in whatever it is you're doing. Rather than making that into a middle-aged lady yard sale wooden wall-hanger quote, they called it "arete". Coupling that with contemplative acceptance of impermanance and a staunch anti-bitching policy, Salzgeber distills an otherwise complex philosophy down to a concise, almost clickbaity list of applicable tenets for living well.

I think my favorite part of the book is how he kept saying, "But don't roll up to the function and tell everyone you're stoic now. They will bully you."

[blueisthenewpink · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really liked the ideas in this book. How philosophy used to be more something like today's psychology. There is mindfulness, minimalism and modern psychology in these two-thousand-year-old ideas to guide your behaviour. (And some zen but that's not new either.)

It teaches you to care about your own behaviour and reactions and nothing else, because those are the only things in your power. Everything else is not, so you shouldn't try to control them or be upset about them, just let them go. Easier said than done of course. But aspire to be the best version of yourself is just the perfect motto together with the attitude described above.

However, I don't think I would ever want to achieve that level of detachment where I'm not horribly shaken by the death of loved ones. It just doesn't seem healthy to me. Also, contemplating my own death and the impermanence of things won't make me calm, they freak the hell out of me, so I'll just skip those, too.

Right. The thing is, repetition never bothered me in so-called 'American style' nonfiction. I do realize it is a teaching technique that helps the material to stick. So you have to paraphrase it. Say it in other words. Again and again. But only so many times and not more. „Three shalt be the number thou shalt count, and the number of the counting shall be three. Four shalt thou not count, nor either count thou two, excepting that thou then proceed to three. Five is right out.” You know the quote. For reading everything twelve times is just exhausting. After nine or ten times, it just becomes counterproductive. All right, after three or four occurences. Repeating it over and over again is just making the reader feel as if s/he's treated as a moron. Consider this paragraph. I think all of you understood what I was trying to convey in the first few sentences. Sooo what's the use of all this other stuff? (Other than that meme where can't is inflated to a six-line paragraph for a thesis.) Repetition is fine with me. A couple times. But then: enough is enough. Like, why should we still want to say the exact same message in yet another string of words? And one last time?

And now I shall check out those books by Marcus Aurelius and Epictetus sitting on my shelf, recommended so many times and still waiting to be read.

[Soňa · Rating 3 out of 5]

PODCAST is here :)
"How long are you going to wait before you demand the best for yourself?”
– Epictetus, Stoic philosopher
Where can you find joy? Gain strength? How should we face our fears? Deal with the death of a loved one? And what about those reoccurring depressing thoughts?
While traditional schooling doesn’t address such questions, it’s exactly what ancient schools of philosophy were all about: They taught you how to live. Even though these schools don’t exist anymore, you and I and most people are in as much need of a philosophy that guides us through life as we ever were.
This compelling, highly actionable guide shows you how to deal more effectively with whatever life throws at you and live up to your best self.
A mix of timeless wisdom and empowering advice, The Little Book of Stoicism will point the way to anyone seeking a calm and wise life in a chaotic world.

In this case finally 💪💪💪😆🤣😂
Ok, funny but not so funny. This took me ages.
One reason, you can't read it in one go. You can try, I didn't succeed. But I know some people don't believe so have a try yourself.
Secondly, if this should bring you the information you want reading slower is much better.
The whole book is written in an easy to follow and understandable way. The author is summarising great thoughts of stoics from ancient greek history and as well modern ones, but he can re- repeat even himself several times. As a total "newbie" you might appreciate this, but in case you read something about stoicism or by any chance had your own encounter with mindfulness you will realise that this is training material for your inpatient self 😊😉🙃
And that's as well the reason why this gets only 3 kittens, stoic ones, of horse.

First sentence: The power of philosophy to blunt the blows of fate is beyond belief...
Last sentence: Waste no more time arguing about what a good man should be. Be one.
Goodreads Challenge 2024: 77. book

[Alireza Farahani · Rating 5 out of 5]

این‌گونه می ‌نویسم که این کتاب رو با اشتیاق قصد کردم بخوانم و واقعا هم جواب خوبی گرفتم، در تمام مدت خواندن این کتاب می توان گفت تفاوتی را احساس می کردم.
عمق آموخته های این کتاب گیرایی خاصی برای متوقف شدن و فکر کردن و مرور کردن به تمام لحظاتی را که می توان به خاطر آورد را دارد.

رواقی گری یک فلسفه یا مکتب فلسفی است که فیلسوفی به نام زنون آن را مطرح کرده است. این مکتب بیش از چهارصد سال در یونان باستان و رم رونق فروان داشته است و در آستانه ی سی سالگی زندگی من برایم خواندنی شده است.

این گونه درک کردم که اصل اساسی این مکتب بر مستقل و تأثیرناپذیر بودن اراده آدمی بنا شده و این موضوع را مطرح می‌کند که هرچقدر تأثیرپذیری آدمی از اتفاقات و حوادث بیرونی خودش کمتر باشد، زندگی بهتر و سعادتمندی بیشتری را تجربه خواهد کرد.

در واقع آرزو و هدف اصلی مکتب رواقی گری این است که افراد این توانایی را داشته باشند که در هنگام مواجهه با اضطراب‌ها و دردهای طاقت‌فرسای زندگی، شجاع باشند و آرامش خود را حفظ کنند.

با توجه به شرایط انسان در عصر حاضر و افزایش میزان استرس و اضطراب در زندگی روزمره به نظر می‌رسد این مکتب و آموزه‌های آن بیش از هر زمان دیگری مفید واقع شوند و بتوانند به عنوان راه نجاتی برای بشر امروزی نقش خود را به خوبی ایفا کنند.

اضطراب و استرس و دردهای طاقت‌فرسای زندگی ما انسان‌ها همان استرس‌ها و اضطراب‌هایی هستند که در محل کار، در خانه، در روابط و موقعیت‌های مختلف تجربه می‌کنیم.

رواقیون معتقدند منشأ و عامل اصلی اکثر این دردها، اضطراب‌ها و استرس‌ها ناشی از شکاف عمیق میان ترس‌ها و امیدهایمان است؛ یعنی ما همواره در این فکر هستیم که اگر آن اتفاق بد بیفتد و ما از حالت دلخواه و مطلوب خودمان که به رسیدن به آن امیدواریم، فاصله بگیریم، چه خواهد شد؟ این نوع سؤالات ما را از نظر روحی دچار وحشت می‌کنند.

ما مدام از خودمان می‌پرسیم که اگر عزیزانمان را از دست بدهیم، چه خواهد شد؟ اگر درآمدمان قطع شود، چه خواهد شد؟ اگر حادثه بدی برایمان اتفاق بیفتد چه خواهد شد؟ اگر اقساط دوره‌ای‌مان عقب بیفتد چه خواهد شد؟ اگر اتفاق بدی در زندگی‌مان رخ دهد چه خواهد شد؟ اگر سیل و زلزله بیاید چه خواهد شد؟

این «چه خواهد شد» ها همگی نوسانی میان ترس و امید هستند. نوسانی که همچون خوره به جان روحمان افتاده‌اند و در حال از بین بردن آن هستند.

رواقیون معتقدند راه‌حل این مشکلات دست شستن از هر امیدی و راحت کردن خود است. اینکه خودمان را در بدترین حالت ممکن که از آن بی‌اندازه وحشت داریم قرار دهیم و شرایط را برای خودمان در قالب سناریو تحلیل کنیم.

پذیرش همه اتفاقات و حوادث وحشتناک و ناخوشایند باعث خواهد شد برای هر رویدادی آمادگی داشته باشیم و انتظاراتمان از زندگی تا حدی کاهش یابد و همه این رویکردها و اتفاقات به‌نوعی میزان استرس و اضطرابمان را در زندگی کاهش خواهند داد.

از طرفی اگر ما خودمان را برای شرایط مختلف آماده کنیم و کمترین تأثیرپذیری را از محیط داشته باشیم، علاوه بر اضطراب، خشم هم کمتر به سراغ ما خواهد آمد و میزان غافلگیری ما در زندگی و در برابر حوادث به میزان زیادی کاهش خواهد یافت.

از این رو بهتر است تا جایی که ممکن است، زندگی حداقلی را تجربه کنیم و مدیریت و تسلط کافی بر اراده و حالات روحی و روانی خودمان داشته باشیم تا کمترین تأثیر را از بیرون و اتفاقات ناخوشایند بپذیریم و شاید از این طریق لحظات لذت‌بخش‌تری را تجربه کنیم.

[Katta Zapatta · Rating 4 out of 5]

Es una excelente introducción a la filosofía estoica, con una lectura clara, accesible y estructurada de manera que cualquier persona, sin conocimientos previos, pueda comprender y aplicar sus enseñanzas. A través de ejemplos prácticos y consejos concretos, el libro ofrece herramientas útiles para enfrentar la vida con mayor serenidad y resiliencia. Su lenguaje ameno lo hace una opción recomendable para quienes buscan iniciarse en el estoicismo de manera sencilla y efectiva.

[Tamera · Rating 3 out of 5]

I think this is a very accessible book and worth reading if you would like a basic understanding of stoic philosophy. There were many lessons and concepts that I found highly useful, thought-provoking and absolutely worth practicing. However, I thought that what made it accessible also sometimes made it shallow, and overall, I found the 55 lessons to be very repetitive. Still happy I picked it up, but may or may not recommend.

[Shrek · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nice

[Fernando · Rating 5 out of 5]

Increíble libro que te ayuda a cambiar de manera positiva la forma en que vemos la vida y cómo nos enfrentamos a lo que esta nos ofrece.

[امیرمحمد حیدری · Rating 1 out of 5]

فلسفه‌ی رواقی هم به نردبانی برای کسانی تبدیل شده که سوار بر موج ضد انگیزشی شده‌اند. هیچ ارزشی در این کتاب نیست. خواندنش اتلاف وقت است چون عایدی ندارد. یک‌سری شعار مسخره از دل فلاسفه‌ی رواقی، همین.

[Christoffer Hagenmalm · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received a copy from the author himself with a handwritten note to me, which was super cool. I've read Salzgeber's work online, too, so this was a real treat.

The first thing that strikes me is what a good writer he is. His vocabulary alone is marvelous. But then the way he strings sentences together and makes the good old Stoics come alive is nothing short of remarkable.

Then the whole structure of the book where the first parts are about the historical background of Stoicism. And all the classic philosophers who practiced it. That sets the stage well. Then Salzgeber's own design and ways of explaining the Stoic principles through his triangle are cognitively pleasing and help the reader understand the core concepts, which is really something.

Finally, the short and punchy format once the lessons hit is so helpful and easy to digest. You can tell that Salzgeber is not out to sell his books. But instead to really, truly, and honestly teach people about the practical wisdom of Stoicism. This is the work of a true artist who is more about sharing his love of his craft than to put out more and more work with little afterthought. Salzgeber really cares about his work and the meaning his readers can extract from it, and it shows. And I loved reading it, and I am confident that you will, too.

I highly recommend that you go and check out his work because it might change your life when you're introduced to the Stoics. It sure changed my life way back when.

Personal note: Thank you so much for sending me the book, Jonas. And let me know when there's anything more to read!

[Nadja · Rating 3 out of 5]

Dies war meine erste Begegnung mit dem Stoizismus. Jonas Salzgeber hat einen einfachen Schreibstil, sodass sich das Buch leicht liest. Jedoch wurden die Dinge für meinen Geschmack zu oft wiederholt. Einige Aspekte des Stoizismus werde ich sicher versuchen, in meinen Alltag einzubringen, aber nicht in einem solchen Extrem, wie es der Autor vermitteln möchte. Besonders die Thematik Trauer (im Allgemeinen) und die Übung betreffend Übeltäter fand ich zu simpel dargestellt.

Ich lese aktuell ein weiteres Buch zum Stoizismus, das ich geschenkt bekommen habe. Je nachdem wird diese Lektüre mein Rating dann nochmals beeinflussen.

[Cesar Pinto · Rating 4 out of 5]

¡Que bonito libro!
Una pequeña guía introductoria a esta filosofía: Estoicismo.

En la primera parte de la obra, se nos relata brevemente la historia de dicha corriente filosófica, así como sus principales exponentes. Luego descubrimos los "principios básicos" definidos por el autor y también la orientación de la filosofía. En la segunda parte descubrimos 55 prácticas orientadas a su aplicación en nuestra vida. Dichas prácticas descritas en breves capítulos, sirven como guía recurrente para quienes deseamos seguir este tipo de filosofías.

Me encanto el libro. Su estructura, su facilidad de lectura y sobre todo, el permitirme conocerme mejor a través de sus páginas le otorga un lugar importante en mis lecturas de este año.

Recomendado.

[Kati · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was looking for a solid, basic overview of classical Stoicism before diving into translations of the original Roman texts. I've tried some others, but found that most authors injected too much of their personal opinions, including some that were completely antithetical to classic Stocism. So when I saw complaints that this book was 'too much like a term paper' and 'he's too young to have put his own spin on it, he's just quoting other people', my reaction was "thank goodness!"

Overall, it's a solid book. Some of his examples could be better, at least two practices are directly contradictory (#47, don't ditch people, and #50, go ditch some people), and there are a few places where he seemed to be struggling to put a principle into words, but overall it's a good introduction. I wouldn't want it to be the only book I read on Stoicism, but it was good prep before starting Seneca's Letters From a Stoic.

[ไม้ไต่คู้ · Rating 4 out of 5]

มีความรู้สึกทั้งเชิงบวกและเชิงลบกับหนังสือเล่มนี้ ในเชิงเนื้อหา ผมค่อนข้างโอเคกับแนวคิดส่วนใหญ่ของปรัชญา stoic แต่ก็มีบางแนวคิดที่ยังไม่ซื้อ เช่นเรื่องการให้ความหมายใหม่กับประสบการณ์เลวร้าย (ส่วนตัวรู้สึกว่ามันไม่ practical เท่าไหร่ แต่ขอไปศึกษาเพิ่มเติมก่อน)

ส่วนในเชิงการเขียน หนังสือมีการ restatement ซ้ำไปซ้ำมาเยอะ ซึ่งฟังเหมือนจะไม่ดี แต่ส่วนตัวรู้สึกว่าพอเขาพูดเรื่องเดิมโดยใช้ประโยคที่ต่างออกไป มันจะมีบางประโยคที่มันคลิกกับเรา ทำงานกับเรามากๆ และเอาไปใช้ได้จริง จนรู้สึกคุ้มค่ากับเวลาและเงินที่เสียไป

บอกไม่ถูกว่ามันเป็นหนังสือดีหรือเปล่า แต่มันเป็นหนังสือที่ผมจะเหน็บไว้ใกล้ๆ ตัว และหยิบมาอ่านเมื่อต้องการทำจิตใจให้มั่นคงยามชีวิตเจออุปสรรค จากที่ลองมันได้ผลดีเลยแหละ แต่ก็ไม่แน่ใจว่ามันจะเหมือนยาแก้ปวดที่ได้ผลชะงัดในช่วงแรกๆ แต่พอทำแบบเรื่อยๆ จะเริ่มดื้อยาและไม่ได้ผลรึเปล่า คงต้องให้เวลาเป็นเครื่องพิสูจน์

[Amirreza Mahmoudzadeh-Sagheb · Rating 1 out of 5]

I expected a book with a philosophical essence (something at least like the other interpretations of classical philosophical books) but it was more like a book of "self-help" genre (that I don't like at all) than what I expected.
It is full of unnecessary repetitions which I found to be really boring. Unfortunately, clichés were main part of the book.
The positive point about this book was that it had many quotes from the original stoic philosophers which made the book somehow tolerable for me.
In my opinion, the author has reduced stoic philosophy to its lowest level in order to popularize it. However, I think philosophy loses its real essence if it is expressed in this way by colloquial language. I didn't like it, but maybe others like it.

[Tracy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was written in a straightforward and easy style that demystified the philosophy of Stoicism for me. It resonated with me as much of what it said aligned with my own personal values. One of the main reasons I bought the book was to help build my emotional resilience and the practices will help me with this. This is not a book to read and forgot and I intend to keep it close at hand and reference it often. Stoicism is a way of living and this book has started me on a lifetime journey of learning and practice.

[Andreea Florescu · Rating 4 out of 5]

As I was reading this book I progressively became more chill, so I can say that it is working at least for me. It was my first book on Stoicism, and so it was a very nice introduction.

On the negative side of things, some of the examples are not necessarily relatable (like using public transportation to experience what is like to be poor - not applicable to any of the European countries that I've visited, and to the one that I currently live in), and the book heavily uses he/him, with a few mentions of she.

[Nick Upton · Rating 5 out of 5]

Helpful and interesting all the way through. Even the parts the author labelled boring and tedious himself were interesting. Something I'll keep referring back to even though I've finished reading it. Helped put a lot of things into perspective and gave me different ideas on how to deal with various situations. As someone who suffers with depression and anxiety, this book was a huge help to me and I'd honestly recommend it to anybody. If the author reads this, thank you!

[Nabil · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great book ... It’s kinda the detailed version of Rayn Holliday’s “The Daily Stoic” ... I found this book pretty much insightful on the Stoic philosophy and very practical... you can consider it as guide book to be a Stoic. I loved it. I could have given it a “five star” if there wasn’t a bit of repetitions... but as a whole, it’s acceptable sometimes...

[Anton · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you’d like to get started with stoicism, this is the book.

It is written in plain, modern English and gives brief summaries and great quotes from 4 most influential stoics. Now that I read this book, I feel like I can re-read Meditations by Marcus Aurelius and actually understand what is he talking about.

[Lu Amarilla · Rating 5 out of 5]

Desde hoy me considero una “aspirante a estoic@“

Acá voy integrando esa manera tan práctica, clara y cercana de hacer realidad estos aprendizajes.
Me encanta que las palabras puedan aplicarse así!

[Moss 慈映夢図 · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book does live up to the title. Plenty of timeless wisdom from key figures in philosophy from Rufus to Seneca etc and all as relevant as ever.

The problem is that Salzgeber shoves his own writing style around the classic quotations and it comes off like he's trying way too hard to 'level' with us. It was like being patronized by a guy in the pub or like a 1st year grad student over-explaining some pretty self-explanatory life lessons (as if he were deigned to clarify them himself). I can picture him sitting on a chair backwards trying to look pensive while he talks at you.
Perhaps I'm being too harsh... but every time I wondered that, I'd see another crude illustration and my heart would sink again. I imagine he thought he was merely breaking things down more simply - and sure his intentions were likely earnest - but to be honest, I don't think that's the hurdle people have with these kinds of teachings. They're easy enough to understand, but very difficult to master and apply regularly in life, so just referencing what they mean is an odd presumption to make and there's some higher hanging fruit to be picked here.
I'll be fair, he does give some neat advice sometimes, but I don't see the edge that his advice has over, say, my own or somebody else's. At any rate, I'd have preferred more of an insight than just a basic explanation of things. He does provide some worthwhile information regarding the timeline of certain events and how some teachers influenced others, so it's not all bad. It's just not all that good either.

Really the biggest flaw is that you can find so many other books like this. The most value it has is just an aggregation of other passages from better books, so I can't really imagine why I'd recommend this one over just going to the direct sources themselves or seeing what more accomplished and greater minds have said about the teachings.

What it comes down to could just be a matter of style. I didn't care for his much but maybe you will, so by all means if you're curious, check it out. If it feels pretty cookie-cutter after the first few chapters, you can put it down. It doesn't change.

[Farhan Khalid · Rating 4 out of 5]

Socrates’ question: How to live a good life?

The Stoics focused on applying philosophy to everyday challenges, on developing a good character and becoming better human beings who excelled in life and cared about other people and nature itself

The idea of Stoicism found its way into many writings of historical philosophers such as Descartes, Schopenhauer, and Thoreau

Seneca was born around the time of Jesus in Cordoba, Spain, and educated in Rome, Italy

Since every man dies, it is better to die with distinction — Musonius Rufus

The blazing fire makes flames and brightness out of everything thrown into it — Marcus Aurelius

Become good with your inner spirit and divine spark (daimon). Live in harmony with your highest self — Eudaimonia

Refers to the overall quality of your life, rather than a temporary mood

Seneca refers to this as tranquility – the inner peace that comes from a calm confidence in your path and trusting yourself

Eudaimonia encompasses three things: expressing your highest self, virtue, focusing on what you can control, and taking responsibility

To bear trials with a calm mind robs misfortune of its strength and burden — Seneca

Conquer your emotions by becoming stronger than them and not by eliminating them

Not about repressing emotion, but about acknowledging, reflecting, and learning

Eliminate what is not essential — Marcus Aurelius

Acting by removing is more powerful and less error prone — Nassim Taleb

Stimulus -> follow immediate impression -> impulsive, often irrational response

Stimulus -> pause to evaluate, challenge initial impression -> rational decision

Awareness robs negative emotions of their capacity to destroy

Character beats beauty

First evaluate then let the arrow fly

Focus on getting the conditions right

Don’t confuse your aspirations with how the universe should turn out

Acceptance: making the most of it, overcoming challenges, seeing them as opportunities

Resignation: giving up and allowing apathy to dictate your life

The obstacle is the way

The Four Cardinal Virtues — Wisdom, Justice, Courage, Self-Discipline

Develop a sense of kinship with the rest of mankind

Focus on what you can control is a massive confidence booster

There’s a dark gap between what you're actually doing and what you’re capable of doing

Fighting with reality; fighting with the things we cannot change is fighting with the Gods

Externals — health, wealth, and reputation

Externals are not in my power; will is in my power

Change yourself whenever you can’t change the situation

Happiness seems pretty doable, right?

Why don't we all get there with a snap of the fingers?

Life gets in the way

Our human brain is built for survival, not thriving

We lack awareness and get carried away by impressions

Just as the carpenter uses wood and the sculptor uses bronze, we use our own lives as the raw material in the art of living

All the adversities you’re facing in your life, these are tests. It’s mere training. Life isn’t supposed to be easy, life is supposed to be challenging to make sure you actually grow

What happens to us is nature’s treatment to become better people. Those things happen for us, not against us, even if it doesn’t seem so

You set out to do something with the attitude that the outcome is not within your control and you’re willing to calmly accept that things may not turn out as planned

People assume that things will go well. And if not, they’ll be resisting reality and suffering indefinitely

Things come and go. Nothing lasts forever

I am not eternal, but a human being; a part of the whole, as an hour is of the day. Like an hour I must come and, like an hour, pass away – Epictetus

We come with nothing, and go with nothing

Negative Visualization: foreseeing bad stuff

Keep all the comfort you want—a cozy bed, delicious food, hot showers, warm clothes— just go without those things sometimes

The fictitious ideal gives us direction, structure, and consistency in our actions

Play your roles well, even if others don’t

Forget about chasing fame and applause, focus on your virtuous behavior

Fame might come as a bonus from being a good person

Live simple

It’s better to conquer grief than to deceive it – Seneca

Beat fear with preparation

Blame your expectations

Protect your peace of mind

When it gets tough, remind yourself it’s what you’re here for. It’ll make you stronger

Count your blessings

How differently we look at the same event when it happens to us rather than to other people

Test your impressions

To err is human; to forgive, divine

Put yourself in other people’s shoes

Choose your company well