In other words, their idea of tough work came from an entirely different frame of reference than mine. The Greek philosophers known as the Stoics knew the value of changing the frame of reference. The Stoics embraced hardship and poverty. One of the best-known Stoics, Seneca the Younger, was very wealthy but he would “practice poverty.” He believed the wealthy should experience being poor by wearing shabby clothes and scavenging for food. He wrote, “A man’s as miserable as he thinks he is.” By regularly rehearsing being poor, he rationalized, your perception of your current situation would
...more
