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Kindle Notes & Highlights
by
Ben Aldridge
Read between
April 7 - May 29, 2021
Stoicism originated in Ancient Greece around 300 BC. A man called Zeno started the movement after realizing the true importance of self-knowledge, self-improvement and self-discipline. He wanted a philosophy that was practical and could be used daily to deal with life’s challenges. What a great guy! The ideas later spread to Ancient Rome and there were many movers and shakers for Stoicism in that period. This lasted a while but was replaced by Christianity.
The three key players (Stoic legends, if you will) are Aurelius, Seneca and Epictetus.
The book Letters from a Stoic is a great introduction to his philosophy and offers advice that’s relevant to our modern world.
Epictetus’ main work to read is The Enchiridion.
He was the Roman Emperor from AD 161–180 and is famous for his book Meditations.
Stoicism’s golden rule: The only thing you have control over is how you respond to external events
You are always in control of your reaction no matter what happens to you.
You need to accept the consequences of your actions and focus on the future.
For an insight into this attitude and experience I highly recommend the book Man’s Search for Meaning by Viktor Frankl, where he recalls his time spent in a Nazi prison camp during World War II.
The first thing they teach you in monk school, according to the wonderful Jay Shetty (check him out online for some serious positivity and wisdom), is how to breathe.
CBT’s golden rule: Change the way you think and you will change the way you feel
Fluent Forever by Gabriel Wyner and the Benny Lewis title
www.italki.com is just brilliant.
The shock on my teacher’s face when I told him I was dating a nine-year-old was priceless. I meant to tell him that I had been with my girlfriend for nine years! The look of relief on his face was brilliant when he eventually understood what I meant.
