Stoicism for Inner Peace

by Einzelgänger

There’s a distinction between physical violence and insults. Physical violence harms the body. Insults, however, only harm us when we let them. Are we really going to run the risk of getting our lives ruined because someone calls us a name? “You’re walking down the street and somebody calls you a name. You’re gonna walk across the street, get into a fistfight, get thrown in jail, get your whole life derailed, just because someone called you a name?” says Schoenheit. Getting triggered by an insult is one thing; using violence to respond to an insult is even more stupid. Unfortunately, violence often begins with insults. I’ve already given the example of how insulting one’s mother can lead to murder. Another recurring dynamic is soccer supporters that always begin by insulting each other before they resort to physical violence, resulting in people getting hurt, getting arrested or even killed.