3 Lessons from the Birthplace of Stoicism @dailystoic

1. “The chief task in life," Epictetus said, “is simply this: to identify and separate matters so that I can say clearly to myself which are externals not under my control, and which have to do with the choices I actually control."

That's the fundamental premise of Stoicism, also known as the “dichotomy of control”. If we can focus on making clear what parts of our day are within our control and what parts are not, we will be happier and have a distinct advantage over other people who fail to do so.

2. “To live the best life,” the Oracle told Zeno, “you should have conversations with the dead.” What does that mean? Zeno wasn’t sure…until he made a realization that you may have made yourself: Reading is the way to communicate with the dead.

Reading doesn’t just change us, it opens us up to live multiple lives, to absorb the experiences of generations of people. It allows us to gain cost-​free knowledge that someone else gained through pain and suffering.

3. Epictetus reminds us that “it’s impossible to learn that which you think you already know.” To the Stoics, particularly Zeno, conceit was the primary impediment to wisdom. Because when you’ve always got opinions or ready-made answers, what you’re not doing is learning.

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