5 STOIC PRINCIPLES.A Beginner's Guide to Stoic Wisdom: FINDING PEACE AND CLARITY IN A CHAOTIC WORLD.

In case you're wondering why I numbered every benefit as '1', it's because each one is equally important. I need you to follow all of these principles equally; there's no hierarchy among them. If you're wondering why and came here for clarification, great! It shows you're thinking and trying to understand. I'm happy you're learning and paying attention to each principle.
The stoics thought that what made humans special was our ability to think logically.
Thinking logically means using good information and thinking carefully about things, instead of believing fake news or iffy sources.
So, if you decide to read the news or keep up with conflicts worldwide, a stoic would say to only trust reliable sources, think carefully, and not jump to conclusions without knowing all the facts.
Violence caused by fake news has always been a big problem, especially now with so much false information online.
You can choose to find good information and think logically.
Don’t let other people's fear or anger affect you.
The stoics said to be careful not to get caught up in other people's emotions.
Epictetus said, “Other people's feelings and problems can rub off on you. Don’t let yourself start feeling negative or unproductive because of the people you're around.”
The stoics knew that when a group gets angry, it's hard for anyone to think clearly. They said it's best to stay away from angry groups and make up your own mind about things, without getting caught up in other people's strong emotions.
Seneca said it’s not good to hang out with big groups of people, because they can make you do bad things or feel bad without you even realizing it.
Instead, the stoics said to focus on four important qualities: being brave, being careful, being fair, and being wise. And to think for yourself.
Stay Calm
The Greeks had a word for staying calm: ataraxia.
Ataraxia means being free from worry. The ancient thinkers believed that if you can stay calm, it will help everyone around you stay calm too.
If you're calm, you're less likely to get upset when things go wrong.
For example, if your flight is delayed because of bad weather, you could get mad at the airline workers (even though they can't control the weather), or you could accept that you can't change the situation and stay calm.
Being calm doesn’t just help you, it helps others too. When you're calm, you can make better decisions.
The stoics believed that if you're calm, you won't get caught up in strong emotions like wanting things too much, being jealous, or being scared. Instead, you'll know what you can control and what you can't.
Try to be peaceful with yourself and with others
You might not be able to stop conflicts in the world, but you can be peaceful with everyone you meet, even if they annoy you.
Marcus Aurelius, a Roman emperor who was also a stoic, had to deal with annoying people too. He wrote in his diary, “When you wake up in the morning, remind yourself: the people you meet today might be rude, ungrateful, selfish, dishonest, jealous, or grumpy. They act like this because they don't know any better.”
But he also reminded himself that everyone, even annoying people, are human just like us, and they have good qualities too.
You can't control other people, but you can control how you react to them. You can choose to be peaceful and understanding, or if someone is really bothering you, you can walk away.
The stoics thought it was important not to get angry at people who annoy you. That just makes things worse.
Don’t worry too much
The stoics knew that life is always changing. Just when you get used to one thing, something else happens.
Marcus Aurelius dealt with tough times by not letting himself think negatively. He wrote, “Life is always changing, and how we feel about it depends on our thoughts.”
Use the control test to calm down. If you can't do anything about something, there's no point in worrying about it.
Epictetus said, “The only way to be happy is to stop worrying about things we can't control.”
So, focus on what you can control and let go of the rest. That's the key to being happy.
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