Section 1: An Ancient Philosophy for a Modern Mind?

Seeker: I came here because I’m looking for a different way to live. My life feels… frantic. I’m overwhelmed by a constant stream of information, the pressure to succeed at work, and a deep uncertainty about the future. My phone buzzes with news of a world in crisis, and my own mind feels just as chaotic. I’ve read about Stoicism, about Roman emperors and playwrights, but I have to be honest. How can a 2,000-year-old philosophy possibly understand the nature of modern anxiety?

Stoic: The tools and troubles of your world are different, but the nature of the human mind remains unchanged. You believe you are disturbed by your job, your phone, or the state of the world, but as Epictetus said, “Men are disturbed not by things, but by the views which they take of them.” The first task on the path to peace is to make a simple, yet profound, distinction: separate what is within your control from what is not. The events of the world are not in your control. The opinion of your boss is not in your control. But your thoughts, your judgments, and your actions in response to these things—these are entirely within your power. This is the beginning of wisdom.