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Daily Stoic July Review – Duty
- Alex Chen
- 3 hours ago
- 23 min read
The Daily Stoic is a book with 366 quotes from Stoic philosophers on how to live a good life. I had previously read this a couple years ago and benefited a lot from it, and I've decided to read it again this year. Every day, I read the quote, the explanation, and then journal my thoughts and reflections. At the end of each month, I review my reflections and summarize the month.
The theme for July is "duty", and this article will summarize my July reflections:
1: Our most fundamental duty
A lot of us spend a lot of energy trying to manage and control other people or the outer environment. We want others to change. We want our situation to change. But a lot of us neglect something important: our first and most fundamental duty is to manage ourselves.
After all, who is responsible for me? I am. I choose all my decisions, and I have to bear the full consequences of all my decisions. Who is responsible for other people? They are. They choose their decisions, and they have to bear the full consequences of their decisions.
If we neglect managing ourselves and instead always focus on managing others, then not only are we overstepping our authority, we are also deluded, and our efforts will not yield good results.
July 1:
"Whatever anyone does or says, for my part, I'm bound to the good. In the same way an emerald or gold or purple might always proclaim: 'whatever anyone does or says, I must be what I am and show my true colors."
—Marcus Aurelius
Philosophy emphasizes self-cultivation. Cultivation means correcting our faults and building our own virtues. Philosophers view self-cultivation and being a good person as the most fundamental duty. Regardless if others are good or not, I will be good, for that is my duty as a philosopher.
Moreover, how others treat me is a direct result of how I treat others. When I manage myself better, when I cultivate my virtues and eliminate my vices, others will naturally respond to me in more positive ways. Therefore, self-cultivation is actually the root of changing the outside world. Cultivating ourselves not only benefits ourselves, it also benefits others by showing them a good example, and it benefits the world by adding more goodness to the world.
July 3:
"The task of a philosopher: we should bring our will into harmony with whatever happens, so that nothing happens against our will and nothing that we wish for fails to happen."
—Epictetus
"Stuck in traffic? A few wonderful minutes to relax and sit. Your car broke down after idling for so long? Ah, what a nice nudge to take a long walk the rest of the way. A swerving car driven by a distracted, cell-phone-wielding idiot nearly hit you as you were walking and soaked you head to toe with muddy water? What a reminder about how precarious our existence is and how silly it is to get upset about something as trivial as being late or having trouble with your commute!"
—Ryan Holiday
When it comes to self-cultivation, there are three aspects: action, speech, and mind. Cultivating the mind is the root, for it is our mind that determines our action and speech. We should constantly remind ourselves that outside situations and people cannot force me to feel anything. Whether I feel upset or at peace is completely dependent on my own mind.
The philosopher uses every situation to cultivate virtues such as calmness, harmony, and adaptability. If we can improve the situation, then we give our full effort. If we cannot change the situation, then we accept it with calm and grace. Either way, we improve our virtues from it. If we can have this kind of attitude, then all people are good people, and all matters are good matters. This is encompassed by the Stoic phrase “Amor Fati”.
July 5:
"Good people will do what they find honorable to do, even if it requires hard work; they'll do it even if it causes them injury; they'll do it even if it will bring danger. Again, they won't do what they find base, even if it brings wealth, pleasure, or power. Nothing will deter them from what is honorable, and nothing will lure them into what is base."
—Seneca
The Stoics assert that everyone has an inner conscience and a sense of right and wrong. As Musonius Rufus said, “The human being is born with an inclination toward virtue.” However, some people’s selfish desires and bad habits are extremely strong and cover up their sense of morality. Even so, that inner conscience is always there and can be awakened when they see moral exemplars.
Philosophers hold firm to their inner conscience and follow it. They do what is honorable, even if it requires hard work or is dangerous. They won’t violate their integrity for things like wealth, pleasure, or power. Having a clear conscience is also a form of joy. It gives us peace of mind.
For example, if we see someone in need of help, and we have the ability to help them, what do we think? If we think, “But it’s such a hassle…”, then that’s selfishness, and we may have a guilty conscience later. The philosopher would do their best to help to the best of their ability, even if it’s a hassle.
To give another example, other people might break the rules or even the law in order to gain self-benefit. They might pressure us to do the same and call us stupid otherwise. But the philosopher would choose to follow their sense of moral rightness rather than succumb to peer pressure.
To give one more example, if our ruler or leader wants to do something immoral, do we urge them against it? If we go against the leader’s wishes, that might attract danger for us. Non-virtuous people would try to please the leader without regard for morality; they want to get the leader’s favor because it benefits themselves.
The philosopher would do what’s morally right and urge the leader to follow morality. Moreover, they would advise with respect, tact, and patience. Philosophers have the welfare of the leader and all the people in their heart. Even if the leader might get upset and demote them or cause trouble for them, they choose to do the morally just thing.
Seneca’s words here remind me of a quote from Mencius:
"I seek life. I also seek moral rightness. If I cannot have both, then I would forsake life and gain moral rightness."
(Original text: 生，亦我所欲也；義，亦我所欲也。二者不可得兼，舍生而取義者也。)
In other words, Mencius would rather die following morality than to live violating morality. Such is also the spirit of a Stoic philosopher.
My Practice
Managing myself first
The idea that we should manage ourselves first, not others, is easy to understand, but much more difficult to consistently practice. I didn’t learn philosophy until after I graduated university, so I already nurtured the habit of blaming other people and the outside world. Changing this habit takes time and determination.
Every day, I keep a merit-fault journal, and one item I reflect on is Amor Fati, or reframing negative situations into positive ones. I still have the habit of getting annoyed or worried when things don’t go according to my wishes. As a beginner cultivator, it’s impossible to stop these thoughts from arising, and that’s fine. The mental work of philosophy is to not let these negative thoughts perpetuate, but instead use proper or positive thinking to overcome them.
For example, in the past, when I saw speeding or breaking the rules, I would get upset at them. Now, when these thoughts arise, I bring out proper thoughts. For example, other people speed because lots of people speed, so they don’t think it’s wrong or breaking the rules. They’re not purposely trying to be bad.
Besides, what they do is their matter. How I respond is my matter. They cannot force me to get upset. The cause of my annoyance is my own intolerance, not their behavior. Criticizing them harms my own virtues. Instead, I should use their behavior as motivation for me to set a good example. In this way, I cultivate my tolerance and contribute goodness to society.
To give another example, I recently went to visit my dad and grandma in China, and my dad didn’t prepare our room. The room was full of delivery packages. Even the bed was full of delivery boxes. My mom and I arrived late at night, and I was quite tired. My first thought was, “Are you serious? How am I going to sleep?”
But I caught myself complaining, and I immediately changed my thinking. “The situation cannot force me to feel upset. I choose my feelings. My grandma already warned me in advance that the room was messy, so I really shouldn’t be surprised. I know that my dad is kind of a messy person. Everyone has their strengths and weaknesses, and we should tolerate each other’s weaknesses. All I have to do is move some delivery boxes off the bed and onto the floor, then I can sleep. It’s really not a big deal.”
So I spent five minutes or so to move delivery boxes from the bed to the floor, and then I could sleep. I also felt very happy that I was able to harmonize my mind with the situation. In the past, I would’ve complained a lot. But this time, I actually enjoyed the challenge. It elevated my virtues of tolerance and harmony.
Throughout my couple of weeks there, my mother and I helped organize the room a bit, but we weren’t annoyed or rushed. My dad is the head of the house there, and we respect his habits and preferences. We’re not going to stand above him and criticize him for being messy. His standard of cleanliness is different from ours, and we shouldn’t demand others to have the same standards as us. Our respect for him allowed us to get along very harmoniously.
Abiding by Moral Conscience
As for abiding by moral conscience, this is something I care a lot about. Before I learned philosophy, I would do immoral things like shout at my parents, use work time to do personal matters, or idle time away with TV and games when I could be doing more important things. Afterwards, I would feel a bit uneasy deep down, but it wasn’t top of mind because my mind was distracted by other things.
After learning and practicing the teachings of past philosophers and sages, I feel a sense of spiritual wellness and richness. I have peace of mind. It’s like Mencius said, “Feeling no reason for shame when looking up at the Heavens or towards people,” this is a joy.
Following morality even when it might cause us harm is a higher level of cultivation. Oftentimes, this “harm” isn’t physical harm, but rather harm to our image and reputation. It’s easy to do good when we think others will praise us for it. But what if others disapprove? Can we still remain resolved to be good?
One example in my experience is advising others when they have a fault. Here, I’m referring to people who are not that close to us, such as colleagues, leaders, and even friends. If we advise them, they might take it in the wrong way and get upset at us and think of us negatively. There’s a risk of harming the relationship or creating awkwardness in the relationship. They might even get upset at us and cause trouble for us.
In the past, I might have thought, “Whatever. They suffer the consequences of their own shortcomings, not me. I’m not going to go through the trouble of advising them and risking them getting upset.” But if we can help others and don’t bother, that violates our inner conscience. Moreover, the golden rule teaches us to treat others the way we’d want to be treated. If I had a fault that’s harmful to me, what would I want others to do? I would want them to advise me in a kind and respectful manner. Therefore, I should do that for others.
Once I set my attitude right, I would then be willing to put in the effort to rehearse how I would advise them and patiently wait for a suitable time. In my experience, the other person is usually quite appreciative. Even if they’re not very appreciative, as long as I did my best to be respectful and kind, then I have peace of mind. I also imagine that they might have a sensitive ego in the moment, but in the future after they calm down, they will realize my kind intentions and that my words might have some truth to them, and they would be appreciative.
2: Duty in human relationships
July 7:
"This is what you should teach me, how to be like Odysseus—how to love my country, wife and father, and how, even after suffering shipwreck, I might keep sailing on course to those honorable ends."
—Seneca
Philosophy is a moral education, and it is inseparable from relationships. Why do we cultivate ourselves? To have better relationships. Happy relationships is one of the main sources of happiness in life. If we improve ourselves yet our relationships don’t improve, then that’s not real cultivation.
In this quote, Seneca mentions some important roles and relationships we all have. As children, we ought to love our parents. As a spouse, we ought to love our spouse. As a citizen, we ought to love our country. After all, these people have given a lot of kindness to us, so it’s only moral that we show kindness to them too. Yet how many people have actually learned about proper behavior in different relationships?
Confucianism talks a lot more about the different roles people play and the moral duties of each role. Mencius said,
“Between parent and child, there is affection. Between leader and follower, there is moral rightness. Between spouses, there are separate responsibilities. Between elders and juniors, there is proper order. Between friends, there is good faith.”
(Original Text: 父子有親，君臣有義，夫婦有別，長幼有序，朋友有信。)
The Record on Ritual goes into even more detail:
“What is meant by moral duty in human relationships? Parents being compassionate, children being filial, elder siblings being nice, younger siblings being deferential, husbands being righteous, wives being amenable, elders being kind, juniors being obliging, rulers being virtuous, ministers being devoted. These ten things are what is meant by moral duty in human relationships.”
(Original Text:《禮運》曰：「何謂人義？父慈，子孝，兄良，弟弟，夫義，婦聽，長惠，幼順，君仁，臣忠，十者謂之人義。」)
I won’t elaborate on all ten, but I’ll touch a few of the most important ones.
We all start out as children, and as children, it is our moral duty to be filial, which means loving and respecting our parents. More concretely, that involves nurturing our parents’ physical health, emotional health, wisdom, and aspirations. The biggest thing is to listen to our parents. That doesn’t necessarily mean we have to do everything they tell us to, but it does mean making them feel heard and communicating with them patiently and with an attitude of love and respect.
Our love and respect for parents serves as the foundation for all our other relationships. When we love our parents, we will naturally love our siblings because harmony among siblings makes parents happy. When we respect parents, we will naturally respect elders outside the family, such as teachers and leaders. When we get along harmoniously with siblings, we will naturally get along with peers outside the family, such as classmates, friends, and colleagues.
Next, most people get married. As a spouse, it is important to have separate responsibilities. There is deep wisdom behind this. The Record on Ritual states:
"Husband and wife must have distinct responsibilities, then they will have moral gratitude towards each other. When spouses have moral gratitude towards each other, then parents will have a loving relationship with children. When parents and children have love, then the relationship between leaders and followers will be upright. Thus, it is said that marriage ceremony is the foundational ceremony."
(Original text: 《禮記·昏義》：「男女有別，而後夫婦有義；夫婦有義，而後父子有親；父子有親，而後君臣有正。故曰：昏禮者，禮之本也。」
This quote teaches us that harmonious spouses are the foundation for a peaceful society. When spouses have separate responsibilities, they will be grateful to each other for their contributions to the family. When spouses think of each other’s contributions and kindness, they will naturally get along well. When spouses have harmony, they will have positive energy and love towards their children. When parents give their children enough love, children will naturally have love and respect in their hearts, and they will grow up with healthy personalities. It all starts with spouses having mutual appreciation for each other’s contributions.
As citizens of the country, we receive a lot of kindness from the country. The land we are on nurtures our life and protects us. It’s thanks to our country that we have all our daily needs, that we have safety in daily life, that we can get an education, that we have employment opportunities, and so much more. It would be ungrateful and unreasonable to take all these things for granted. When we are grateful for our country, we would naturally want to give back to our country—by contributing our time and energy into useful work that benefits the people.
July 20:
“The nature of the universe made rational creatures for the sake of each other, with an eye toward mutual benefit based on true value and never for harm.”
—Marcus Aurelius
July 21:
"Whenever you have trouble getting up in the morning, remind yourself that you've been made by nature for the purpose of working with others, whereas even unthinking animals share sleeping. And it's our own natural purpose that is more fitting and more satisfying."
—Marcus Aurelius
The human brain is wired for kindness and cooperation. When we do good and help others, we naturally feel good inside. We don’t need a reason to do good. Doing good nurtures our peace of mind, while violating morality harms it.
Having a sense of moral duty to serve and help other people is also a great source of motivation. Since we live in an interdependent world, everything we do (or don’t do) affects others. If we sleep in, that affects others. If we slack off, that affects others. The stronger our sense of moral duty, the stronger our discipline and conscientiousness.
July 19:
"As Plato said, every soul is deprived of truth against its will. The same holds true for justice, self-control, goodwill to others, and every similar virtue. It's essential to constantly keep this in your mind, for it will make you more gentle to all."
—Marcus Aurelius
A key principle to remember in all relationships is to be tolerant with others and strict with ourselves. When we understand others, we’d naturally be more tolerant and gentler towards them.
Plato reminds us that no one willingly tries to be stupid or wrong or bad. Everyone prefers to be good, right, and liked. People do what they do because they think it’s right, or because they feel like they don’t have any other choice. When we understand this, we would naturally be more tolerant towards others. Then we can advise with an attitude of kindness and respect rather than criticize.
July 15:
"When you've done well and another has benefited by it, why like a fool do you look for a third thing on top—credit for the good deed or a favor in return?"
—Marcus Aurelius
The thing with duty is that it’s what we’re supposed to do. If we truly view doing good as our duty, we wouldn’t go around seeking praise for our good deeds. Imagine after you used the washroom, you go to wash your hands. Then a bystander starts applauding and says, “Wow, you washed your hands after using the bathroom! Amazing!” Wouldn’t you think that’s kind of strange? Washing your hands is simply what you’re supposed to do.
Similarly, being good and contributing to relationships is simply our moral duty. We shouldn’t do good on the condition that others notice and praise us. That would be having impure intentions.
For example, maybe we notice the house has been messy for a while, and we really want our spouse to clean up, but they don’t. So we decide to clean up half, and then we say, “Did you notice that the house is cleaner now?” The spouse says, “Oh OK.” We then get angry and say, “I cleaned the house and you don’t even appreciate it? You should help me finish the cleaning!”
That would be demanding recognition and return favor for doing good. Because our intentions are impure, it leads to impure results. In this case, the spouse might get defensive and say, “No one forced you to go clean. I’m too busy recently, and besides, I don’t like cleaning. If you want to clean, be my guest, but don’t force me to do it.”
From this example, we can see that when we want something in return for doing good deeds, it will often backfire on us. People dislike it when someone pretends to do good, but they actually have ulterior motives.
Therefore, we should do good and contribute to relationships with sincerity and gratitude, not seeking anything in return. In this way, we will gain the joy of helping others and the peace of mind that comes from being moral.
My Practice
Before I learned philosophy, I was quite self-centered. All my thinking revolved around me, what I wanted, and what’s in it for me. After learning philosophy, I became more others-centered. I started paying more attention to other people, what they want, and how I can contribute to others. After all, the quality of our life depends on the quality of our relationships, so helping others is helping ourselves.
Thanks to the teachings of Confucianism, I improved my relationship with my parents. After I could better understand and appreciate my parents, I naturally got along better with other people in other relationships.
I used to judge others when they did things that I deemed illogical. But after learning philosophy, I started cultivating tolerance. I frequently reminded myself that everyone has their reasons for doing what they do. I don’t like it when others jump to conclusions and misunderstand me, so I shouldn’t jump to conclusions and deem others as unreasonable before understanding them. If I truly understand them, I wouldn’t think they are unreasonable.
In terms of doing good without wanting anything in return, I’m usually OK at this. I know that when people give praise, they tend to praise excessively, so I’m quite apprehensive about receiving praise. I know that arrogance leads to downfall, and only the humble can continue to grow.
3: Duty in Work
July 10:
"Love the humble art you have learned, and take rest in it. Pass through the remainder of your days as one who whole-heartedly entrusts all possessions to the gods, making yourself neither a tyrant nor a slave to any person."
—Marcus Aurelius
We spend a majority of our life working. Therefore, if we want a happy life, it’s important to enjoy our work. Some of us are fortunate to know what our passion is and be able to do it for work. Many others aren’t sure what they’re passionate about or what their life purpose should be.
I’ve previously written about how to find a meaningful purpose, so I won’t elaborate here. The key point is this: do something that helps other people. As mentioned earlier, we live in an interdependent society. We receive the contributions of countless people in our daily lives, so it is our moral duty to give back and contribute to the world. When we clearly feel that what we do is of service to others and to the world, we will find it meaningful and rewarding. Even if we’re not good at that work to begin with, if we enjoy it, we will eventually get good at it.
Moreover, we can always find meaning in whatever it is we are doing now. People can have the same job yet feel different about it based on their attitude. For example, a janitor at a hospital could feel like their work is mundane and unimportant, or they could think about how they are working to give their family a better future, and they are contributing a clean environment to the hospital, which serves thousands of people in the community. By keeping the environment clean, staff and patients have a happier mood, and disease is prevented from spreading. Same job, different attitude, different feeling. When we consciously choose what we do and find meaning in it, then we are not a slave.
When Marcus Aurelius says “whole-heartedly entrust all possessions to the gods”, I interpret it as “dedicate yourself to the wellbeing of all people and the world” because the gods want all people to live happy and productive lives. If you don’t believe in gods, then simply replace the word “gods” with “world”. When we dedicate ourselves to serving the world (instead of only serving ourselves), we are not a tyrant, and the world will take care of us in return.
July 25:
"When you see someone often flashing their rank or position, or someone whose name is often bandied about in public, don't be envious; such things are bought at the expense of life… Some die on the first rungs of the ladder of success, others before they can reach the top, and the few that make it to the top of their ambition through a thousand indignities realize at the end it's only for an inscription on their gravestone."
—Seneca
A lot of people become attached to reputation and wealth in career. They work to satisfy their own desires. However, desires have no limits, especially when we always see others with more. Such people are always striving for higher positions and more wealth, always trying to be above others. Seneca is urging us to think carefully about chasing this definition of “success”, for it will cost us our life, not only in the sense that our time will be gone, but those years will be spent living in frustration, craving, struggle, and toil.
If you talk to people near the end of their life, no one says they wish they had spent more time working, earning money, or chasing reputation. Instead, they wish they had spent more time with loved ones and more time doing things that they enjoyed.
Oftentimes, workaholics use work as a distraction or excuse from facing their inner emptiness or other problems in life. That’s not an effective solution. Learning about morality and fulfilling our moral duties is the solution.
The Classic of Filial Piety says,
“To not love one’s family yet love others violates morality.”
Family is the foundation for every individual. If a person has career success, but their family life is full of conflict, can that person truly be happy? Can that person have inner peace?
A proper attitude towards work and career is one of service and duty. We work to support our family and to give back to society. This kind of attitude will bring us joy. Given that we work to support our family, family should come before work. Work should not be an excuse to neglect our family members.
For example, if our family members complain that we’re too busy with work, we shouldn’t say “Well I’m working to earn money for the family!” The real problem is that they feel like we don’t care enough about them. Our attitude reflects in our actions and how we spend our time.
The solution isn’t necessarily working less. We just have to cherish our time with family. For example, when we get home, do we give our family members quality time? Or do we just sit on the couch and scroll on our phones? When we tell our family that we have to work overtime, do we do it with an apologetic tone of voice, or do we take it for granted that they should support us working overtime? To love work yet not love one’s family violates morality, and when morality is violated, both external and internal conflict will arise.
My Practice
I did my undergrad in business administration, and after I graduated, I was working in business. However, I felt like helping people make money wasn’t fulfilling to me. I wanted to do something more meaningful.
Later, I ended up transitioning into teaching. Although the pay was less, I felt my work was much more fulfilling. I taught courses like business leadership and health, and I felt that what I was teaching was truly benefiting people’s lives. I really enjoyed lesson prepping and teaching these courses. I would happily work overtime.
Before learning philosophy, I used to prioritize work over family. Career development was my top priority. After graduating, I lived at home with my mom, and there were times when my mom complained that I never think to help around the house. I would then argue that she didn’t communicate with me that she wanted me to do certain things around the house, otherwise, I would have done them. Then she would argue that I’m too busy so she never has the time to tell me. Then I would argue that she can tell me any time I am at home.
Looking back, the problem wasn’t the matter. The problem was my attitude. Her words were a reflection of her inner dissatisfaction towards me not caring enough about the family. Not doing certain chores around the house was just one matter that reflected my attitude. If I truly cared more about the family, I would take initiative to do work around the house. I would also cherish my time at home more.
After learning philosophy (I started with Confucianism), I understood that prioritizing work over family violates morality, which would lead to relationship conflicts and inner guilt. Once my attitude shifted, everything got better. There were times when I could have taken on more work opportunities, but I rejected them because my mother felt I was already too busy. The harmony I gained at home is worth much more than salary or career advancement.
4: Joy of Duty Fulfillment
The word “duty” can sound like a burden or a heavy responsibility, but fulfilling our moral duty actually nourishes our mind and spirit. In other words, fulfilling our moral duties brings joy!
July 11:
"But what does Socrates say? 'Just as one person delights in improving his farm, and another his horse, so I delight in attending to my own improvement day by day.'"
—Epictetus
As mentioned before, our most fundamental duty is to manage ourselves, to cultivate our virtues, to correct our faults, and to be a good person. This takes effort, but as Socrates says, it is delightful. It’s human nature to delight in our own improvement.
When we cultivate virtues like kindness, calmness, and humility, we’ll feel more happiness, peace of mind, and gratitude. Isn’t that what everyone seeks? If we don’t cultivate ourselves, if we don’t eliminate vices like selfishness, anger, and arrogance, then we’ll continue encountering problems and suffering. Isn’t that what we’re all trying to avoid?
Cultivation is certainly not easy. Overcoming bad habits and building virtues requires effort and persistence. It’s like farming. We have to tend to the crop every day. Some days it’s really hot working in the fields. Some days severe weather can damage the crop. Although it’s difficult, if we don’t tend to the crop, we won’t have a harvest to reap. If we don’t cultivate ourselves, we won’t have happiness to reap. Although cultivation requires hard work, we have to remember that the reward is worth it.
July 30:
"Trust me, real joy is a serious thing. Do you think someone can, in the charming expression, blithely dismiss death with an easy disposition? Or swing open the door to poverty, keep pleasures in check, or meditate on the endurance of suffering? The one who is comfortable with turning these thoughts over is truly full of joy, but hardly cheerful. It's exactly such a joy that I would wish for you to possess, for it will never run dry once you've laid claim to its source."
—Seneca
"Can you be fully content with your life, can you bravely face what life has in store from one day to the next, can you bounce back from every kind of adversity without losing a step, can you be a source of strength and inspiration to others around you? That's Stoic joy—the joy that comes from purpose, excellence, and duty. It's a serious thing—far more serious than a smile or a chipper voice."
—Ryan Holiday
Nowadays, a lot of people seek sensory stimulation as joy. People look for joy in delicious food, exciting experiences, shopping, video games, TV shows, even drugs. These are just temporary pleasures that lead to craving afterwards. People seek these temporary pleasures because they have a feeling of unease or emptiness inside, and they don’t know how to deal with it.
Philosophy teaches us that outer things cannot solve inner problems. True joy is a sense of inner peace, strength, contentment, and confidence. It is not dependent on external circumstances. This is the type of joy we get from practicing philosophy.
Philosophers encounter the same situations as everyone else, but they cultivate their mind to respond more wisely and effectively. The first example Seneca gave is death. Death is one of the greatest fears for people, and its often a taboo subject. Normal people just avoid thinking about it. When death knocks on their door, they become frantic and frightened. Stoics face death head on and accept it as a reality of life, and they use it as motivation to cherish time, cherish life, and not fuss about the small things. When death eventually knocks, Stoics have peace of mind and no regrets.
Another example is suffering and adversity. Most people dislike discomfort and hardship. Stoics don’t purposely seek suffering. However, they recognize that hardship and suffering is inevitable in life, and complaining about it doesn’t help. Instead of wishing suffering doesn’t come, they focus on what’s in their control: improving their own virtues to make these adversities bearable and to grow from these adversities. If a person is not afraid of death and hardship, then what could disturb them?
Philosophers also train their mind in good times to guard against indulgence and laziness. They know that neither bad times nor good times will last forever. In bad times, we have the awareness and vigilance to cultivate ourselves. In good times, it’s easy to fall into indulgence and laziness. If that happens, our virtues and strength of mind will degrade, and when adversity comes in the future, we’ll be in trouble. Thus, it is extremely important to maintain vigilance and diligence in good times.
My Practice
Before learning philosophy, I used to seek external stimulations like gaming, TV, shopping, food, travel, etc. If you forced me to sit in a room quietly for thirty minutes, I’d feel restless. After learning philosophy, I learned to seek inner joy and peace of mind instead of external stimulation.
I learned there are four main types of inner joy:
Good relationships
Clear conscience
Helping others/meaningful purpose
Self-improvement
By learning and practicing teachings from ancient philosophers and sages, I gradually gained more inner joy and peace, and I naturally stopped craving external stimulation. I also experience negative emotions a lot less frequently and to lesser degrees.
I still encounter problems often, and sometimes these problems can be quite big, but because I use philosophical teachings to guide my thinking, I’m better able to handle problems and grow from them. Not fearing problems and difficulties is another form of joy and inner peace. Looking back, the biggest leaps in cultivation usually come from overcoming big difficulties.
Conclusion
July was all about duty. Our first and most fundamental duty is to manage ourselves, not others. When we cultivate our virtues and correct our vices, the people and world around us will naturally change for the better. Secondly, we all have moral duties in our various relationships as children, siblings, spouses, parents, leaders, and followers. Third, we have a moral duty in our work and career to support our family and give back to society. Finally, fulfilling our moral duty nourishes our mind and spirit, while lack thereof leads to conflict and unease.
What moral duties do you have? How well are you fulfilling them?
Weekly Wisdom #406
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