Go head, keep doing wrong to yourself, my soul; but soon you will no longer have the opportunity of honoring yourself. Every man’s life is sufficient. But yours is nearly finished, and instead of respecting yourself, you place you happiness in the souls of others.
-Meditation, 2.6
As with many of the mediations (and with many life lessons in general) it appears clichéd at first reading. But take the time, grapple with it a bit. How much of your validation are you putting in the hands of others? How is that working out for you? Perhaps stepping back, and honoring your own life isn’t so trite. Perhaps its worth something.
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I’ve only recently started to discover Stoicism, starting with the Meditations. It seems so contrary to modern Western society, but the concepts make a lot of sense to me so far. This lesson in particular makes a lot of sense to me, but it’s a hard lesson for those of us who have made pleasing other people a priority (and often for pragmatic reasons). I look forward to reading more of this blog as I study Stoicism in more detail!
Thanks for checking in! I think stoicism, and its insistence on self reliance and inner strength can be a huge help in the modern world. I hope you find the Occasional Stoic series helpful!
Thanks!
I try to post new meditations every Monday, Wednesday and Friday, so check back!