Stoic Lesson – Seldom does life turn out the way we had hoped. Even when we put in a lot of effort, plan ahead, and establish clear objectives, unanticipated setbacks, losses, and delays still happen. We frequently become frustrated when they occur, thinking, “Why am I experiencing this?” What did I do incorrectly? How can I correct what is out of my control?
A straightforward but liberating solution is provided by stoic philosophy: a lot of the things that interfere with our lives were never in our control in the first place. The true harm is caused by our inability to accept reality as it is, not by the actual happenings.
The brief narrative that follows effectively and practically illustrates this concept.
The Storm and The Stoic
Once, a weary and clearly irate merchant came up to a Stoic philosopher.
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He declared, “Everything keeps going wrong.” “I did a lot of planning. I did a lot of work. However, I lost money, my ship was delayed by weather, and my products arrived later than expected. Life consistently undermines me, regardless of what I do.
The philosopher asked a straightforward inquiry after listening in silence.
“Are you responsible for the storm?”
“No,” the retailer said.
“Would you have been able to stop it?”
“Nope.”
“So why are you upset with yourself—or with life—for something you never had control over?” the philosopher questioned.
The merchant was unable to respond.
“You did what was yours to do,” the philosopher went on. You prepared, organized, and took action. You did not fail because of the storm. You suffered because you thought reality would follow your ideas.
That day, the merchant departed without getting his money back. However, he also acquired clarity. He stopped squandering his energy on anger and fear. He concentrated only on the things he could control, such as his next choice, shipment, and reaction.
He eventually made up for his loses.
He was not broken by the storm.
His defiance of reality nearly succeeded.
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The Lesson of Stoicism
1. Control what Is Yours and Let Go of the Rest
The first step in stoicism is to make a clear distinction: you can control some things, but not most of them.
Your planning, effort, and attitude are all under your control. Weather, luck, timing, and the acts of others are all beyond your control.
The moment you give up attempting to control something that was never yours is when peace begins.
2. Events Are Neutral—Suffering Is Caused by Judgment
It wasn’t a good or awful storm. It just happened.
The merchant’s opinion that this shouldn’t have occurred caused the suffering. Everything is ruined by this.
The emotional weight shifts as the judgment is altered.
3. Expect Difficulty to Reduce Its Power
Stoics prepared themselves for challenges. Realistically, not in a negative light.
Every failure feels unfair when you expect everything to go well. Setbacks are inevitable when you anticipate opposition.
What you expect won’t surprise you.
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4. Adversity is training not punishment.
The merchant had to adjust, think more clearly, and make better decisions because of the storm.
According to a stoic viewpoint, adversity is meant to sharpen you rather than destroy you.
5. Calm Is Power
The calm person sees choices while others panic and whine.
Passivity is not emotional control. It is self-control.
And strength is discipline.
Conclusion
Life won’t become fair. Plans won’t work out. You will be let down by people.
Comfort is not promised by stoicism. It provides stability, which is excellent.
Even if you have no control over the storm, you always have power over how you navigate through it.
