For Stoics, the highest good is to act consistently in accord with reason and virtue.What matters in life isn't what happens to us but how we respond to it. Philosophy is really a way of life, how we choose to act.

The Stoic Goal of Life

Pain is just a sensation, in other words; what matters is how we choose to respond to it.Tell yourself that the pain won’t last long if it’s severe or that you’re capable of enduring much worse if the pain is chronic.

How to Tolerate Pain

When doing what feels pleasurable becomes more important than doing what's actually good for us or our loved ones... that's a recipe for disaster.Evaluate your habits and desires in terms of the bigger picture: how much do these pursuits actually contribute to your long-term happiness or sense of fulfillment in life?

How to Conquer Desire

<ul><li>The main antidote to anger for Marcus is the Stoic virtue of kindness.</li><li>If someone hates you, that's their problem. Your only concern is to avoid doing anything to deserve being hated.</li><li>Nothing lasts forever. If events will seem trivial in the future when we look back on them, then why should we care strongly about them now?</li></ul>

How to Conquer Anger

<ul><li>He was the last famous Stoic of the ancient world</li><li>He was known for his physical frailty, due to chronic health problems, but also for his exceptional resilience</li><li>He repeatedly told himself that the goal of his life is not pleasure but action</li><li>As a young emperor, Marcus was ridiculed as a snob and a bore because at gladiator games they could see that he was reading legal documents and discussing them with his advisors.</li></ul>

Roman Emperor Marcus Aurelius

The Stoics divided the day into three stages: The Stoic morning meditation, Mindfulness throughout the day, and Stoic evening reflectionBy deeply reflecting on our values each day and attempting to describe them concisely, we can develop a clearer sense of direction.

How to Live by Your Values

Premeditation of adversity can be useful in confronting anger and other negative emotions, but its techniques are particularly suited to treat fear and anxiety.Fear is essentially a future-focused emotion, so it’s natural that we should counter it by addressing our thoughts concerning the future.

How to Relinquish Fear

<ul><li>The Stoics were concerned that their speech should not only be honest and simple but also appropriate to the needs of the hearer.</li><li>Correcting someone else's vices requires considerable tact; it is like pointing out that they have bad breath.</li><li>Stoics wanted to describe events in plain and simple terms.</li><li>This requires two main things: Conciseness and Objectiveivity.</li></ul>

How to Speak Wisely

<ul><li>The Stoics wanted to develop a healthy sense of gratitude in life, unspoiled by attachment.</li><li>They practiced calmly imagining change and loss, like a river gently flowing past, carrying things away.</li><li>Don't fight what happens but try to accept and even embrace it.</li></ul>

How to Accept One's Fate

<ul><li>Nothing lasts forever</li><li>Fear of death does us more harm than death itself because it turns us into cowards</li><li>Death merely returns us to Nature</li><li>To a man of wisdom, death should be among the least feared thing in life.</li></ul>

How to Prepare for Death

"This book is a wonderful introduction to one of history's greatest figures: Marcus Aurelius. His life and this book are a clear guide for those facing adversity, seeking tranquility and pursuing excellence." —Ryan Holiday, bestselling author of The Obstacle is the Way and The Daily Stoic The life-changing principles of Stoicism taught through the story of its most famous proponent. Roman emperor Marcus Aurelius was the last famous Stoic philosopher of the ancient world. The Meditations, his personal journal, survives to this day as one of the most loved self-help and spiritual classics of all time. In How to Think Like a Roman Emperor, cognitive psychotherapist Donald Robertson weaves the life and philosophy of Marcus Aurelius together seamlessly to provide a compelling modern-day guide to the Stoic wisdom followed by countless individuals throughout the centuries as a path to achieving greater fulfillment and emotional resilience. How to Think Like a Roman Emperor takes readers on a transformative journey along with Marcus, following his progress from a young noble at the court of Hadrian—taken under the wing of some of the finest philosophers of his day—through to his reign as emperor of Rome at the height of its power. Robertson shows how Marcus used philosophical doctrines and therapeutic practices to build emotional resilience and endure tremendous adversity, and guides readers through applying the same methods to their own lives. Combining remarkable stories from Marcus’s life with insights from modern psychology and the enduring wisdom of his philosophy, How to Think Like a Roman Emperor puts a human face on Stoicism and offers a timeless and essential guide to handling the ethical and psychological challenges we face today.

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"This book is a wonderful introduction to one of history's greatest figures: Marcus Aurelius. His life and this book are a clear guide for those facing adversity, seeking tranquility and pursuing excellence." —Ryan Holiday, bestselling author of The Obstacle is the Way and The Daily Stoic The life-changing principles of Stoicism taught through the story of its most famous proponent. Roman emperor Marcus Aurelius was the last famous Stoic philosopher of the ancient world. The Meditations, his personal journal, survives to this day as one of the most loved self-help and spiritual classics of all time. In How to Think Like a Roman Emperor, cognitive psychotherapist Donald Robertson weaves the life and philosophy of Marcus Aurelius together seamlessly to provide a compelling modern-day guide to the Stoic wisdom followed by countless individuals throughout the centuries as a path to achieving greater fulfillment and emotional resilience. How to Think Like a Roman Emperor takes readers on a transformative journey along with Marcus, following his progress from a young noble at the court of Hadrian—taken under the wing of some of the finest philosophers of his day—through to his reign as emperor of Rome at the height of its power. Robertson shows how Marcus used philosophical doctrines and therapeutic practices to build emotional resilience and endure tremendous adversity, and guides readers through applying the same methods to their own lives. Combining remarkable stories from Marcus’s life with insights from modern psychology and the enduring wisdom of his philosophy, How to Think Like a Roman Emperor puts a human face on Stoicism and offers a timeless and essential guide to handling the ethical and psychological challenges we face today.

Author of books on philosophy and psychotherapy, including Stoicism and the Art of Happiness, How to Think Like a Roman Emperor, and the graphic novel Verissimus. I'm a philosopher and psychotherapist with a special interest in Stoicism and CBT. I was born in Scotland, but now live in Canada and Greece. 

Roman Emperor Marcus Aurelius

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