The Obstacle Is the Way

In ancient warfare, a fortified citadel offered ancient armies a friendly base to which they could withdraw to avoid a routing defeat. The Stoic metaphor of an inner citadel derives from this principle, advising that an individual meet the challenges of the external world without undue vulnerability.

to its approach to solving obstacles, Stoicism is an ideal philosophy for today’s leaders.


Contemporary science supports the notion that if we allow emotions and prejudices to enter into our thoughts, we begin to lose our will [6]. Thus, science appears to be consistent with the Stoic belief that people can control their actions by preventing unfiltered perceptions from controlling their reactions to a given situation.