10-Minute Philosophy: From Buddhism to Stoicism, Confucius and Aristotle – Bite-Sized Wisdom From Some of History’s Greatest Thinkers

your unhappiness stems from your desires and unwillingness to accept other outcomes

Epictetus’s Enchiridion? “Make the best use of what is in your power, and take the rest as it happens. Some things are up to us and some things are not up to us.”

Stoicism might be the first philosophy to preach the maxim of “no pain, no gain.”

We cannot control others, but we are always in control of our own actions and responses.

Suppose something happened we wish had not. Which is easier to change: our opinion and level of emotional impact or the event itself?

Investing emotional energy into things we cannot change or control, similar to Buddhism’s avoidance of attachment, is what causes unhappiness, not the actual negative event or outcome itself.

a compelling manner: “Some things are in our control and others not.”

There is only one way to happiness and that is to cease worrying about things which are beyond the power of our will.”

When you spend time deliberately realizing that everything you love and cherish could be taken from you tomorrow by some sick twist of fate, you feel humbled.

Stoics were not masochist or anti-pleasure. They still enjoyed the fruits of life, but they recognized that proper perspective is needed to be non-reactive and also appreciate the good things.