How to Think Like a Roman Emperor
If you have anger issues, this one is a great tool (h/t mindyourbusiness)
This week’s book:
Discourses and Selected Writings
Disclaimer: I’m not your Supervisor. These are my opinions after reading through these books a few times.
Epictetus was born a slave around 50 ad. His owner was Epaphroditus, a rich freedman who was once a slave of Nero. Though he was a slave Epictetus was sent to study philosophy under Musonius Rufus.
Epictetus was lame and there are some stories it was caused by his master and others that it was caused by disease.
He was a freedman when all philosophers were banished from Rome in 89 by the Emperor Domitian. He then started his school in Greece, and had many students. He did not leave any writings from his lessons, but one of his students, Flavius Arrian, took notes and wrote the Discourses.
Epictetus did not marry, had no children, and lived to be around 80-85. In retirement, he adopted a child that would have been abandoned and raised him with a woman.
He died sometime around AD 135.
He is my favorite Stoic teacher. I love his bare bones and very straight forward approach.
Following is a paragraph-by-paragraph discussion of one of his lessons. Epictetus’s text appears italicized in bold, my replies are in normal text.
What ought we to despise and on what place a high value? Part III
25You cannot be continually giving attention to both externals and your own governing principle. But if you want the former, let the latter go; otherwise you will have neither the latter nor the former, being drawn in both directions. If you want the latter, you must let the former go. The oil will be spilled, my paltry furniture will perish, but I shall be calm. There will be a fire when I am not at home, and my books will perish, yet I shall deal with my external impressions according to nature. But I shall have nothing to eat. If I am so badly off as all that, death is my harbor. And this is the harbor of all men, even death, and this their refuge. That is why no one of the things that befall us in our life is difficult. Whenever you wish, you walk out of the house, and are no longer bothered by the smoke.[6]
When I focus on my own governing principles and not external forces I am much calmer and relaxed then when I do the opposite. It has been a rough week, my sinus headaches have been bumping at night and I haven’t slept more than 4 hours a night all week. headache is gone now, o I should be able to sleep tonight.
Why, then, are you consumed with anxiety? Why do you keep vigils? And why do you not forthwith reckon up where your good and your evil lie, and say, “They are both under my control; no man can either rob me of the one, or plunge me in the other against my will? Why, then, do I not throw myself down and snore? What is mine is safe. What is not mine shall be the concern of whoever gets it, according to the terms upon which it may be given by Him who has authority over it.
Being unconcerned with anything that happens to the things I own is probably unrealistic. That being said, it is a good reminder not to get stressed out when unfortunate things damage or destroy my stuff.
30Who am I to wish that what is not mine should be either thus or so? For it has not been given me to make a choice among these things, has it? For no one has made me an administrator of them, has he? I am satisfied with the things over which I have authority. These I ought to treat so that they may become as beautiful as possible, but everything else as their master may desire.”
I struggle with this attitude. I drive an old car for my daily driver and know if I get into a wreck there is no way the insurance company would place the same value on it that I do. My wife has noticed that I get stressed out when she drives it. I am working on this along with my myriad other faults.
Does any man who has all this before his eyes keep vigils, and does he “toss hither and thither”?[7] What does he wish, or what does he yearn for? For Patroclus, or Antilochus, or Protesilaus?[8] Why, when did he regard any of his friends as immortal? Yes, and when did he not have before his eyes the fact that on the morrow or the day after either he or his friend must die?[9] “Yes,” he says, “but I had thought he was going to survive me, and bring up my son.” No doubt, but then you were a fool, and were thinking of things that were uncertainties. Why, then, do you not blame yourself, instead of sitting and crying like little girls?
There is no certainty for the length of time we or others will live. I am sad when people I know and love die, but I understand that life is not promised to any of us. There have been times where I thought there was a chance I would die and though I would rather not, if my time is over, I will be OK with it.
“Nay, but he used to set my food before me.” Yes, fool, for then he was alive; and now he cannot. But Automedon[10] will set your food before you, and if Automedon too die, you will find somebody else. If the pot in which your meat used to be boiled gets broken, do you have to die of hunger because you do not have your accustomed pot? Won’t you send out and buy a new one to take its place? He says,
35Ill no greater than this could befall me.[11]
Why, is this what you call an ill? And then, forbearing to get rid of it, do you blame your mother, because she did not foretell it to you, so that you might continue to lament from that time forth?
I hate when people complain about mundane problems and say things like “It’s the worst feeling in the world”. I was never prone to this exaggeration, but I do actively avoid it.
What do you men think? Did not Homer compose this in order for us to see that there is nothing to prevent the persons of highest birth, of greatest strength, of most handsome appearance, from being most miserable and wretched, when they do not hold the right kind of judgements?
No matter how rich and successful a person is, there is no guarantee that they will be happy. When I used to go to church, the pastor had a good line:
“If you think beauty and money will give you happiness, look at Hollywood. How many of those people seem to be truly happy?”
I have been married for 31 years now and we used to be really poor. We were always happy, even when I was in the Marines and it seemed like I was deployed or in the field for half the time. Now we are better off financially and I am home most of the time. We are still happy together and all of the difficult times have become fond memories. If we were not happy to begin with, our current standard of living would not create that feeling.
Wasn’t CLIII some advanced college placement exam?
Who am I to wish that what is not mine should be either thus or so? For it has not been given me to make a choice among these things, has it? For no one has made me an administrator of them, has he? I am satisfied with the things over which I have authority.
It’s not only company executives who have seen these benefits. Billionaires in general have been getting richer.
In 2025, total billionaire wealth grew by $126,000 per second, the analysis found. Already in 2026, billionaires are collectively $4 trillion richer than they were 12 months ago.
One of the major ways billionaires make this money is through dividends from the companies they are invested in. Companies paid out $79 billion in dividends to billionaires in 2025 alone—equal to $2,500 every second.
On average, Oxfam says, billionaires make more money from dividends in under two hours than the average worker earns over a year.
Workers generate this economic value, Stottlemyer notes. But they’re taking home less and less of the value that they create.
*Link in previous post
Obviously, Stoicism is not highly prized by the politics-of-envy redistributionists at OxFam.
To be fair, billionaires don’t work. They just sit around and watch their swimming pools fill with gold coins, like manna from heaven.
No corporate tax and dividends taxed as regular income tax rate (which should also be cut).
End capital gains taxes too.
I already paid my pound of flesh on it and made the decision to risk it.
Yeah, I put my savings at risk and then the Feds and State think they are entitled to a reward.
“Nice little investment you have there, would be too bad if something happened to it, right?”
OT daily ray.
Airport fight clips down by 75%.
Don’t worry, Frontier Airlines still got what you need…
Wow. I figured the Trump admin would bail them out.
Glad they did t.
“Why, then, are you consumed with anxiety?” Cuz I’m a social primate, constantly concerned with others’ perceptions of me because I’d like to better my social standing? Professionally, but also socially and romantically?
“Don’t worry about what others think of you” is tremendous advice. (Unless you’re a murderer. (But not if you care about getting caught.)) It’s also not something humans are ‘designed’ to ignore. Wealth doesn’t make it go away, either. Rich folk are still out ‘competing’ with the Jones’.
Truly not worrying is absolutely accomplish-able, and some folk are just wired to not give a fuck. I’m not one of those people. I don’t think many truly *are,* but I think the confidence comes from accomplishment, stability, and the wisdom to see how the twain meet.
“Don’t worry about what others think of you” is tremendous advice.
Don’t worry; be happy.
I care what my wife thinks about me.
To a lessor extent, I care what my immediate family thinks about me.
I pay some heed to what my friends think about me, but I rarely let it interfere with what I believe is the right path.
I make the effort to get along with my coworkers.
But beyond that, I don’t really give a shit what other people think.
I don’t either, frankly. But my brain’s always been convinced everyone is methodically analyzing my every moment and movement. Even when I’m ‘alone,’ I never, ever feel it. That’s a Me issue, but one that floods social primates, but I’d say the deluge is more pronounced in me. I really don’t care for it, do my best to manage.
I’m so much better when with people, particularly when I have a relationship ‘teammate.’ It’s an amazing ‘switch difference’ within me, Pummeling Anxiety v Clouty Confidence. (The latter, never in a negative way. I’m very pleased for that. Good ev.)
dividends taxed as regular income tax rate (which should also be cut).
Nobody wants to reform taxation by lowering the earned income rate to match capital gains.
I do. Income is return on investment (training, experience) just as much as conventional investments.
Mad King Donald, destroyer of worlds
President Donald Trump granted a key approval Thursday for a major new oil pipeline from Canada into the U.S. that’s been dubbed “Keystone Light” over its similarities to a contentious project blocked by the Biden administration.
The three-foot-wide (1 meter) Bridger Pipeline Expansion would carry up to 550,000 barrels (87,400 cubic meters) of oil a day from Canada through Montana and Wyoming, where it would link with another pipeline.
The pipeline needs additional state and federal environmental approvals before construction, which company officials expect to start next year. Environmentalists hope to stop the project over worries that the pipeline could break and spill.
Environmentalists hope to stop the project because that’s what the dog in the manger does.
Renewables are cheaper anyway. I mean why are those fatcats wasting their money on tricking working families into buying more expensive dirty fuels?
The wind and sunshine are free, right? QED!
“If you think beauty and money will give you happiness, look at Hollywood. How many of those people seem to be truly happy?”
I watched the Joe Rogan podcast with Arsenio Hall. Hall at one point said when he up and coming, he was really proud of his new apartment. He met some big-wig, Richard Pryor I think but I can’t remember, and invited the guy to Hall’s new apartment. The big-wig accepted.
Hall was a bit worried because he didn’t think they guy would take him up on the invitation. Hall only had a few pieces of furniture, some booze, a bed, and a stereo. The big-wig came over.
While they were chatting, listening to music, and drinking, the big-wig looked around the apartment. The big-wig said, “This apartment reminds me of when I was happy.”
The Daily Stoic guy is crashing out because Ivanka Trump praised Meditations. This is the worst thing to happen to stoicism since Marcus Aurelius found that gladiator with his wife.
https://x.com/romanhelmetguy/status/2050221917689233839
Hahahahaha!
Not a very good practicing Stoic then?
I used to get the daily Stoic Emails, but quit when he went into a rant on “kids in cages”.
I heard he was a big believer in mandatory masking and vaxxing, so I would say he’s not that Stoic really.
He gave a talk at FreedomFest. I think last year in Palm Springs.
I remember he wrapped up his speech being hugely and openly critical of the FreedomFest organizers hosting certain speakers like Ross Ulbricht.
Damn you silent TwiX videos.
The guy wrote a book called “Trust Me, I’m Lying”, so it’s entirely possible his stoicism is a lie too.
Kill your heros.
I had a stoic moment when I was walking home and the bag I was carrying broke and smashed the wine bottle I had bought. While I let out a frustrated goddamnit I did not get all that angry and just was eh moving on.
What kind of wine was it?
feteasca neagra
‘Black BJ.’
Did I translate that correctly?
black teen BJ
Much better.
Also happy real labor day everyone. No work for Pie today.
well there was work as I cleaned my house. UNPAID LABOR. Goddamnit I should get a female to do this unpaid labor but alas I lack the charm.
Where are your orphans?
in the mines
You gotta keep one of them around, so you can relax and avoid all manual labor.
Also you need somebody you can throw out there in case STEVE SMITH shows up.
This is when everyone goes out and polishes the bronze statues of Lenin, right?
The Daily Stoic guy is crashing out because Ivanka Trump praised Meditations.
“YOU CAN’T BE IN MY CLUB!”
We’ll keep science-ing until we get the result we’re looking for
Between 2009 and 2019, the EPA repeatedly concluded there is no evidence that glyphosate causes cancer in humans. The agency has, therefore, allowed glyphosate-based weed killers, including Monsanto’s Roundup, to remain on the market without a cancer warning on its label. That’s despite a 2015 report from the International Agency for Research on Cancer, a branch of the World Health Organization, that classified glyphosate as “probably carcinogenic to humans” based on “limited” evidence of cancer in humans from real-world exposure and “sufficient” evidence of cancer in experimental animals. A 2025 study had similar findings in lab rats.
Do-something-ism is a cancer.
Anyone that’s in the Glyphosphate causes cancer crowd is an idiot or a trial lawyer.
EFSA (by no means a group that shies away from chemical bans and warnings) put glyphosate through the ringer for years and came-up with nada. It’s frustrating to now see conservatives pushing the nonsense cancer and poison narrative. Massie latching onto this cause is another reason I hope he loses his primary.
Fuck Massie.
No! I don’t find him attractive!
I’m not stoic, never gonna be stoic, and that’s okay.
Today I have bitten the inside of my lip THREE FUCKING TIMES.
I am not stoic.
I recommend whisky but…
Whiskey should sterilize the wound.
Paging Warty https://m.youtube.com/shorts/WI5d8EA0vW4?ra=m
I like it.
My wife found it.
Shes the gym goer in the family.
TRUMP: “It’s unconstitutional to seek congressional approval for war. No other country has to do that.”
https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/5859639-trump-war-powers-act-iran/
Maybe he read a different Constitution?
It’s a good thing he doesn’t drive a car or fly a plane.
He really is the gift that keeps on giving.
Look, FDR didn’t need a declaration of war to go after the japs and krauts in ww eleven.
Unconstitutional = I don’t like it.
Speaking like normies is why he won twice.
EFSA (by no means a group that shies away from chemical bans and warnings) put glyphosate through the ringer for years and came-up with nada.
In the linked article it says some landscaper proved in court his cancer was caused by Roundup (and nothing else).
Proved it. In court. With science.
What more do we need?
Dr Science, Attorney at Law.