Cheatsheet: Stoic Philosophy for Modern Life
One-page reference for the whole course. Sorted by module and lesson. Use it to look things up, not to learn them the first time.
1.1 Stoicism in Ten Minutes
What it is
| Claim | Reality |
|---|---|
| A philosophy of feeling nothing | A philosophy of not being ruled by feelings |
| A set of rules to obey | A set of practices to rehearse |
| Escapism or passivity | Active engagement with what you can influence |
| "Just be positive" | Realistic appraisal, then a chosen response |
| A religion | A practical philosophy of character |
What it is not: suppressing emotion, avoiding problems, pretending nothing matters, or a productivity hack.
Three anchors of the school
| Anchor | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Control | Only your judgments and choices are truly yours |
| Character | Virtue is the only genuine good |
| Rehearsal | Prepare and review daily, not once |
The three authors
| Author | Role in the course | Signature idea |
|---|---|---|
| Epictetus | Teacher, former slave | Dichotomy of control, "it is not things but judgments" |
| Marcus Aurelius | Emperor writing private notes | Morning preparation, view from above, duty to the whole |
| Seneca | Statesman and letter-writer | Evening review, negative visualization, time as our scarcest resource |
Note: Stoicism is a practice, like physical training. Reading about it changes nothing; doing the exercises changes the habit.
1.2 The Dichotomy of Control
The core split (Epictetus)
| In my control | Not in my control |
|---|---|
| My judgments | Other people's opinions |
| My intentions and choices | Outcomes and results |
| My effort and attention | Reputation, weather, traffic |
| My response to events | The events themselves |
| My character | My body's health, aging, death |
| What I say and how I say it | How it is received |
The sorting exercise (2 minutes)
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