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1-Page Summary of The Art of Living

Overview

The Daily Stoic by Ryan Holiday and Stephen Hanselman is a book that provides the reader with daily lessons on how to apply stoicism, which is often thought of as discouraging emotion. The greatest possession of a Stoic is reasoned choice, which cannot be taken away.

There are three disciplines in the practice of Stoicism. The first discipline is perception, which focuses on how to observe your surroundings without any external influences or extreme emotions influencing you. This will help you be calm and clear-headed.

The second discipline of Stoicism is action. People who are Stoics act in the best interest of others and themselves according to their values and sense of justice. They understand that they should perform their duties with diligence, focus on how their actions uphold their values, and be flexible pragmatists. They don’t waste time on unnecessary things because they have clarity from the first discipline: perception/attention.

Will is the third discipline. It’s marked by a resilient spirit that allows people to confront challenges directly and become stronger in times of crisis. Stoics train during times of ease, accept change, and act for the greater good because it benefits them individually as well. They accept death as an inevitable part of life, which motivates them to spend their time economically and act for the present moment.

Key Takeaways

To think clearly, one must eliminate any unnecessary distractions.

Someone who is emotionally stable doesn’t appear to be upset.

Being self-aware is important because it helps you to be aware of your own biases. This will prevent them from affecting how you think. If you can avoid being biased, then you’ll have a more accurate perception of the world around you. Thinking in an unbiased way should be valued over doing what’s best for yourself, as long as that action is based on good character and values. A Stoic solves problems by approaching them with a rational attitude and being proactive about trying new things if one solution doesn’t work out.

Everyone has a duty to perform, which should be carried out with justice and virtue. People who live by this code are called Stoics. They’re practical people who focus on the important things in life and expend their energy wisely.

Stoics train during easier times to prepare for adversity, which helps them deal with the fear of disaster. They believe that some things are inevitable, and they accept fate instead of fighting it. They also realize that death is a motivator to spend time efficiently and focus on what’s important rather than wasting time on trivial matters.

Key Takeaway 1: Clarity of thought without unnecessary external influences is preserved by avoiding distractions.

In order to foster clarity, people must focus on what they can control. They cannot always control money or their working environment, but they do have the power to control their minds through reason and intent with a clear vision of what is important.

Mindfulness meditation is a valuable tool for maintaining clarity of thought. It involves setting aside time to rest comfortably, focusing on something like breath, blocking out distractions and allowing the mind to be unaffected by them. Mindfulness meditation may help people better focus on their thoughts while also helping them block or lessen health problems such as chronic pain, insomnia and irritable bowel syndrome.

Key Takeaway 2: Someone who is at peace internally does not appear outwardly upset or emotional.

When people are under stress, they tend to behave irrationally. It is best to prepare for emotionally trying situations when one is calm and then regain composure if emotions become heated despite one’s best efforts to control them. For example, elections are particularly stressful external factors that lead many people in the US (and other countries) to experience anxiety or worry about who will win the election. However, worrying about this cannot impact the results of an election—it can only cause negative impacts such as strained relationships and health issues. One way a person can better prepare for encountering an election-related stressor is by contemplating what factors do matter in influencing an election’s outcome and evaluating where individual control ends. If a person loses emotional control later on, he or she can use these same meditations to avoid more stress or negative impacts.