Sometimes The Daily Stoic gives me exactly what I need right when I need it. This entry did just that. I’ve been having a hard time lately sticking to my own values and that’s been weighing heavily on my mind. There are some good reminders in here about pausing and checking with myself before I do something; I’m sure those will help me get back on track. I hope they will.
“When the standards have been set, things are tested and weighed. And the work of philosophy is just this, to examine and uphold the standards, but the work of a truly good person is in using those standards when they know them.”
-Epictetus, Discourses, 2.11.23-25
We go through our days responding and reacting, but it’s rare to really pause and ask: Is this thing I’m about to do consistent with what I believe? Or, better: Is this the kind of thing the person I would like to be should do?
The work of living is to set standards and then not compromise them. When you’re brushing your teeth, choosing your friends, losing your temper, falling in love, instructing your child, or walking your dog – all of these are opportunities.
Not, I want to do good – that’s an excuse. But, I will do good in this particular instance, right now. Set a standard; hold fast to it. That’s all there is.