1. Be impeccable with your word
2. Don't make assumptions
3. Don't take anything personal
4. Always do your best

That's the whole book

Read this over ten years ago and it's the simplest way to get ahead in life. Just go back to those four things and you'll be alright.

Yeah its actually really simple but quality principles

solid principles though #3 seems difficult as fuk to accomplish, does he give any tips on it?

He says basically everyone is living in their own version of reality (their 'dream') and has their own experiences which shape their beliefs and actions/words. Therefore, you shouldn't take anything personal because some people are not conscious of how they developed their beliefs, they just take them as innate

Even if they are conscious, it is still part of their subjective reality to have the opinion they have and what they say/do should have no impact on what you see to be true and believe yourself

I recommend reading the book, it's a short read and provides a lot more details than I could

thank you bro, will rep on r/c

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I've never read the book or heard of the author, but this is actually how I live my life. I'm not always perfect, I often make mistakes. But they are rules I try to live by. Repped for the reminder...

Listen to the audiobook brah, it’s like 2-3 hours.
It’s helped me I apply it a lot in life. Srs

Interesting book. I really like his agreements and the brief description but I feel like his book was very contradictory—kinda weird

It's a good book I recently remembered the principles to

All of the principles seem like something that would be good for me to remember and use so I thought I'd post em for anyone elseDefinitely recommend reading if you haven't already. What do you think is contradictory about it?

ty brah

Just sounds like stoicism-light. The great thing about stoicism is it's ancient, so it's public domain. Free. You don't have to pay some poser who just rehashed it.

https://becomingbetter.org/10-essent...s-of-stoicism/

The Stoics of ancient Rome were a diverse group. On one end of the spectrum, there were people of great wealth and power, like emperor Marcus Aurelius, pictured above. On the other end of the spectrum, there was Epictetus, a crippled former slave. People from all walks of life found value in the philosophy of Stoicism.

The Stoics were not ivory-tower philosophers. They were doers. They embodied their philosophy in the way they lived their lives. Their goal was simple: Live better.

And Stoicism is a set of ideas and practices that remain useful to this day. I have personally employed them for many years to great benefit. And in one form or another, many Stoic principles have already appeared in this blog. But I think it’s time to put them all together into a neat little summary.

Let’s begin with the value of Stoicism.

How can Stoicism help you?

“It’s a philosophy designed to make us more resilient, happier, more virtuous and more wise–and as a result, better people, better parents and better professionals.”

Stoic principles and practices are all about mental strength and virtue. They will help you assert your willpower in pursuit of your goals. They will help you live up to your highest ideals.

“Stoicism is a tool in the pursuit of self-mastery, perseverance, and wisdom: something one uses to live a great life.”

1: Focus on what you can control.
2: Take action.
3: Be virtuous.
4: Lead by example.
5: Diminish your ego.
6: You’re not entitled to anything.
7: Exercise your will.
8: Practice resilience when faced with obstacles, failure, or tragedy.
9: Choose your response.
10. Be grateful.


Below are eight of the main ethical notions held by the Stoic philosophers.

Nature: Nature is rational.

Law of Reason: The universe is governed by the law of reason. Humans can't actually escape its inexorable force, but they can, uniquely, follow the law deliberately.

Virtue: A life led according to rational nature is virtuous.

Wisdom: Wisdom is the the root virtue. From it spring the cardinal virtues: insight, bravery, self-control, and justice.

Apathea: Since passion is irrational, life should be waged as a battle against it. Intense feeling should be avoided.

Pleasure: Pleasure is neither good nor bad. It is only acceptable if it doesn't interfere with the quest for virtue.

Evil: Poverty, illness, and death are not evil.

Duty: Virtue should be sought, not for the sake of pleasure, but for duty.
As modern-day stoic philosopher Massimo Pigliucci (b. 1959) describes the stoic philosophy:


Serenity Prayer and Stoic Philosophy

The Serenity Prayer, attributed to the Christian theologian Reinhold Niebuhr (1892–1971), and published by Alcoholics Anonymous in several similar forms, could have come straight from the principles of Stoicism, as this side-by-side comparison of the Serenity Prayer and the Stoic Agenda shows:

Serenity Prayer

God grant me the serenity To accept the things I cannot change, courage to change the things I can, and wisdom to know the difference. (Alcoholics Anonymous)

God, give us grace to accept with serenity the things that cannot be changed, courage to change the things that should be changed, and the wisdom to distinguish the one from the other.

STOIC AGENDA

To avoid unhappiness, frustration, and disappointment, we, therefore, need to do two things: control those things that are within our power (namely our beliefs, judgments, desires, and attitudes) and be indifferent or apathetic to those things which are not in our power (namely, things external to us).