A Stoic Mantra to Dispel Anger
This Stoic “Mantra” can be used to condition ourselves to remain calm when facing an annoying situation. These have been adapted from the writings of Seneca. I think Seneca would approve the use of these in the form of a mantra.)
-- People often have no idea what they are doing, and do things in error.
-- Be magnanimous with a lofty mind.
-- Recognize and acknowledge the ugliness of anger and remind ourselves of its danger.
-- Associate with good natured people. Avoid those with character defects.
-- Always be well rested. Avoid exhaustion.
-- If you feel stress coming on, engage immediately in a calming outlet.
-- Understand what situations make you angry and practice acknowledging that to lessen its impact when that situation occurs.
-- If you see something annoying, choose to look the other way.
-- Don’t obsess over trivial matters or what cannot be changed.
-- Practice forgiveness of others until such time as you yourself have become perfect.
-- If someone starts to make you angry, recognize that and wait. Avoid responding. This will give you perspective. Remember that death takes us all eventually, those that are angry and those that are not. Which would you prefer to be when your time comes?
Psychologist today would call these techniques “cognitive distancing.” The Stoics understood these techniques long before modern science “acknowledged” them._
The thoughts here are mine and mine alone.
I hope you find them useful, or perhaps even enjoy them.
Entries on this site are presented in chronological order.
Use the Contents link at the top of the page to view entries by category.
Entry # 1,924
