Why You Need To Stop Crying Like A Baby, A Stoic Perspective
“Think of the life you have lived until now as over and, as a dead man, see what’s left as a bonus and live it according to Nature. Love the hand that fate deals you and play it as your own, for what could be more fitting?” — Marcus Aurelius
How much time do you spend, complaining, at least unconsciously about the way things are in your life? If you’re like me, a lot. Wallowing in shame, pity, nervousness, unwillingness, or indecision is way more harmful than you think. And that’s because you don’t only feel bad while you’re doing it, but because of the things that you’re not doing while you’re doing it. That’s the all-famous opportunity cost.
I hadn’t realized I was incurring, lately, in this type of behavior, you know, letting minuscule annoyances from work or something else, ruining an entire hour or maybe the day of my life. F that.
I let things affect me way much more than they should.
In Stoicism, there’re these things called “First Impressions”. A first impression is a reaction that occurs within yourself, instinctively, without you even noticing it happening, it just does. You may have felt this before while driving and all of a sudden, out of nowhere, a drunken driver throws his car towards yours, forcing you to turn unexpectedly to save your life and his.
