 I think the first thought when looking into a new philosophy is what can it do for me and is it worth my time to investigate? Well in this video let's talk about how you could benefit from the philosophy of Stoicism. As my personal favorite philosophy, Stoicism is in my opinion invaluable in the increasingly chaotic world that we live in. What about the Stoic philosophy makes this statement true? Well I think it's right to start with perhaps the most important lesson, which in turn will allow us to master the other teachings with these. The first lesson is that it will teach you how to find inner peace. Whether it be through the eloquent writings of Seneca or the refreshing candor of the meditations, you will find plenty of pieces to the puzzle of inner peace, an ancient map to equanimity laid out by our betters. These thoughts are there for the taking, unguarded and in abundance for all to share equally should they only rise to the occasion. With inner peace now within your power, Stoicism will then teach you how not to waste time by making the most of each day. It's no secret that procrastination has been or still is an issue in all of our lives, but how many of us consider that that hour that we just wasted could be the last of its kind? What man can you show me who places any value on his time, who reckons the worth of each day, who understands that he is dying daily? For we are mistaken when we look forward to death. The major portion of death has already passed. Whatever years be behind us are in death's hands. This quote by Seneca drives home the somber fact that we would be hard pressed to find more than a handful of individuals that use its precious resource to its utmost limitations. Stoicism will allow you the opportunity to take your place among these select few by showing you the worth of each second, minute, hour, day, week, month, and year. If you ask those who have been afforded the luxury of living their lives to old age, most will tell you that the only thing they wish they had more of is time. Next on the list of how you could benefit from Stoicism is that it will free you from the opinions of others. There is a reason that public speaking is a fear likely only third to loneliness and death, because as much as the mass of humanity would like us to believe that they could care less about the opinions of others, in reality most of them are likely terrified by the thought of ignominy or public rejection. Stoicism will teach you how to overcome this by illuminating the simple but seemingly surreptitious fact that worrying about what you cannot control is pointless. As long as you have done what is according to justice, that which is right and virtuous, and what your peers think is irrelevant and even if it wasn't, it lies outside of your control. How many great minds of the past were thought a heretic or stupid for their beliefs? Copernicus, Bruno, Socrates, the list goes on. As Epictetus stated, if you want to improve, be content to be thought foolish and stupid. So much value can be found in the literature written by or about the Stoics. We've already covered a fair share of invaluable lessons, but I would like to share with you one more crucial lesson from the Stoics, and that lesson is how to conquer death. One must only read Seneca's On the Shortness of Life or Marcus Aurelius' Meditations or the Incairidion of Epictetus to figure out that the Stoics did not fear death, but welcomed it just as you would welcome the change from adolescence to adulthood. I would like to share with you two quotes on the Stoics' view of death, one for Marcus Aurelius and the other, Seneca. Death would be a thing of dread if it could stay with you, but death must either not come at all or must come and pass away, Seneca. And for Marcus Aurelius, pass then through this little space of time comfortably to nature and end your journey in content, just as an olet falls off when it is ripe, blessing nature who produced it and thanking the tree on which it grew. I'm paraphrasing Seneca here, but is it not a great deed to conquer life and an even greater deed to conquer death? Please take my word for it that if you are struggling with anger, lack of motivation, fear of what others' opinions are of you or even wrestling with your own mortality after a brush with death or a family member's brush with death, Stoicism may be the guide that can make all the difference. You don't have to be a Stoic sage to find these teachings helpful, just willing to consider new ideas. I'm going to list a few books that will give you a good idea of what the Stoics believed. They are Seneca's Letters from a Stoic and On the Shortness of Life, Marcus Aurelius' Meditations and the Enchiridion of Epictetus. To purchase all of these books, it will only be approximately $30. For that $30, you will get your money back in wisdom tenfold. The link to all of these is in the description below. Thank you for taking the time to watch these videos of mine. If you're not already subscribed and did enjoy the video, consider doing so. These videos can only get better. Thanks for talking philosophy with me. Until next time.