Don’t set your mind on too many things
The first lesson of Stoicism is to focus. Concentration brings balance to many aspects of life, so mastering this skill is crucial. Just like a wound won’t heal without consistent care, academic and work success require dedication.
Seneca chose one of the thoughts running through his mind and contemplated it the entire day. Such dedication enables a deep understanding of the subject, as jumping from one idea to another can be confusing. For instance, juggling several books at once is a surefire way to mix up plots. Similarly, constant traveling doesn’t allow for deep friendships to form.
Regarding relationships, Seneca emphasizes that you should judge a person first, and once you know them well and become friends, you should trust them as you would yourself. Otherwise, you’ll have mere acquaintances. A true friend should be someone you can talk to about anything and expect understanding.
⚡️True friendship is when your heart finds a home in another.
Sharing your deepest worries with strangers and keeping secrets from your friends are equally unfruitful actions. People are social and require others to thrive, so the effort and dedication needed to find someone you trust are worth it.
Moreover, forming a society is within human nature. After all, we succeed and fail together, so looking after a friend is also self-care. Therefore, living by nature means you shouldn’t strive to dissociate yourself from people. On the other hand, trying to stand out drastically defeats the philosophy’s purpose of conforming with nature. The desire for attention often hides behind such attempts, which causes doubts about one’s motives for studying Stoicism.
“The first thing philosophy promises us is the feeling of fellowship, of belonging to mankind and being members of a community; being different will mean the abandoning of that manifesto.”
Lucius Annaeus Seneca
Seneca suggests that practicing Stoicism shouldn’t distance you from humanity but deepen your connection. Again, focusing on necessities can help limit distracting desires and worries. Besides, when a guest visits your home, they will admire you instead of your lavish interior. Improving your quality of life is beneficial, but if you want to be a true Stoic, remember to keep balance and refrain from radicalism.
Many pleasures may become a burden depending on your attitude, so sometimes, limiting what you pay attention to gives you ample freedom to better yourself and the world.