stoic
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Here we go again… Have you ever been mucking out the barn and thought to yourself, “I’ve shoveled this shi–stuff before”? I hope you’ve had that thought, because that’s where I find myself today as I’m writing this, and it might be hard for you to understand and empathize otherwise. I know I’m a month…
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By D.S. Cook for Apostoic.com An orchard town in the hills was famous for it’s rich harvest. Each year, the people worked together to bring in their abundant apples and carried them carefully into the storehouse against the winter cold. Every autumn, the town would choose one man to guard the building where the community…
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In the thirtieth year of his reign, Emperor Liang sat upon the alabaster throne in the Hall of Balanced Scales. Two provincial governors had journeyed a thousand miles to lay their quarrel at his feet. Governor Wei of the fertile Riverlands entered first. His robes were silk, his retinue numerous, hearty, and gracious. Behind him…
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In a vast and ancient kingdom, there once stood a strong fortress, perched high upon a hill. Its towering stone walls were a steadfast guardian over the valleys below, it’s principled governance and dignified generosity sheltered the poor and the sojourner for generations. But the wise and beloved king, whose words and deeds inspired songs…
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Once on a farm next to a busy highway, there lived a pompous rooster named Squawkington, who fancied himself a great thinker and philosopher. He was famous for his loud and annoying crow, which sounded nothing at all like a rusty gate slowly murdering a stuck pig. He was also famous for his unshakeable belief…
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Elderglen’s pride was its nightly hymn. Every evening since the first stone was laid, they gathered in the square and sang the Truthsong, rooted deeply in the faith that bound them together. “We speak what is, we speak what’s real. Our voices joined, the truth we seal.” They sang of the blessings that kept them…
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Arguments reveal more than truth, they reveal the character. Will I be arrogantly right, humbly wrong, or the inverse? Will I lose while winning, or win while losing? Here is my recent counsel to myself, offered up for your critique and possible benefit. On insignificant arguments:When certain you’re right, don’t let it show. At least…
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As a faithful follower of Christ and a devotee to His Church, I am sometimes questioned on my appreciation for the philosophy of Stoicism, and my addition of Stoic practice to my daily pursuit of goodness, justice, truth, mercy, and temperance. These questions are generally not reproaches, but genuine curiosity as to the fitness of…
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In a village carved from the frozen jaws of a Slavic winter, where the wind howled like a hungry wolf, lived Katya, a girl with eyes like storm clouds and skilled fingers that could’ve danced with flax… if only she’d let them. Her family’s hut smelled of damp wool and expectation, the flax piled high…
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Dying well: Stoic Heroes Who Mastered Calmness Sentenced to death for crimes of speech, Socrates met his end at the bottom of a cup of poison after being convicted of impiety against the gods by a jury of 500 Athenians. A revered teacher and philosopher even in his own time, he had stood alone and…
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Stop Losing Sleep Over Work Stress with Stoicism If you are like me, you have lost more than a few nights of sleep over your job. Negative interactions, a boss that may be impossible to please despite your best efforts, reviews you disagree with, ever moving goal-posts, and stress-build up can send your head spinning…
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Letting Go Like a Stoic Saint: Detachment Done Right I get questioned sometimes on why my blog is titled “Apostoic.” Well, here goes. Stoic and Christian values, though born from wildly different worldviews, share a surprising overlap when it comes to building an unshakeable character. Both Stoicism and Christianity emphasize cultivating an inner strength that…