stoicism
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A Story for the Covenant Christian Kids – By D.S Cook for Apostoic.com In the rolling countryside, there once lived twin brothers, Jerry and Jankerson. They were fond of one another; they played together well, shared their friends, and both were strong and healthy. One day, when they were eight, their mother said, “Boys, I…
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I identify publicly with Stoic philosophy in my social media bios. In my case, this identification is transparently partial; Christ first. He is the way, the truth, and the life. Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved (Acts…
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Guest Author S. D. Davis For those who are returning, thank you and welcome back. For those who’ve found themselves in the middle of something I encourage you to read part 1 of the series first. Last week I argued that Man of Steel is correctly understood as a philosophical examination of self-control and discipline. …
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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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#bondibeachattack In the previous article we saw that nature has zero tolerance for incompatible diversity. Oil Separates from water, ice cannot coexist with lava, wolves and sheep do not negotiate shared pens. To label this iron law a mere failure of tolerance is not just silly, it’s the tantrum of a child who believes shouting…
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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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In the half-light of dawn, Viktor trudges through the frozen mud. His feet are raw with blisters from ragged shoes that do not fit, handed down from a former occupant with no more need. He shudders at the promise of the day’s forced labor. Victor has been a prisoner in the Nazi concentration camps for…
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In a trading village in the windy plains, Caius the blacksmith was a man of fire and iron. A handsome man with bright eyes, a charming smile, and strength born of a lifetime of physical labor, he was the envy of the village lads and ever the subject of interest for the young ladies that…
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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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The Proletariat Assembly Line On September 10, a young man sat on a chair in front of a crowd at Utah University, his voice amplified in passionate defense of his principles. As he had done so many times before, Charlie Kirk had come to discuss and debate… to hear the best arguments of those who…
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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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The Rich and The Poor It is easy for a man who has much to criticize the habits of one who has little, and easy for a poor man to criticize the wealthy for the usage of what he has. It is not common to hear the poor criticizing the poor, or the rich the…
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In a quiet valley nestled between rolling hills, two friends, Elias and Mara, dreamed of building homes to call their own. Both decided to craft sturdy brick houses, envisioning shelters that would stand proud and long. With enthusiasm, they laid their foundations and began stacking their first rows of bricks under the warm sun. That…
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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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Three people watched Fight Club last night. Spoiler alert. My wife, the narrative purist, was not a huge fan. “What’s so great about it?” She said. “It’s just a story about a guy who goes crazy and destroys things.” My mom, the plot sleuth, had the alter-ego twist pegged earlier than anyone. “I suspected…
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The Stoic Dichotomy of Control When I first began to read the Stoic philosophers, I was struck by a bedrock idea that is preached by pretty much all of them. In a nutshell, the Stoics promoted a key principle known as the dichotomy of control, which basically says that we should stick to worrying about…
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“Every instrument, tool, vessel, if it does that for which it has been made, is well. Does the sun undertake to do the work of the rain? And how is it with respect to each of the stars? Are they not different and yet they work together to the same end?” These words from Marcus…
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A few months ago, I posed a question in a group chat to my team at work. I asked “What are some of the books that have shaped your values into what they are today?” I got a few expected answers from the list of business and self-improvement books that have garnered the highest readership.…
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An excellent mental exercise, rooted in Stoicism, is to start at the high level of the activities that make up the lion’s share of your daily efforts. Select one that you would rate as being highly important, write it down on a piece of paper, and then ask the question: “Why? Why do I do…
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“Well John Henry hammered in the mountain. He’d give a grunt and give a groan with every swing. The women folks from miles around heard him and come down, to watch him make the cold steel ring, Lord what a swinger! Just listen to the cold steel ring” – Johnny Cash “The Legend of John…
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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…