I’ve cried probably five times in the last five years.

For some, that might be a lot. For me, that’s a little more than I’d care to admit, but it’s the truth.

Whenever I came across Stoic philosophy in 2021, I thought being a Stoic was all about being emotionless.

Not caring about what other people think.

Never getting anxious.

Never being afraid.

And frankly, I kept that mindset for years.

And surprisingly, a lot of other people do to.

Every now and then, I find myself skimming through posts on Reddit’s r/Stoicism page, and all the time I find people asking questions like:

‘How to be emotionless & is it possible?’

‘I’m tired of being sensitive and emotional. How can I become stoic?’

‘I want to stop feeling.’

These are real questions, and it’s kind of sad not only because there are people out there who are looking for an outlet to stop their mental turmoil, but because I used to ask the same questions.

It wasn’t until I read How To Think Like A Roman Emperor by Donald Robertson that I realized Stoicism isn’t about being emotionless.

Rather, it’s about managing the negative ones, and welcoming the positive ones.

The ancient Stoics taught on multiple occasions that we should always be striving for what they called Eudaimonia, or true happiness.

That as humans, we should maximize what little time we already have and love others unconditionally, give to those around us, and share what we’ve learned along the way.

And most importantly, realize it’s normal to grieve over the loss of a loved one.

It’s normal to be anxious whenever something bad happens.

It’s normal to be angry whenever you hear someone talking behind your back.

It’s what you do after these emotions arise that matter.

Will you succumb to them? Or will you accept them and choose not to focus on it?

Back in 146 BC, a Greek historian named Polybius was attending the funeral of friend when he noticed one of his other friends crying.

As a philosophical man, he stood there contemplating what the best course of action was.

Should he comfort him? Or remind him as a man, he should stop his crying in the presence of others?

Instead, Polybius walked up to his friend and told him:

He didn’t tell him to stop crying. Rather, he reminded him that it’s in his power to control his emotions whenever he’s ready.

What I’m getting at is, don’t beat yourself up for having a moment of weakness.

Simply accept the emotion and make the conscious decision to come out the other side stronger than before.

You become stronger by conquering your emotions. Not by eliminating them all together.

So remember, next time you find yourself crying, anxious, afraid, or angry, remember that it doesn’t make you any less of a man or woman.

If anything, it makes you more.

Until next time,
Isaiah Taylor

Dive Deeper

What I’m Currently Reading - I’m now reading Fanatical Prospecting by Blount. A book on modern outreach for B2B and B2C communication.

Quote Of The Weak - “Fear doesn’t mean you’re weak: it means you’re sane.” — Josh Kaufman