Mastery: The Stoics 'Inner Citadel'

Issue No. 38 | September 18th, 2023 | Read Time: 2 Minutes

Happy Monday Everyone!

If I had to summarize the Philosophy of Stoicism into one word, it'd be

control

.

Every Stoic you now read shares at least one common lesson: The importance of controlling your mind and its emotions. 

Epictetus talks about how you must live life by dividing everything into two categories: externals you cannot control, and those you can.

Marcus Aurelius repeatedly talks about anxiety and how it can be thrown away because it's within our own perceptions.

Epicurus touches on how we shouldn't worry ourselves over the inevitable because it only leads to meaningless pain as we await it.

Seneca preaches about perception and how you should always look for the best but be prepared for the opposite. 

While Michel De Montaigne talks about how bravery resides in the mind and victory relies on your ability to control yourself. 

I could go on and on. 

These are all skills that rely on a disciplined mind.

Or as Pierre Hadot calls it,

The Inner Citadel

.

I became familiar with this term through Hadot's book titled

The Inner Citadel

where he talks about Marcus Aurelius' background and the rise of Stoicism.

It can be a little dense at times, but I'd highly recommend it to anyone who's interested in Stoic Philosophy.

Within it, Hadot talks about this Inner Citadel (aka, your mind) and how every Stoic philosopher's goal was to master it and prevent external events/people from challenging it.

For those of you who don't know, a citadel is a type of castle or fortress that resides in the center of a town or city. 

It has the classic high walls and towers on every corner to prevent the enemy from breaking in. 

Just like how your mind is built. 

Your mind is its own citadel. It's up to you to make sure its walls are in good shape and nothing gets in to overcome it. 

Whether it's people's words, anxiety, or events, nothing should penetrate your Inner Citadel because it's the only thing that keeps you sane. 

I believe everyone has an Inner Citadel, but not everyone protects it as they should. 

Don't be like the others and learn from the Stoics before you. Treat your mind like the castle it is and protect it from anything that prays for your downfall.

Because if you can control your mind, you can control your life.

And that's the power of Stoicism.

Until next time,

Isaiah Taylor

Dive Deeper

What I'm Currently Reading -

I'm currently reading

The Great Gatsby

by F. Scott Fitzgerald. This is one of my favorite fiction books and I love to dive back into it every now and again.

• If you'd like to see my notes on any other book I have previously read, then check out my websiteisaiahctaylor.comto view my entire library of notes and summaries.

Quote Of The Week

• “Another person will not hurt you without your cooperation; you are hurt the moment you believe yourself to be.” — Epictetus