Adversity

How do you practice Stoicism when you’re exhausted, not motivated?

Posted by Matt 12d ago 110 views 1 replies

Most Stoic advice assumes a certain level of energy and clarity.

But what about days when you’re mentally fried? When the idea of "practicing virtue" just feels like another obligation?

On those days, what does Stoic practice realistically look like for you?
Is it restraint? Letting things go? Or simply not making things worse?

I’m curious how others apply Stoicism when willpower is low.

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ᗡBЯG Supporter 11d ago

This is personally my main struggle at the moment.

I did come across stoicism seeing a few shorts from Ryan Holiday. After carefully reading many reviews on some of his books I decided to avoid them and go for the "original works".

Now I'm starting to think these might be a lower barrier for entry. Wondering if anyone has experience with them and opinions about it.

Matt 11d ago

Hey there, and welcome to the site.

I think it's best to go to the original sources myself. You'll miss so much of the philosophy if you go straight to Ryan Holiday's books.

Now I'm starting to think these might be a lower barrier for entry

The original works are indeed extremely simple to understand, for the most part. However, there's so much packed into them, it's easy to miss without having a solid understanding of Stoicism/Ancient thought.

If you want a really deep dive into this, I'd recommend reading Pierre Hadot's The Inner Citadel. This book is quite difficult to read, honestly. Sometimes Hadot dives into Greek words, for example, but the book is well worth it; it opens up a real understanding of Stoicism, in my opinion.