The Art of Being Unflappable

Wednesday Wisdom #142

Happy Wednesday, friends!

Last week, we wrote about Stoicism and Emotions.
 

This week: The Art of Being Unflappable

Let's get to it 👇

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Weekly Reflection

The Hellenistic period (323-31 BCE), in which several schools of ancient Greek philosophy were founded such as Stoicism, was in many ways similar to the current times we are living in 2022.

It was chaotic. A time of constant change and turmoil. Now, the world feels even more chaotic because of social media. We have access to more opinions and information than ever before, and it's all so noisy and overwhelming. Inner peace has never been more scarce and valuable.

Stoicism was born out of necessity. As a way of thinking which provided people with a framework to maintain an inner calm, despite what was happening on the outside. This is perhaps why we relate so much to it even today, because we all seek peace.

This is where the art of being unflappable comes in. The Greeks called it ataraxia, the Romans called it aequanimitas. A state of robust equanimity characterized by ongoing freedom from distress and worry. No one is born with this skill, it demands training and must be learned.

Regardless of what career path you're on, you can definitely benefit from being unflappable. You can be a source of peace and comfort when everyone else around you is losing their head. As Marcus Aurelius wrote, "like the rock in the sea that the waves keep crashing over, while the raging of the sea falls still around it."

Here are 7 ways you can be more like the rock Marcus writes about, inspired by the Stoics: