Marcus — course

what did the stoics actually believe

The Stoics taught that a good life comes from living in accordance with reason and virtue rather than chasing external rewards. They distinguished between what is up to us — our judgments and choices — and what is not, and argued that peace of mind follows from focusing only on the former. This course walks through those core teachings and how they were meant to be practiced day to day.

how do you control your reaction instead of the situation

The key idea is the dichotomy of control: some things are within your power, like your opinions, desires and actions, and some things are not, like other people's behavior and outcomes. Suffering tends to come from wanting to control what you cannot, so the practice is to invest your effort where you have real agency and accept the rest calmly.

what is negative visualization and why do it

Negative visualization means deliberately imagining the loss of things you value — your health, your work, the people close to you — before it happens. Rather than breeding gloom, it renews your gratitude for what you currently have and softens the shock when circumstances change. It is one of the practical exercises covered here.

how did the stoics deal with anger and desire

The Stoics treated anger and runaway desire as judgments you can examine and correct, not forces that simply happen to you. By pausing to question the impression that provoked the emotion, you create room to respond deliberately instead of being carried away. The material shows how to catch these reactions early and reason through them.

what does memento mori mean and how is it used

Memento mori — remember that you will die — is a reminder used to sharpen focus on how you live right now. Instead of encouraging fear, it is meant to strip away trivial worries and clarify what genuinely matters, making each day count. This idea runs throughout the practices taught here.