4 Stoic Teachings for Election Week
It’s a wild time to be alive — that’s the first thing to remember. It completely makes sense if you’re feeling a bit out of whack. As Ashley Abramson writes in Forge, “A lot is at stake during any presidential election — but for many of us, this one in particular feels like it comes with life-or-death consequences.”
The ancient-but-also-incredibly-timely philosophy of Stoicism has some lessons that might come in handy this week, no matter what happens.
1. It is not what happens to you, but how you react to it that matters. — Epictetus
Yes, it’s the oldest trick in the Stoicism book. But it’s a classic for a reason. You don’t control what happens in this election. You control your part — maybe you phone-banked for or donated money to your candidate of choice, hopefully you voted or have a plan to vote — but that’s it, baby. After that, Epictetus take the wheel!
