New to The School for Mortals? You can read the introduction here.
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Most of us know more about self-discipline than our behavior would suggest.
We know we should put down the phone, finish the work, exercise, spend more carefully, speak more patiently, keep the promise, or resist the impulse we will probably regret later. We may even decide, sincerely, that this time we will.
Then the moment arrives, and something changes.
What we intended to do collides with what we feel like doing.
We usually interpret this as a failure of willpower. We tell ourselves to try harder, become more motivated, build better habits, remove temptation, or finally become the sort of person who follows through.
All of those things can help. But the Stoics would have us look further upstream.
Before an action comes a judgment about what is happening. Beneath that judgment is often a desire for something we believe will make things better: approval, pleasure, relief, control, or escape.
Perhaps the problem is not simply that we need more willpower.
Perhaps we have been starting in the wrong place.
The Stoic Approach to Self-Discipline
When we think about discipline, we tend to begin with behavior.
Did I do the workout? Finish the project? Resist the temptation? Follow through?
The Stoics cared deeply about action, but they understood that action does not appear from nowhere. What we do is connected to what we want and to the judgments we make about what is happening around us.
This is why the Stoic teacher Epictetus organized philosophical training around three interconnected disciplines: desire, action, and assent—the judgments we make about our impressions.
Those three disciplines provide the framework for this course.
We will begin with desire. What are we reaching for, avoiding, or demanding from life? Are the things we want worthy of the power we give them?
Then we will turn to judgment. What happens between an event and our response to it? Must every impression, fear, craving, or thought be accepted as true simply because it appears?
Finally, we will turn to action. Once we have considered what deserves our desire and examined the judgments guiding us, how do we actually do what the situation requires—especially when it is inconvenient or difficult?
The sequence can be summarized simply: Want rightly. Judge clearly. Act well.
That is a more demanding vision of self-discipline than simply forcing ourselves to do unpleasant things. It is also a more interesting one.
How the Course Will Work
For five days, we will work through the Stoic disciplines one step at a time.
Each lesson will explore one aspect of self-discipline and end with a practical exercise to carry into the day.
You do not need previous knowledge of Stoicism. You also do not need to overhaul your life, wake at five in the morning, eliminate every distraction, or become a different person by Friday.
The work is more modest.
Pay attention to what you want. Notice what you tell yourself when something becomes difficult. Notice the moment an impression turns into a judgment. Notice what happens between deciding to do something and actually doing it.
And pay particular attention to the places where your behavior seems to be governed by something you never consciously chose.
The School for Mortals, along with Resist and Persist, will be available exclusively to Dying Every Day members. If you’re not already a member, you can become a member, join at 50% off, or, if cost is a barrier, accept a complimentary membership.
Membership helps make this newsletter possible. At the same time, I never want cost to be the reason someone cannot take part.
Resist and Persist
The title of this course draws from a maxim long associated with Epictetus, traditionally rendered in various ways as bear and forbear, endure and renounce, or, more memorably for our purposes:
Resist and persist.
Resist what should not govern you.
Persist in what deserves your effort.
The two belong together.
Discipline requires resistance because there will always be desires, impulses, fears, distractions, and judgments that pull us away from what we have decided matters.
But resistance alone is not enough. A person can spend an entire life saying no.
We also need something worth saying yes to—something worth returning to when enthusiasm fades, something worth continuing when the work becomes repetitive, recognition fails to arrive, circumstances become difficult, or another path suddenly appears more attractive.
That is persistence.
Not stubbornness for its own sake, but continued fidelity to what we have judged worth doing.
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On Monday, we begin where discipline so often begins: with desire.
Until next time, remember to live.
J.W.
P.S. If you have questions or suggestions, feel free to share them!
Really looking forward to this! Thanks JW