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a man in the nineteenth century must and morally ought to be pre-eminently a characterless creature; a man of character, an active man is pre-eminently a limited creature.
He contrasts himself with "men of action"—people of limited reflection who move through life decisively, take revenge, get satisfaction, and never doubt themselves, precisely because they don't think too hard. He, the "sick" overthinking type, envies this simplicity but also despises it as stupidity.
Consciousness can become so intense that it destroys the very character necessary for action. self-awareness paralyzes him before he can commit to anything
“The unexamined life is not worth living”
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“And why should we feel anger at the world? As if the world would notice!”
― Meditation Marcus Aurelius: Thoughts & Life Lessons of Wise Emperor
― Meditation Marcus Aurelius: Thoughts & Life Lessons of Wise Emperor
“Be careful, however, lest this reading of many authors and books of every sort may tend to make you discursive and unsteady. You must linger among a limited number of master thinkers, and digest their works, if you would derive ideas which shall win firm hold in your mind. Everywhere means nowhere. When a person spends all his time in foreign travel, he ends by having many acquaintances, but no friends. And the same thing must hold true of men who seek intimate acquaintance with no single author, but visit them all in a hasty and hurried manner.”
― Letters from a Stoic
― Letters from a Stoic
“His propositions are nothing but expressions of personal opinion unless they are supported by reasons.”
― How to Read a Book
― How to Read a Book
“No man has the right to be an amateur in the matter of physical training. It is a shame for a man to grow old without seeing the beauty and strength of which his body is capable.”
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Stoic Book Club
— 906 members
— last activity Oct 11, 2026 10:18AM
This club is about traditional Stoicism with the distinct purpose of enabling and promoting discourse on Stoic philosophy as a way of life.
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