The magic of Stoic maxims

And how to wield them

Stoic maxims are magic.

They capture Stoic theory and turn our attention to what matters.

Consider some famous quotes from our philosophers:

The universe is transformation: life is opinion

Marcus Aurelius, Meditations 4.3

We suffer more often in imagination than in reality.

Seneca, Moral Letters 13

Men are disturbed, not by things, but by the principles and notions which they form concerning things.

Epictetus, Handbook 5

All of these express the Stoic theory of emotion. It’s not what we feel, but how we think that matters. Our judgments shape our reality. Hence, we must focus on the quality of our thoughts. After all, as Marcus Aurelius says:

Such as are your habitual thoughts, such also will be the character of your mind; for the soul is dyed by the thoughts.

Meditations 5.16

The Stoics memorized and returned to these maxims again and again.

But why? Simply repeating words doesn’t change minds. So what’s the point?

These lines crystalize Stoic theory. They are powerful and memorable.

Crucially, these maxims shift our attention. They call us to move our focus to philosophical matters. Take Marcus Aurelius’s words:

The impediment to action advances action.

What stands in the way becomes the way.

Meditations 5.20

With these few lines, Marcus Aurelius reminds himself that he can push through. In this way, his meditation serves as a spell to communicate Stoic philosophy and turn his mind towards applying it.

That’s why Stoics committed their philosophy to memory through sayings and practiced applying maxims to their specific situations. Anything that helps you shape yourself and reality like that is magic.