Previous Stoicism

CALM IS CONTAGIOUS

“If then it’s not that the things you pursue or avoid are coming at you, but rather that you in a sense are seeking them out, at least try to keep your judgment of them steady, and they too will remain calm and you won’t be seen chasing after or fleeing from them.”

- MARCUS AURELIUS, MEDITATIONS

Summary:
Marcus Aurelius points out that much of what disturbs us doesn’t attack us directly—we often rush toward or away from things based on our own judgement. If we stay calm and balanced in how we perceive events, those events will lose their power to agitate us.

Interpretation:
For readers, this quote reinforces the idea that our perception shapes our reality. It’s not external events but our reactions to them that create inner turmoil. For example, if someone insults us and we instantly react with anger, we’ve let our judgement make that insult powerful. But if we stay calm and respond with poise—or not at all—we disarm the situation. Calm, then, becomes not only a personal strength but an influence on others too. In a chaotic world, steadiness of mind is not just Stoic—it’s contagious.

 

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