Marcus Aurelius: The things themselves that affect us,…

Events do not arrive with a label that says devastating, humiliating, or wonderful. The label is supplied by the mind. A delayed flight is a set of facts. A harsh comment is sound waves and another person’s opinion. They may call for action, but they do not automatically command despair. This is one of Stoicism’s most demanding ideas because our judgments feel immediate and objective. We say, “It was terrible,” when what we mean is, “I strongly dislike what happened.” That distinction gives us room to act. You can solve the travel problem, address the criticism, or leave the bad situation without first declaring yourself ruined. The understanding is the judge, so it can also revise its verdict. Today, catch one automatic description—unfair, impossible, catastrophic—and replace it with a plain account of what occurred. Start there.