We have a long history of the Stoics being devastated by things. Cato at the loss of his brother. Marcus and the victims of the plague. Seneca undone by his exile. Stockdale’s body ravaged by 7 years in the Hanoi Hilton.

They did not simply shrug these things off. How could they? They were human beings. While Stoicism promises to help you build an “inner citadel,” a fortress of power and resilience that prepares you for the difficulties of the world, it makes no promises to make you superhuman. A Stoic isn’t someone invincible.. A Stoic is someone who puts themself back together so they can do what needs to be done, for themselves and for others.

The animations in this video are testaments to the Stoics ability to push through difficulty and to be made better for it.

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Navigating sensitivity with Stoic wisdom. Source: How Stoicism Can Work for the Highly Sensitive Person

“Two words,” Epictetus says, “should be committed to memory and obeyed by alternatively exhorting and restraining ourselves, words that will ensure we lead a mainly blameless and untroubled life.” Those two words were ‘persist and resist.’

Today, we persist in our efforts—despite any obstacles we might face—and we resist naysayers, discouragement and distractions. We know that today is another day to face what we need to do—but without feeling rushed or worried. We know we are in it for the long haul. Others in our shoes might give up but we are in it for the long haul. Reminding ourselves of this makes it easier to resist all the noise. And to let us continue with our work.