It is not enough, of course, to simply tune out the noise around you. One can turn off social media. One can cultivate the quiet country life, as the Stoics did on occasion. One can ignore what is inessential, pay no attention to what makes no difference.

And still there is noise.

To get to ataraxia, or a place of stillness and peace, the Stoics knew that controlling for externals was not enough. We had to develop an inner calm too, an ability to recognize our own destructive thought patterns and stop them.

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And with today's passage from the Daily Stoic Journal, Ryan discusses why the Stoics believe that the key to being happier is doing less by doing only what is essential.

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