Just Don't Make Things Worse

The Daily Stoic for June 11th. “Just Don’t Make Things Worse”.

“How much more harmful are the consequences of anger and grief than the circumstances that aroused them in us!”
—MARCUS AURELIUS, MEDITATIONS, 11.18.8

It’s true that when something goes wrong, getting angry is one of the worst things we can do. However, it’s also true that it’s the easiest and most common answer to such scenarios.

It’s probably easy to give advice like “you should stay calm and don’t let your feelings, angst or anger take over the situation”. But it’s not so easy when it’s you who’s in the middle of it all. We are all humans, and sometimes keeping a cool head is just not possible.

Just Don’t Make Things Worse

Today’s stoic excerpt ask us to assign yourself a task for today: don’t make stuff worse. Try not to get angry or add your negative emotions to the equation.

I have to admit I am not sure that’s even possible but, as the day is practically over, I have decided to do a little experiment. During a week, I will consciously try to follow Marcus Aurelius advice and avoid reacting for the sake of reacting. I am completely clueless on how this little experiment will go, but I think it’s worth trying it out.

Conclusion

Today’s Daily Stoic, “Just Don’t Make Things Worse”, suggests us to avoid letting our emotions take over the situation when something goes wrong in our lives. I have decided to give it a try for a week.