Stoic Quote: How to Be Free of Passion and Full of Love

Welcome to the Via Stoica Podcast, the show where ancient wisdom meets modern life.

In this episode, Benny explores a passage from Marcus Aurelius, Meditations 1.9, a lesson Marcus attributes to his teacher Sextus:

“Not to display anger or other emotions; to be free of passion and yet full of love.”

Marcus Aurelius, Meditations, Book 1.9

This quote captures a profound Stoic balance, emotional freedom without emotional emptiness. Marcus reminds himself that true strength lies not in suppressing feelings, but in mastering them through reason.

To be “free of passion” (apatheia) is not to be cold, but to live without being ruled by destructive impulses like anger or fear.

Seneca called anger “temporary madness,” and Epictetus taught that emotions begin as impressions, automatic responses we don’t control, but that what we do with them is up to us. The Stoic discipline of Assent helps us pause between feeling and action, so that love, kindness, and reason guide our response instead of passion and impulse.

This teaching also points to the discipline of Desire, learning not to crave emotional intensity, and instead to choose harmony. And through Action, we express virtue outwardly: gentleness, compassion, and integrity toward others.

How to Practice This Teaching:

When anger arises, recognize it as a pre-emotion, a reflex, not a command.

Pause before reacting, and ask: “What would love choose here?”

Cultivate the good emotions (eupatheiai), joy, wish, and caution that arise from virtue and clear thinking.

By freeing ourselves from destructive passions, we make space for a tender, affectionate heart, the kind Marcus admired in Sextus, and that remains a timeless expression of Stoic strength.

For more, check out this related article with quotes on anger and emotional control:

https://viastoica.com/what-is-the-stoic-emotional-focus/

And if you’re looking for more Stoic sayings, visit viastoica.com, where you’ll find hundreds of quotes with full references to the original texts:

https://viastoica.com/stoic-quotes

https://viastoica.com/marcus-aurelius-quotes

https://viastoica.com/epictetus-quotes

https://viastoica.com/seneca-quotes

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