Dying Every Day (Stoicism in a Year) Day 130: Why You React to Insults (and How to Stop)
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In this meditation, we explore Seneca’s powerful teaching on emotional freedom and the art of holding your self-worth within—not in the shifting opinions of others. Seneca writes: “The wise man is invulnerable to insult… He stands above both the applause and the condemnation of the crowd, for he has placed his esteem within his own soul, where honor is incorruptible and peace undisturbed.”
Most of us rise and fall with praise and criticism. A compliment lifts us, an insult wounds us, and other people’s opinions quietly dictate our mood. Seneca offers a different path—one rooted in inner stability, clarity, and self-governance. Drawing on a well-known Buddhist teaching about refusing an insult as one would an unwanted gift, and insights from modern psychology on developing an internal source of self-worth, this meditation explores how to become less reactive and more grounded in one's own principles.
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