Matthew Van Natta Quotes

“Above all, Stoicism aims to make you skillful at life. We call this life expertise virtue.”

“As you aim for just outcomes, realize that what you control are your intentions and the actions that come from them.

Focusing on your own actions will give you the best chance of reaching external goals.”

“How could you not know change was coming? It’s everywhere, after all.”

“I used to be a get-the-last-word-in sort of person. It really bothered me if I didn’t 'win' a discussion.

Over the years, Stoicism taught me to value how I conduct myself during conversations more than how the interaction ends.

Did I say what I meant to say? Did I give people a chance to understand my point of view? Did I listen to everyone else with my honest attention? If so, I did my best.

Nowadays, if someone tries to belittle me, misrepresent my point of view, or demand attention I don’t owe them, I barely notice. I’m content, and everything else is someone else’s issue. It’s freeing!”

“If you only desire to be your best (to live with virtue) and if you only avoid moral mistakes (called vice), then you can always succeed because these are things that you control.”

“If you want lasting happiness, instead, properly arrange what’s inside you — not the things surrounding you.”

“It is a Stoic maxim that no one is voluntarily evil. If a person insults you or steals from you, they did it because they thought they were doing something good for themselves.”

“Not to feel exasperated or defeated or despondent because your days aren’t packed with wise and moral actions. But to get back up when you fail, to celebrate behaving like a human — however imperfectly — and fully embrace the pursuit you’ve embarked on.”

“Rules to live by:

Remember your mind is yours — and yours alone. If you focus on healthy thoughts and develop balanced opinions about your situation, you will cultivate positive emotions and find lasting enthusiasm to live your best life.

You will see negativity for what it is: a waste of energy. You will learn to stop allowing fear, anger, and other anxieties to grow. You will discover not only that you can weather challenges, but you often find them enjoyable.

As you move in this direction, the work of being yourself will become a joy. To gain all of this, you simply need the right tools and the will to use them.”

“The Discipline of Assent trains you to pay attention to your thought process and cultivate a healthy mind. Assent, in Stoicism, means saying yes to information you have received.

Stoicism asks you to pause and think about your responses to life, rather than allowing instinct and habit to run your life.”

“The one thing you control is yourself. As you learn to seek out a good flow of life, look at your own choices first, before judging the actions of others.”

“The Stoic mind-set involves understanding what you can control and what you cannot. You ask yourself — what desires can I always obtain, and what things can I always avoid?

The Stoic answer is if you only desire to be your best (to live with virtue) and if you only avoid moral mistakes (called vice), then you can always succeed because these are things that you control.”

“The Stoic philosophy trains you in virtue: It sculpts your moral character into someone who is content, joyful, resilient, and able to take actions that make the world a better place.”

“To develop consistent happiness, you must train yourself to desire only what you can always have, and fear only what you can always avoid.”

“True happiness is to enjoy the present, without anxious dependence upon the future, not to amuse ourselves with either hopes or fears but to rest satisfied”

“Understand that the world isn’t so focused on you that your mistakes are seen by all. Allow your troubles to fade into the distance for this moment.”