What will you learn, how will you learn?

Stoicism serves as our guide,
a guide to a better, more meaningful life.

It is a school of life, offering the tools to nurture the inner philosopher that resides within each of us, should you choose to embark on that path.

According to Marcus Aurelius, philosophy, at its core, is about “keeping the spirit [your mind] unwronged and unscathed.”

Marcus Aurelius in his Meditations summarizes it:

“What then can be his escort through life?
One thing and one thing only,
Philosophy.
And this is to keep the spirit within him unwronged and unscathed.” ¹

You might remember that I ended the last article with:
But—
there’s a “but.”

That “but”? It’s this one: Stoicism isn’t a checklist. Beneath the apparent simplicity you’ll soon discover lies a powerful theoretical system that sustains it. The two are just two sides of the same coin.

It’s easy to stick to punchy phrases like:
“What’s up to me / what isn’t,”
“Don’t let things disturb you,”
“Live in agreement with nature”…

These phrases are beautiful, clear, striking—but if they’re not grounded in something solid, they turn into empty mantras. Instagram quotes from a self-help account. A kind of mental aesthetic.
But I know that’s not what you’re here for.
Stoicism isn’t meant to decorate your thinking, it’s meant to reorganize it. And that takes more than a few catchy lines. It takes understanding the invisible foundation they rest on. Without that deeper assimilation, we risk slipping into an overly practical, watered-down version of this ancient teaching. A Stoicism stripped of its depth, swallowed too quickly, that ends up looking like just another self-help program vaguely endorsed by a few quotes from a Roman emperor.

This program won’t burden you with complex theoretical demonstrations, but it will introduce you to the deeper structure of this philosophy, its logic, its founding principles, which, inevitably, are rooted in a particular worldview. That worldview is Stoic metaphysics ³. And without it, you won’t be able to practice seriously. You’ll have disconnected reactions, not a cultivated inner disposition.

And that’s what I want to offer you here:
a way to train,
a way to think,
a way to be.
You’ve probably figured it out by now, my goal isn’t to prepare you to give a lecture on the wisdom of the Ancients. I’m not trying to turn you into an expert in Latin quotes or philosophical doctrines. What I want is simpler, and, I believe, more ambitious: I want you to find more serenity. And for that, I’m presenting Stoicism in its entirety, in all its inner coherence. Because like anything truly valuable in this world, anything that carries both power and direction, Stoicism isn’t built on a few simple principles alone. Behind the surface, there are foundations. A worldview. A demanding ethics. Even a metaphysics that gives meaning to the whole structure. And it’s by building on that foundation that, step by step, you’ll uncover real inner strength.

And here comes the “but”:
Everything I just told you is contained in one verb from that last sentence, to build. And building takes time, patience, and method.

So then, how will we approach this kind of construction?
How will you and I, together, work toward what Marcus Aurelius called “keeping one’s mind free from stain or harm”?

This very program is designed to be your personal handbook—a guide you can always keep within reach. It’s a resource to turn to whenever you need clarity or inspiration. Inspired by Epictetus’ Enchiridion (also called Manual), this program follows the same spirit: a portable companion for the philosopher-in-training. ²

In this program, you’ll find approximately eighty courses, each consisting of:
1/ Texts like this one, designed to explain the Stoic system.
2/ and associated exercises, meditations and reformulations, quizzes, and key learnings that will be offered to you at regular intervals

Texts AND exercises—because growth requires effort, if you’re ready for it.
An effort to anchor these teachings deep within.
An effort to cultivate and develop a Stoic state of mind.

Just as you can’t become the best dancer at the party without years of practice in the shadows, repeating the steps over and over, you cannot truly embrace philosophy without genuine effort—without sincerely changing the way you see the world.
Reading my texts alone will likely not be enough, {{username}}. These writings will provide the foundation for understanding the concepts of Stoic teaching, but they’re only part of the journey. The other part lies in experimentation and practice—through exercises like reformulations, meditations, and reflections.

— Exercises? Why exercises? Are they really necessary, you may wonder.

It’s entirely up to you, {{username}}. You could go through the entire program without doing a single exercise—that’s your choice. Be free to approach it however you feel works best for you. Don’t stress too much about it.

But let me make one thing clear: these exercises are a workout for your mind. They gradually reshape the way you think. Reading is good—reading is very good. On mmmarcus, you’ll find the original writings of the great Stoic masters: Seneca, Epictetus, Marcus Aurelius. But reading alone may not be enough. To truly train your mind, you must go further: meditate, reflect, and engage in the practices we now call "spiritual exercises."

These exercises serve a purpose: to transform the way you think.

You may ask : Transform the way I think? ... You mentioned this in the last text. What is the trick?

The trick lies in science, and we’re fortunate to live in an age advanced enough to prove it:
The brain evolves.
Thinking can be trained and cultivated.
The more you work on your happiness, the more your brain adapts. With practice and learning, new neural connections are created, strengthened, or restructured. This is known as neural plasticity or neuroplasticity ⁴.

Your thought patterns are always evolving—your brain adapts naturally, and with practice, you can intentionally train your mind.

Pierre Hadot, in his seminal work, provides a profound interpretation of the Meditations:

“Such writing exercises [the Meditations of Marcus Aurelius] inevitably lead to tireless repetition. This is what radically distinguishes the Meditations from all other works. Dogmas aren't mathematical rules received once and for all and applied mechanically. They must become, as it were, realizations,
intuitions,
emotions
moral experiences that have the intensity of a mystical experience, a vision.
But this spiritual and emotional intensity evaporates very quickly. To reawaken it, it's not enough to reread what has already been written [...], what matters is to reformulate it [...].” ⁵

In his Meditations, Marcus Aurelius reiterates his principles chapter by chapter, employing carefully crafted formulas that act as “inducers” to reinforce the life rules ⁶ he has pledged to follow. These formulas aid in their internalization by creating strong associations of ideas within his mind.

If you internalize the readings I suggest in this program, taking the time to truly explore the ideas from different perspectives; if you reflect on the thoughts that resonate with you, and dedicate a few moments each week to meditation—even just for a few minutes—you will gradually reshape your mindset and grow wiser with each passing day.

~

In the lessons ahead, you’ll quickly come to realize:
Stoic teachings are distilled into a handful of simple yet profoundly powerful ideas.

Simple and powerful,
and yet,
so difficult to implement.

That’s why I’ve chosen to take some time today to delve into the topic of apprenticeship with you.

Let me reiterate: the goal is
to refine
your inner voice;
to internalize the core ideas of Stoic doctrine through words and the repetition of these ideas in various forms. The Stoics called this approach "word therapy"—a method to realign your mental disposition: to embrace change, to let go of frustration over what lies beyond your control, and to live with fairness and integrity, both toward others and yourself.