“This is the true athlete—the person in rigorous training against false impressions. Remain firm, you who suffer, don’t be kidnapped by your impressions! The struggle is great, the task divine—to gain mastery, freedom, happiness, and tranquility.” —Epictetus, DISCOURSES, 2.18.27–28 dailyStoic
- Emotions are like extreme weather, and sometimes a storm can come our way. If we are not emotionally prepared for when it hits us, we won’t be able to adequately deal with an emotional storm. This requires rigorous training, like an athlete training for a physical feat.
- I assume here false impressions means the judgements we attribute to emotions. We need to recognize them and make sure we don’t act out of them. Objective Representation, Cognitive Distancing