How can we have a good life?

How can we have a good life?

How to live a good life?

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If we give value to each question in our lives, the question above should have a top value for a person born.

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And this question has not just been asked in this era, but has been questioned for a thousand years and passed on through a vehicle called philosophy.

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Summary of ideas from Jonas Salzgeber's book The Little Book of Stoicism in 18 verses

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1.Jonas Salzgeber is a Swiss writer and the founder of the web https://www.njlifehacks.com with his brother (Nils Salzgeber).

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This year (2025), Jonas is only 33 years old, which means that the book has passed on the perspective of the new generation as truly modern life.

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2.Stoics (Stoics) is a Greek living philosophy of more than 2,000 years (about 320 before A.D.), initiated by a merchant named Zeno (Zeno of Cityum).

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3. The word "Stoics" is derived from Stoa, which means a building or corridor in ancient Greece. It is the place where Zeno taught Stoics philosophy.

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4. Stoics philosophers who often hear through the ear and should be known as the "minimum" are these three.

- Seneca (approximately year 4 BCE - 65 CE)

- Epictetus (circa 55 CE - 135 CE)

- Marcus Aurelius (circa 121 CE - 180 CE)

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5.Stoics gave us two commitments.

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[1] Eudaimonia: That we have "the best version of ourselves" (Best version of yourself)

[2] Emotional resilience: No matter what happens in our lives, we will be ready to face it.

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6.Eudaimonia comes from two Greek words:

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Eu = Good Stuff (Good)

Daimon = soul, identity.

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7.Eudaimonia is the ultimate goal of Stoics. We get better every day to get closer to the best version of ourselves.

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8. Everyone imagines a triangle, and then there is the word Eudaimonia in the middle. The three sides of the triangle are the foundation that brings us closer to Eudaimonia (the best version of ourselves).

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[1] Live with Arete: Make Us Better Every Day

[2] Focus what you can control: Focus just what we can control.

[3] Take responsibility: Take responsibility by living with verses. [1] + [2]

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9. Arete is Greek, meaning Virtue or virtue.

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10. How to know that what you do is virtue?

We need to know the four virtues.

[1] Wisdom (Wisdom): Understand what is to be done.

[2] Justice (Justice): Treat Others Well; and Be Fair

[3] Courage (Courage): The courage to face difficulties.

[4] Self-discipline (self-discipline) or Temperance (temperance): Choose to do the right thing without being overwhelmed by needs.

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11. Focus on what you can control.

Stoics really believe that we can control only the mind and the action. We can't control anything.

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Mind: Decide what event means to us.

Acton: Choose to align them with virtue

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12. Even our bodies are out of control. We can only guide our 'Influence' into moving our 'thoughts'.

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Think (Mind) - > Choose Action (Action) - > | | - > Body Moving Along (Influence)

('| |' is the limit of what is controllable and uncontrollable)

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13. There is a story called The Stoics Archer about a man of archers named William Tell.

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In short, Tell was once bullied by the sheriff by tying Tell's baby to a pole and putting an apple on his head, forcing Tell to shoot an arrow to hit an apple.

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The conclusion is that Tell shot an apple with one bow and killed the sheriff.

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14. William Tell's archery represents something 'controllable' and 'out of control' at all.

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What is controllable: bend the arrow - > aim the target - > let the arrow out.

Uncontrollable: An arrow that is hurtling in the air to the target (a wind may come in to change the direction of the arrow).

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15. We can't control 'results', but we can control the 'processes' that lead to results.

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Want to be better = practice, find knowledge

Want to be healthy = need to exercise, eat healthy food

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"It's smarter to focus on the process that will optimally lead to the desired outcome - Focus on the Process, p.61."

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16. Take Responsibility

External factors are uncontrollable, while allowing us to see what we can control.

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That's.... "ourselves."

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We respond to what happens in front of us with goodness that we can control.

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Take Responsibility = Roof

Live with Arete + Focus on what you can control = House Pole

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17. I personally view Take Responsibility as "glasses," helping us see the world of Eudaimonia.

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Looking through the glasses, we can see what is good and what is uncontrollable.

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"When we look at the world, we respond that way."

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"If you want anything good, you must get it from yourself." - Epictetus

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18. If wanting to live a happy life, Stoics says don't focus on destination "results" (happiness).

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But focus on the present now (living with goodness under control).

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Some beliefs have passed decades, now they are unusable, but some have been deployed for thousands of years.

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The 274-page book The Little Book of Stoicism is good. Understand the overview on Stoics.

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If everyone reads and likes, congratulations. Stoic, the next book is waiting for everyone. Hit the drug label, lose more money, haha.

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Thank you to Kasidis Satangmongkol for introducing this book. Very good stuff. Worth reading.