The Daily Stoic for June 22nd. The definition of Insanity.

But before I dive into it, I know it’s already way pass June 22nd and I’m still in this day. 

Things happen (as always) and I was not able to manage read the book daily.

Still trying to catchup, so here I go.

“If you are defeated once and tell yourself you will overcome, but carry on as before, know in the end you’ll be so ill and weakened that eventually you won’t even notice your mistake and will begin to rationalize your behavior.”

—EPICTETUS, DISCOURSES, 2.18.31

There is a saying that insanity is trying the same thing over and over again but expecting a different result. 

If you fail in something, and then you do the same thing over again, do you expect to succeed?

Having the same sets of habits, but expecting different results is quite insane.

For example, you eat lots of sweets, but you still expect to lose some weight without any exercise.

Or you want to be promoted in your work, but you do only what is expected of you; you do the same thing day after day. 

One thing we should always be wary of is failure. Failure will always happen, there is no choice.

All of us will experience it. It happens to the best of us.

But what do some people do that most people don’t?

Learn from their failures.

And it’s not only about learning from your failures, but learning, understanding, and acting upon it.

It’s an opportunity for you to learn. You already know what does not work, why do it again?

I like this quote from the book. “Sticking with the same unsuccessful pattern is easy.“

It’s is easy because you don’t really have to think about it, it is part of your daily routine and habit. 

But it does not have to be this way. 

Learn from your failures. 

Understand what you do daily.

Is there something that you can change to help you succeed in what you want?