“There is nothing passive about mindfulness. One might even say that it expresses a specific kind of passion—a passion for discerning what is subjectively real in every moment. It is a mode of cognition that is, above all, undistracted, accepting, and (ultimately) nonconceptual. Being mindful is not a matter of thinking more clearly about experience; it is the act of experiencing more clearly, including the arising of thoughts themselves. Mindfulness is a vivid awareness of whatever is appearing in one’s mind or body—thoughts, sensations, moods—without grasping at the pleasant or recoiling from the unpleasant. One of the great strengths of this technique of meditation, from a secular point of view, is that it does not require us to adopt any cultural affectations or unjustified beliefs. It simply demands that we pay close attention to the flow of experience in each moment.”
Sam Harris, Waking Up (Page 36)
Clarity Quotes
“If one wants to see a thing very clearly, one’s mind must be very quiet, without all the prejudices, the chattering, the dialogue, the images, the pictures—all that must be put aside to look.”
J. Krishnamurti, Freedom From The Known (Page 103)
How Do I Know If Meditation Is Working?
Excerpt: Meditating is the act of, essentially, doing nothing. Which can feel totally counterproductive in our world. But, what if the opposite was true?
Read More »How Do I Know If Meditation Is Working?
“The need for space is psychological as well as physical: you must have an unfettered mind to create anything worthwhile.”
Robert Greene, The Daily Laws (Page 336)
“False science and false religion express their dogma in highly elevated language to make simple people think that they are mysterious, important, and attractive. But this mysterious language is not a sign of wisdom. The wiser a person is, the simpler the language he uses to express his thoughts.”
Lucy Malory, via A Calendar of Wisdom (Page 247)
“The clearest and simplest notions are almost always concealed by sophisticated meditations.”
Marcus Tullius Cicero, A Calendar of Wisdom (Page 213)
“sometimes deeper mental clarity
is preceded by great internal storms”
Yung Pueblo, Inward (Page 21)
The Daily Stoic [Book]
![The Daily Stoic by Ryan Holiday [Book]](https://movemequotes.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/daily-stoic.jpeg)
Book Overview: Why have history’s greatest minds—from George Washington to Frederick the Great to Ralph Waldo Emerson, along with today’s top performers from Super Bowl-winning football coaches to CEOs and celebrities—embraced the wisdom of the ancient Stoics? Because they realize that the most valuable wisdom is timeless and that philosophy is for living a better life, not a classroom exercise.
The Daily Stoic offers 366 days of Stoic insights and exercises, featuring all-new translations from the Emperor Marcus Aurelius, the playwright Seneca, or slave-turned-philosopher Epictetus, as well as lesser-known luminaries like Zeno, Cleanthes, and Musonius Rufus. Every day of the year you’ll find one of their pithy, powerful quotations, as well as historical anecdotes, provocative commentary, and a helpful glossary of Greek terms.
By following these teachings over the course of a year (and, indeed, for years to come) you’ll find the serenity, self-knowledge, and resilience you need to live well.
Post(s) Inspired by this Book:
26 Seneca Quotes from The Daily Stoic on Vices, Virtues, and Fulfillment