Plain
Seneca — The Senator

What you want — to live without being constantly disturbed — is a great thing. Actually, it's the greatest thing of all. It almost raises you to the level of a god. The Greeks call this calm steadiness of mind euthymia. Democritus wrote an excellent treatise about it. I call it peace of mind. There's no need to translate so exactly that we copy Greek word forms. The important thing is to mark what we're discussing with a name that has the same meaning as the Greek term, even if it takes a different form. So what we're looking for is this: How can the mind always follow a steady, untroubled course? How can it be pleased with itself and look with pleasure at what surrounds it? How can it experience no interruption of this joy, but stay in a peaceful state without ever being lifted too high or cast too low? This is what I mean by 'peace of mind.'

On Peace of Mind, Section 2 13 of 100
Calm Your Mind What Matters Most
Seneca — The Senator Original

What you desire, to be undisturbed, is a great thing, nay, the greatest thing of all, and one which raises a man almost to the level of a god. The Greeks call this calm steadiness of mind _euthymia_, and Democritus's treatise upon it is excellently written: I call it peace of mind: for there is no necessity for translating so exactly as to copy the words of the Greek idiom: the essential point is to mark the matter under discussion by a name which ought to have the same meaning as its Greek name, though perhaps not the same form. What we are seeking, then, is how the mind may always pursue a steady, unruffled course, may be pleased with itself, and look with pleasure upon its surroundings, and experience no interruption of this joy, but abide in a peaceful condition without being ever either elated or depressed: this will be "peace of mind."

On Peace of Mind, Section 2 13 of 100
Seneca — The Senator

What you need, Serenus, is not the harsh treatments I mentioned earlier. You don't need to hold yourself back, get angry with yourself, or give yourself stern lectures. What you need is the last thing on my list: confidence in yourself. Believe that you're on the right path. Don't let yourself be distracted by all the confusing trails that cross your way — the paths that wanderers have made as they circle around, some even going in loops near the right path itself.

On Peace of Mind, Section 2 12 of 100
Knowing Yourself Calm Your Mind
Seneca — The Senator Original

What you need, therefore, is, not any of those harsher remedies to which allusion has been made, not that you should in some cases check yourself, in others be angry with yourself, in others sternly reproach yourself, but that you should adopt that which comes last in the list, have confidence in yourself, and believe that you are proceeding on the right path, without being led aside by the numerous divergent tracks of wanderers which cross it in every direction, some of them circling about the right path itself.

On Peace of Mind, Section 2 12 of 100
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Ancient philosophy, in plain English.

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