The framing of wrongdoing as that initial rush that curdles into something bitter. I've felt that enough times to know it's true. The hollow part comes quicker than you'd think.
What gets me is the line about virtue feeling unnatural, going against instinct. That's the part people don't talk about enough. Doing the right thing often doesn't feel heroic in the moment. It feels like you're missing out, like you're the sucker who didn't take the shortcut everyone else is taking. Epictetus understood that when he said you have to be content being thought foolish.
The Musonius Rufus part about labor passing but the good enduring... that tracks with experience. The hard conversations, the disciplined choices, the times you held your ground when it would've been easier not to. Those fade in difficulty but grow in value. The opposite is also true. The shame of compromising yourself lingers way longer than whatever relief you got from it.
"Refuse to buy pleasure at the cost of self-respect." That's the calculation worth making. Not denying yourself joy, just refusing the cheap version that leaves you worse off.
The sovereignty that comes from living aligned with your principles, that unshakeable peace... that's worth the work.
I agree. I have chosen the wrong path over the last few days and the lingering shame and regret is the price. A very high price to pay actually. How wise were these people, how much do we all still need their lessons?
SO good ❤️ These truths are deeply biblical. Whet does it profit a man to gain the whole world but lose his soul? All things are lawful but not all things are profitable. And on and on….
The world doesn’t slow down on its own. You have to decide to.
The Stoic Lawyer started as a place for me to process the chaos of practicing law — the pressure, the pace, the constant performance. But it’s become something wider than that. It’s about how anyone can stay centered in a world that rewards noise and speed.
I write about what Stoicism looks like when you’re not sitting on a mountaintop but in traffic, or in a meeting, or scrolling through another feed full of urgency. Each post looks at the tension between ambition and peace, and how to keep a sense of self in both.
Yes, I write it as a lawyer. But the lessons are human — not legal. If you’ve ever felt stretched thin, distracted, or just tired of reacting, there’s something here for you.
The framing of wrongdoing as that initial rush that curdles into something bitter. I've felt that enough times to know it's true. The hollow part comes quicker than you'd think.
What gets me is the line about virtue feeling unnatural, going against instinct. That's the part people don't talk about enough. Doing the right thing often doesn't feel heroic in the moment. It feels like you're missing out, like you're the sucker who didn't take the shortcut everyone else is taking. Epictetus understood that when he said you have to be content being thought foolish.
The Musonius Rufus part about labor passing but the good enduring... that tracks with experience. The hard conversations, the disciplined choices, the times you held your ground when it would've been easier not to. Those fade in difficulty but grow in value. The opposite is also true. The shame of compromising yourself lingers way longer than whatever relief you got from it.
"Refuse to buy pleasure at the cost of self-respect." That's the calculation worth making. Not denying yourself joy, just refusing the cheap version that leaves you worse off.
The sovereignty that comes from living aligned with your principles, that unshakeable peace... that's worth the work.
I so needed to read this today. ✨✨✨
I agree. I have chosen the wrong path over the last few days and the lingering shame and regret is the price. A very high price to pay actually. How wise were these people, how much do we all still need their lessons?
Why say It is the wrong path? If It reaches you something important then surely It can’t be wrong.
It was the path that you were meant to take, to become wiser.
Sending you love.
SO good ❤️ These truths are deeply biblical. Whet does it profit a man to gain the whole world but lose his soul? All things are lawful but not all things are profitable. And on and on….
Peace doesn’t come from the easy choices. It comes from the quiet ones you can live with when the lights go out.
The world doesn’t slow down on its own. You have to decide to.
The Stoic Lawyer started as a place for me to process the chaos of practicing law — the pressure, the pace, the constant performance. But it’s become something wider than that. It’s about how anyone can stay centered in a world that rewards noise and speed.
I write about what Stoicism looks like when you’re not sitting on a mountaintop but in traffic, or in a meeting, or scrolling through another feed full of urgency. Each post looks at the tension between ambition and peace, and how to keep a sense of self in both.
Yes, I write it as a lawyer. But the lessons are human — not legal. If you’ve ever felt stretched thin, distracted, or just tired of reacting, there’s something here for you.
https://substack.com/@thestoiclawyerhttps://substack.com/@thestoiclawyer — reflections on slowing down, leading yourself, and living with more clarity in a world that rarely stops.
Incredible read