Stoic Lessons: The Power of saying NO

"Not" is a fascinating adverb and how we relate to it,  tells of our character, of the ability to know how to manage your life without being a slave to your biological machine. The biological machine, not capable of free will, confuses the automatic response to stimuli with freedom.

Below is a short list of examples of the magical power of NO to try and experiment by putting it into practice when needed:

  • Say NO, smile and do nothing else (normally a list of false excuses that will trigger a debate).

  • Say NO to any stimulus / call, various smartphone beeps and various mental beeps, when you are engaged in something else

  • Say NO to compromises that are perceived as unfair. It's called INTEGRITY

  • Say NO to the various fake needs induced by social propaganda and consumer advertising. It is called DISCERNMENT.

  • Say NO to invitations that concern useless and boring situations that often correspond to the "famous" events or meetings to which "you can not go".

  • Say NO to anything you already know that ingesting it will make you sick.

  • say NO to mental excuses and fake needs that make you give up your daily training.

  • Say NO to the mental habit of fear that almost never has to do with real danger.

  • Say NO, always and in any case, to the temptation of Gossip. This is either by participating directly but also simply by listening or reading Gossip passively.

  • Say NO to the ill tendency of having to have opinions on everything.

  • Say NO to useless debates (they are 99% of face-to-face debates and 100% of digital debates)

  • Say NO to all the mental excuses that we would not like to keep the commitments made and the duties.

  • Finally, always say NO to small beer!

m.m.

alessandra quattordio