Stoicism Explained Through Conor McGregor - 7 Lessons to Adapt a Stoic Mindset

Lesson one: Want what you have.

The first lesson to develop a successful stoic mindset is to want what you already have. It’s about realizing that the solution to your unhappy life is right in front of you.

Learn to appreciate what you already have. You have lived so long with it already and it hasn’t made you unhappy or unable to live.

So the first lesson of stoicism is to never take anything for granted, and don’t root your sense of happiness in possessions or achievements. Desire for more is a source of satisfaction that will never end.

Lesson two: Everything is neutral

Everything that happens in the world is neutral. All the event has a different effect on everyone, so the natural conclusion is that events are neutral. Your own reaction and perception of the event is what causes your unhappiness.

No matter how you react to an event or situation, the facts will remain the same. Instead of overreacting over the fact that you were powerless to stop the situation from happening, focus on what you can control.

Lesson three: Practice separation

To practice separation and effectively handle the sources of helplessness and stress, separate your life into two buckets: things you can control, and things you can’t control. You can’t control the weather, the economy or other people's opinions of you. However you can control how you react to it.

Lesson four: Turning the obstacle upside down

Adapting a stoic mindset is particularly helpful when battling the obstacles we face in our lives. Defeat negative judgements and turn the obstacle around. Train yourself to avoid judging events as purely good or bad. Seek to interpret things that you would normally consider negative as positive opportunities. See the negative events as an opportunity to practice inner strength, calm, control and level-headedness.

Lesson five: Assume voluntary discomfort

This is one of the central mindsets that may have the biggest impact in your daily life. Actively seek to make life difficult for yourself. Dissatisfaction in our daily lives is the result of a certain level of entitlement. We just expect things to always run smoothly. According to the stoic philosophy, just because you can afford yourself a nice meal every single day, doesn’t mean you should do so. It builds perseverance and grit, but more importantly it demolishes the sense of entitlement that chips away at your daily happiness.

So by experiencing discomfort, you will walk away stronger by realizing that you experienced what you dreaded and suffered no ill effects from it.

Lesson six: Emotions are created internally

Emotions come solely from within and are created completely by your choice. Everything that happens in the world is neutral. Bad or good doesn’t exist in external sources, it logically flows that all emotions come from within. What we tell our self is what creates our feelings.

When you feel resistance regarding an obstacle in your life, don’t look at the things happening outside of you. Focus instead on what happens inside. How you frame that issue in your mind. That is the cause of your discomfort and your problem. No one can put desire and attitude into your life other than you.

Lesson seven: Care less

The last lesson in stoicism is to simply care less. Don’t ignore everything that’s going on in your life, but stop caring about the things you can’t control. Free up your internal resources to focus your time and mental energy on things that truly matter. The most precious asset is not money, but time. You can always earn money back, but once a single minute of your life has passed, it’s gone forever. Don’t spend your time worrying about external forces that are out of your control.

A stoic mindset urges you to live as you want right now. It’s all within your control, so make a decision and chose to have a better life now.