How to Think Like a Roman Emperor

By Donald Roberston

This book flection is written and narrated by Leigh Martinuzzi 

Donald Robertson has done a remarkable job assembling this book of stoic wisdom and principles by sharing the journey and life of one great historic leader Marcus Aurelius. Captivating and educational! A brilliant introduction to the life of Marcus Aurelius – Roman Emperor and Stoic philosopher, and an outstanding combination of modern psychology and stoic philosophy.  

Stoicism is described as a philosophy of personal ethics that are formed by a system of logic and ones view on the natural world. The path of all social beings is often said to be that of happiness. And it is believed that this path is best reached by letting go of one’s desires for pleasures and avoidance of pain and instead choosing the power of one’s mind to discover greater joy, equanimity and virtue. If virtue is sufficient for happiness than one would not be displaced or emotional bothered by their lot, regardless of its current state, good or bad.

The principles that Donald discusses throughout the book are timeless and I would say easy to grasp. Many of these principles are given in other stoic manuals including Meditations by Marcus Aurelius. Although they are not complicated to understand the ability to view the apparent benefits without prior experience is difficult and can be even more challenging to put them into practice. I found the narrative told in How to Think Like a Roman Emperor helps highlight not only the theory but also how it can be applied in real life.

Donald Robertson himself is a cognitive psychotherapist and a previous guest on The Hidden Why podcast, and in this book, he manages to shed light on these Stoic principles using insights from modern-day psychology. It’s fascinating to see how these ancient principles are now being used to help people deal with life’s adversities in efforts to find greater peace and satisfaction. Stoic wisdom is a beautiful system to deal with everyday turmoil and bring harmony to emotional disruptions caused by an ever-increasing pursuit of desires which has many of us clinging to ideals and unrealistic life expectations beyond our control.

Each chapter focuses on one particular area attributing to our emotional condition including the understanding our one’s values, dealing with fear and anger, working with desire and also how to speak wisely.

Stoic principles blend mindfulness with logic. They bring clarity to life that sparks understanding and appreciation for how things are. Putting into a greater perspective of what is truly within our control – human consciousness at the centre of it all. How to Think Like a Roman Emperor is a perfect place to begin to untangle the complexities of the human mind using timeless stoic philosophy and modern-day psychology.

If this book sounds of interest you can purchase How to Think Like a Roman Emperor: The Stoic Philosophy of Marcus Aurelius here.

Please leave your thoughts, comments & questions below.

Peace, passion and purpose…

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