[..] the person who believes that something is by nature good or bad is constantly upset; when he does not possess the things that seem to be good, he thinks he is being tormented by things that are by nature bad, and he chases after the things he supposes to be good; then, when he gets these, he falls into still more torments because of irrational and immoderate exultation, and, fearing any change, he does absolutely everything in order not to lose the things that seem to him good. But the person who takes no position as to what is by nature good or bad neither avoids nor pursues intensely. As a result, he achieves ataraxia. -Sextus (via https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ataraxia)

Calm is his body. Calm is his voice. Calm is his mind>

• The Perfection of Wisdom (via Serenity by William Gerber)

A person who has once perceived what makes greatness of soul can no longer be troubled if they allow their self to be troubled by trivial misfortunes, dreading what fate may have in store.

• The Conquest of Happiness by Bertrand Russell

[..] Timon says that someone who is going to be happy must look to these three things. First, how things are by nature. Second, what attitude we should adopt in respect of them. Finally, what the result will be for people thus disposed. He says that Pyrrho declared all things to be equally indifferent, indeterminate, and unjudged, and [Timon says] that for that reason neither our senses nor our opinions are reliably true or false. An so we ought not to trust them but should be without opinion, unbiased, and unshaken, saying about each thing that it no more is than is not, or both is and is not, or neither is nor is not.

• Eusebius’ Prawparatio (14.18.I-4 = T53 Decleva Caizzi) via Epicurus and Democritean Ethics by James Warren

God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, courage to change the things I can, and wisdom to know the difference

• Serenity Prayer by Reinhold Niebuhr

Knowing is the key to equanimity .. compassion without inhabitation .. understanding others pain without taking on the pain .. the perspective of doctors

Equanimity, known to the Greeks as “Ataraxia,” is key to going with the flow. If I am going to engage in the world, I am going to need to go with the flow to a certain degree (stress around “doing the right thing” leads me to mental and physical exhaustion that clouds my focus and stops my progress). The question is:

How does someone achieve Equanimity without becoming apathetic (disengaged, indifferent) or self-absorbed?

Engagement yields empathy. Empathetic respect is a core aspect of my Operating Principles. I believe everything must be questioned. I also believe every side can be respected. I must make decisions that represent the greatest consensus to gain the respect of others.

How can I know the feelings of others without being empathetic?

My version of equanimity can allow moments of empathy that lead to greater understandings of what another person’s feelings represent or where those feelings come from.

I remember being comforted by the pain in my mother’s eyes when she saw me in pain, just as I was comforted by the strength and calmness of my mother while I was in pain.

I can be empathetic and equanimous.

I do not have to give my entire mind and body to other’s suffering, but I can give my intellect to the pain of others in order to understand their feeling and help them rise above it.

Here are images of equanimous leaders I look up to:

They battle the odds.