Each of us faces failures and misfortunes - and much more often than we would like. The ancient Roman Stoics Epictetus, Seneca and Marcus Aurelius also encountered them, and it was no easier for them than for us. It was their reasoning about how to overcome life’s adversities that became almost the most popular philosophical product of the 21st century. What is the incomparable benefit that can be derived from the Stoic texts? Where did Stoic thought come from and how is it related to the scientific picture of the world of Antiquity? Why can't a true Stoic live in isolation from society? How to reconcile internal freedom with the inevitability of cause-and-effect laws? These questions are answered in a small and elegant book by the English philosopher John Sellars. Just as a general entrusts his best soldiers with the most difficult tasks, so providence sends the most difficult tests only to the most worthy people. Experienced misfortune is a kind of distinction of a virtuous person. If you don’t think about the main questions... then it doesn’t matter how long life will last. If we live even a thousand years, most of this time will be wasted.

For whom: For people interested in the development of ancient philosophy. For those who are learning to cope with daily stress and emotional instability.