As we go through life, we attempt to eliminate these feelings by trying to control the conditions of the world around us.

在生活中，我們試圖通過控制周圍世界的狀況來消除這些感覺。

We seek to accomplish and obtain things, achieve higher status, acquire wealth or fame, develop power, and so on.

我們追求成就和獲得，追求更高的地位，獲得財富或名聲，發展權力，等等。

We live with a persisting hopefulness that in the future, we will have and control enough stuff to free ourselves of our emptiness, vulnerability, and confusion, and find some ultimate happiness and security outside of ourself.

我們總是滿懷希望地生活著，希望將來能擁有和控制足夠多的東西，讓自己從空虛、脆弱和迷茫中解脫出來，在自我之外找到某種終極的幸福和安全感。

This hopeful vision of the future might sound reasonable, but perhaps it is what keeps us contained in our problems.

這種對未來充滿希望的憧憬聽起來似乎很有道理，但也許正是這種憧憬讓我們一直被問題所困擾。

To help us better understand and deal with our seemingly unquenchable hunger for ultimate control and happiness outside of ourself, we will look to the ancient philosophy of Stoicism.

為了幫助我們更好地理解和應對我們對自身之外的終極控制和幸福的似乎永無止境的渴望，我們將從古代斯多葛派哲學中尋找答案。

Stoicism is a philosophy that started in ancient Greece and was then further popularized in ancient Rome.

斯多葛派哲學起源於古希臘，後來在古羅馬得到進一步推廣。

Stoicism is an especially unique philosophy in how potently it has withstood the test of time across thousands of years.

斯多葛主義是一種特別獨特的哲學，因為它在數千年的時間裡經受住了時間的考驗。

Arguably, the teachings and wisdom of Stoic philosophy are equally, if not more relevant today than ever.

可以說，斯多葛哲學的教誨和智慧在今天同樣具有現實意義，甚至比以往任何時候都更加重要。

In recent history, Stoicism has found huge appeal.

在近代歷史上，斯多葛主義具有巨大的吸引力。

It was used and encouraged by recent historical leaders like George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, and Nelson Mandela, written about by current popular authors like Tim Ferriss, Robert Greene, and Ryan Holiday, just to name a few, and has found a rather large community on the Stoicism's enduring popularity is not without good reason.

喬治-華盛頓、托馬斯-傑斐遜和納爾遜-曼德拉等近代歷史領袖使用並鼓勵斯多葛主義，蒂姆-費里斯、羅伯特-格林和萊恩-霍利迪等當紅作家也撰文介紹斯多葛主義，斯多葛主義在美國擁有一個相當龐大的社區，它的持久流行並非沒有道理。

The principles of Stoicism can help us find calmness, presence, and resilience in a world of increasingly overt chaos, anxiety, and insatiable desire for more.

斯多葛主義的原則可以幫助我們在這個越來越明顯的混亂、焦慮和貪得無厭的世界中找到平靜、存在感和韌性。

In Stoicism, we exist in a reality that does not care about our personal opinion of it.

在斯多葛派看來，我們存在於一個現實之中，而這個現實並不在乎我們個人對它的看法。

We cannot ask it nicely to remove the chaos, suffering, hardship, and uncertainty, nor can we will ourselves onto it with force in order to do so.

我們不能友好地請求它消除混亂、苦難、艱辛和不確定性，也不能為了這樣做而將自己強加於它。

However, Stoicism suggests that that does not mean we are subject to be helpless victims of the world.

然而，斯多葛主義認為，這並不意味著我們要成為這個世界無助的犧牲品。

Rather, Stoicism proclaims that there are two domains of life, our external, being the things outside of our mind, which we cannot control, and the internal, our interpretations and reactions to the external, which we can control.

相反，斯多葛主義宣稱，人生有兩個領域，一個是我們無法控制的外在領域，即我們心靈之外的事物；另一個是我們可以控制的內在領域，即我們對外在事物的解釋和反應。

When we persist with the belief that things outside ourself or things in the future will provide us with a form of ultimate happiness, we become dependent on things that are not part of us nor part of what we can control, and thus remain endlessly unsatisfied and unhappy.

當我們執著地相信身外之物或未來的事物會給我們帶來某種形式的終極幸福時，我們就會變得依賴那些不屬於我們自己也不屬於我們能夠控制的事物，從而無休止地感到不滿足和不快樂。

We can and should pursue the things that we deem preferable and interesting, and not live an inactive life.

我們可以而且應該追求我們認為可取和有趣的事情，而不是過著無所事事的生活。

However, we must ensure that on our pursuits, our focus remains on the internal, and that we work to derive our sense of joy from how we think and act within our pursuits.

然而，我們必須確保在追求的過程中，我們的注意力始終集中在內部，並努力從我們在追求過程中的思維和行為方式中獲得快樂感。

No matter what task we undertake, we will do it wastefully if we assume that any of what comes beyond the task will provide anything better than the experience of focus and presence in the task itself.

無論我們承擔什麼任務，如果我們認為任務之外的任何東西都能提供比任務本身的專注和臨在體驗更好的東西，我們就會浪費精力。

There's nothing inherently wrong about working towards and achieving wealth, fame, or power, but in the Stoic's mind, these things are merely to be enjoyed if they do work out, but not to be depended on for one's happiness.

努力爭取和獲得財富、名聲或權力本身並沒有錯，但在斯多葛派看來，這些東西只是在成功時的享受，而不是一個人幸福的依靠。

For if one is dependent on them, their happiness and peace in life are especially susceptible to being inconsistent, taken, or never achieved at all.

因為，如果一個人依賴於他們，那麼他的幸福和安寧就特別容易前後不一、被奪走，或者根本無法實現。

Stoicism suggests that the sign of a truly successful person is someone who can be okay without the things he or she typically desires or depends on for comfort.

斯多葛主義認為，一個真正成功的人的標誌是，他（她）可以在沒有他（她）通常渴望或依賴的東西的情況下安然無恙。

For no wealth, materialistic abundance, fame, or power has any value to a happy life if the person who possesses them has not yet learned to live properly without them.

因為如果擁有財富、物質豐富、名聲或權力的人還沒有學會在沒有這些東西的情況下正確地生活，那麼它們對幸福生活來說就沒有任何價值。

Roman emperor and Stoic philosopher Marcus Aurelius was the most powerful person in the world during his time.

羅馬皇帝和斯多葛派哲學家馬庫斯-奧勒留是當時世界上最有權勢的人。

He had access to anything he could have ever wanted, yet he writes, Almost nothing material is needed for a happy life, for he who has understood existence.

他可以得到任何他想要的東西，但他寫道：對於理解存在的人來說，幸福生活幾乎不需要任何物質。

With access to the world, Marcus Aurelius lived with little interest in the self-indulgence of things outside of himself.

馬庫斯-奧勒留與世無爭，他對自我陶醉的生活興趣不大。

In order to develop this fortitude, a common practice in Stoicism is to, on occasion, temporarily strip oneself of the things they ordinarily depend on for comfort in order to prove to themselves how strong they truly are without the things they think they need.

為了培養這種堅忍不拔的精神，斯多葛派的一個常見做法是，偶爾暫時剝奪自己平時賴以安身立命的東西，以便向自己證明，在沒有自己認為需要的東西的情況下，自己是多麼堅強。

In the piece of classic literature entitled, Letters from a Stoic, Roman statesman and one of the most renowned Stoic philosophers, Seneca, writes, Until we have begun to go without them, we fail to realize how unnecessary many things are.

羅馬政治家、最著名的斯多葛派哲學家之一塞內加在題為《斯多葛派的來信》的經典文學作品中寫道："直到我們開始不使用它們，我們才意識到許多東西是多麼不必要。

We have been using them not because we needed them, but because we had them.

我們一直在使用它們，不是因為我們需要它們，而是因為我們擁有它們。

It is in our constant expectation that something outside ourselves or in the future is needed for a worthy experience of life that causes our inability to ever find worthy experience in life in the first place.

正是因為我們總是期望在我們自己之外或在未來需要某種東西來獲得有價值的生活體驗，才導致我們無法從一開始就找到有價值的生活體驗。

In Letters from a Stoic, Seneca discusses the idea of how to properly handle one's time and derive meaningful experience.

在《一個斯多葛派信徒的來信》中，塞內加討論瞭如何正確對待自己的時間並獲得有意義的經驗。

When referring to time, Seneca writes, I advise you to keep what is really yours, and you cannot begin too early, for as our the dregs of the cask, of that which remains at the bottom, the amount is slight and the quality is vile.

在提到時間時，塞內加寫道："我建議你保留真正屬於你的東西，你不能太早開始，因為就像我們酒桶裡的渣滓一樣，留在桶底的東西，數量很少，品質很差。

It is now that we must find time, and it is now that we must find happiness, if it is either that we are seeking.

現在，我們必須找到時間，現在，我們必須找到幸福，如果這兩者都是我們所追求的。

For if we do not focus the lens through which we view life right now, everything we see from this moment forward will remain out of focus.

因為，如果我們不聚焦我們此刻觀察生活的鏡頭，那麼從此刻開始，我們所看到的一切都將是失焦的。

For the Stoic, the ability to find happiness in spite of what occurs around us is developed through character and perspective.

對於斯多葛學派來說，無論周圍發生什麼，都能找到幸福的能力是通過性格和視角培養出來的。

We must realize that nothing is good or bad inherently, but only our judgments and interpretations of things can be good or bad.

我們必須認識到，任何事物本身都沒有好壞之分，只有我們對事物的判斷和解釋才有好壞之分。

The wise man, Seneca writes, is neither raised up by prosperity nor cast down by adversity.

塞內加寫道，智者既不會因繁榮而奮起，也不會因逆境而倒下。

For always he has striven to rely predominantly on himself and to derive all joy from himself.

一直以來，他都努力主要依靠自己，並從自己身上獲得一切快樂。

In other words, we must try to form our perspective to best serve our ability to remain with happiness and wonder, regardless of the ups and downs of life.

換句話說，我們必須努力形成自己的觀點，使其最有利於我們保持幸福和奇蹟的能力，無論生活如何起伏。

Stoicism suggests that we are but a tiny feature of the entire body of nature, and everything that happens to us is a matter of relevance and necessity to everything beyond us.

斯多葛主義認為，我們不過是整個自然界的一個微小特徵，發生在我們身上的一切都與我們之外的萬事萬物息息相關，都有其必然性。

In this, we must strive towards an acceptance and indifference towards everything that happens to us, and instead focus our attention on controlling our reactions to the things that happen.

在這一點上，我們必須努力接受並漠視發生在我們身上的一切，轉而將注意力集中在控制我們對發生的事情的反應上。

We must put our best foot forward, acting and living with self-honesty, humility, and good virtue, and welcome whatever the world deals us in return, good or bad.

我們必須全力以赴，以誠實、謙遜和良好的品德行事和生活，並歡迎世界給予我們的任何回報，無論好壞。

With this, we can begin to free ourselves from the chaos of the world and find some form of happiness and presence within ourselves.

有了這些，我們就能開始從混亂的世界中解脫出來，在自己的內心深處找到某種形式的幸福和存在。

The practice of stoicism is not easy by any stretch, and arguably, to live a completely stoic life is impossible.

可以說，要過上完全委曲求全的生活是不可能的。

Likely no person can be without moments of desire or negative reaction to the world around them.

可能每個人都會有對周圍世界產生慾望或消極反應的時候。

However, stoicism gifts us with a target of wisdom to aim for, a happiness and calmness to strive for when things are at their apparent worst.

然而，委曲求全為我們提供了一個可以追求的智慧目標，一種在事情表面上最糟糕時可以努力追求的幸福和平靜。

In a time where chaos and anxiety run rampant across our screens, where cultural pressures to live certain ways and achieve certain things overwhelm us 24-7, where we spend a huge amount of time comparing ourselves to and wanting the approval of others, our sense of happiness and peace is becoming increasingly susceptible, and it is perhaps through stoicism that we can attempt to hold onto it.

在這個時代，混亂和焦慮在我們的螢幕上肆虐，以某種方式生活和實現某種目標的文化壓力全天候壓得我們喘不過氣來，我們花了大量的時間與他人比較並希望得到他人的認可，我們的幸福感和安寧感變得越來越容易受到影響，也許只有通過委曲求全，我們才能試圖守住它。

Starting from birth, we seemingly run if not sprint through life, racing out of every moment, unsatisfied with what life is and constantly looking to the future for what life could be if we just obtained something more or different.

從出生開始，我們似乎就在生活中奔跑，甚至是衝刺，每時每刻都在爭分奪秒，對生活的現狀不滿意，並不斷憧憬未來，如果我們能獲得更多或不同的東西，生活會變成什麼樣。

Our cultures overwhelm us with the reinforcement of this idea, convincing us that in order to be happy, we have to achieve, buy, own, and live perfect, unaffected lives.

我們的文化不斷強化這種觀念，讓我們相信，要想獲得幸福，就必須取得成就、購買、擁有一切，過上完美的、不受影響的生活。

This delusion, however, frenzies us with an anxiety that we are then told by culture we can rid ourselves of if we just achieve a few more things, make a little more money, be a little more popular, and buy a little more stuff, creating an endless feedback loop of unsatisfied hunger.

然而，這種妄想會讓我們焦慮不安，而文化又告訴我們，只要多做幾件事、多賺一點錢、多受一點歡迎、多買一點東西，就能擺脫這種焦慮。

If we cave into this, we surrender our life.

如果我們屈服於這一點，我們就交出了自己的生命。

We give up our self.

我們放棄自我。

We should not, like sheep, follow the herd of creatures in front of us, making our way where others go, not where we ought to go, Seneca writes.

塞內加寫道，我們不應該像綿羊一樣，跟著前面的動物群走，走別人走過的路，而不是我們應該走的路。

In the Stoic view, the stuff we often find ourselves chasing in life reveal to be rather petty and meaningless from a sufficient distance.

在斯多葛派看來，我們在生活中經常發現自己追逐的東西，從足夠的距離來看，都是相當瑣碎和毫無意義的。

We don't have much if any control on what happens to us, how people see and treat us, nor what happens because of what we do, and in the big picture, none of it really matters all that much.

我們無法控制發生在我們身上的事情，無法控制人們如何看待和對待我們，也無法控制因為我們的所作所為而發生的事情。

And so we must define our happiness, not by what we own or achieve, not by how others see us, not by some bigger picture of life, but by how we think and see ourself and live our own life through what we deem virtuous and relevant.

是以，我們必須定義自己的幸福，不是以我們擁有什麼或取得什麼成就為標準，不是以別人如何看待我們為標準，也不是以某種更宏大的生活圖景為標準，而是以我們如何思考和看待自己以及如何通過我們認為良性和相關的方式過我們自己的生活為標準。

Stoicism tells us we can at last, if we wish, calmly accept the conditions of our indifferent reality and one-up it with our own indifferent attitude in return.

斯多葛主義告訴我們，只要我們願意，我們最終可以平靜地接受冷漠的現實條件，並以自己冷漠的態度來回報它。