Stoic practice · 2–4 min

Pleasure vs. Joy

Turn from chasing a sensation toward choosing a worthy action.

Use when: numbing, chasing highs, emotional avoidance

How the practice works

1. Read the frame A pleasant sensation happens to you. Stoic joy belongs to the active use of judgment and character. Ask what you will do, not only what you want to feel.
2. Name the situation Which pleasure or sensation are you chasing?
3. Record what you notice What virtuous action would offer a sounder kind of joy here?
4. Choose the next action What will you do?

“True joy is a serious thing.”

— Seneca, Letters 23