Chapter 104
When Running Away Won't Work
1.I have run off to my villa at Nomentum, for what purpose, do you suppose? To escape the city? No; to shake off a fever which was surely working its way into my system. It had already got a grip upon me. My physician kept insisting that when the circulation was upset and irregular, disturbing the natural poise, the disease was under way. I therefore ordered my carriage to be made ready at once, and insisted on departing, in spite of my wife Paulina’s[1] efforts to stop me; for I remembered my master Gallio’s[2] words, when he began to…
Public-domain chapter text, formatted for reading.
Critical Thinking Exercise
Track Your Escape Patterns
Make a list of the last three times you wanted to escape or change your situation - whether you acted on it or not. For each situation, identify what you were really trying to get away from (the feeling, the person, the responsibility) versus what you thought changing locations or circumstances would solve.
Consider:
- •Look for repeated feelings or conflicts that show up across different situations
- •Notice whether the external change actually solved the internal problem
- •Consider what you might have learned about yourself if you had stayed and worked through the difficulty
Journaling Prompt
Write about a time when you changed your external circumstances hoping to feel different inside. What happened? What would you do differently now?
Master this chapter. Complete your experience
Purchase the complete book to access all chapters and support classic literature
Available in paperback, hardcover, and e-book formats
You Might Also Like
Lessons from Letters from a Stoic
Theme-by-theme analyses that connect this book to modern life skills.
Deep diving the literary elements.
