The Stoic HANDBOOK - College of Stoic Philosophers

2. The Queen Maab defense. In the movie, Merlin, the magician
eliminates the power of the wicked witch, Queen Maab, by
organizing all the people to simply turn their backs on her fury.
That's the silent defense that you can always use if you aren't
quick enough to think of a good self-deprecating remark. By
ignoring someone you are in effect saying that their opinion is of
no interest to you. And, in fact, their existence is not important
enough to even recognize. This can be very effective for all but
children, both big and small.
3. Correcting the Child. The rudeness or misbehavior of a child must
be corrected for instructional purposes. We should all take part in
helping to educate a child for life in a civilized society.
Sometimes the child is a grownup (see “The Ethical Paradox”).
Not everyone you encounter will be wise. Many, if not most, will
be stuck at a primary stage of ethical evolution. To these,
Epictetus would advise we instruct them as we would a child. No
one says a Stoic must suffer fools gladly. There are situations
when dealing with such people includes pointing out the error of
their ways. Nothing personal. Nothing emotional. If you don't
remind them of the value of decorous behavior, who will?
Seneca Meditation
Seneca claimed to practice a certain kind of meditation every night
before he retired for bed. This is not the kind of meditation most of us are
familiar with – where you clear your mind of all thought. Just the
opposite. He called it meditation, but it's more like a daily review. It goes
like this. Find a quiet place where you can close you eyes and see the
events that took place during the day. Recall in detail everything that
happened from the time you got up this morning right up to the present
moment. At each scene, each turn of events, remember how well you
performed as a Stoic. Remember everyone you met, everything you said
and did – or failed to do. When and where you conducted yourself in a
manner that was worthy and noble you can be confirmed in your practice.
Consider carefully every situation where you fell short.
Another form of this exercise is to keep a journal. Your journal can be
made of paper or it can be a file on your computer. Replay the events of
your day in a journal. Write down the most important things you can
remember and your reaction to each event you consider important enough
to evaluate. Then evaluate. Was your reaction Stoic? If not, why not?
Think about it. How could you have improved your performance? With
practice, your journal will show the same improvement the rest of us will
see.
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