Stoic quotes for overthinking
Thinking is useful until it turns into circling. The Stoics were not against thinking; they wanted it to end in a decision or a release. Try these when your mind is running laps.
Pick a voice with the Gentle / Tough love buttons at the top. Both versions are on this page.
Quotes
Such as are thy habitual thoughts, such also will be the character of thy mind; for the soul is dyed by the thoughts.
The thoughts you return to most become the colour of your mind. If you keep rehearsing the worst version of events, that is what the mind learns to expect.
Some things torment us more than they ought; some torment us before they ought; and some torment us when they ought not to torment us at all.
Three ways worry gets it wrong: too much, too soon, or about things that should not trouble us at all. A quick audit for a worried mind.
If thou art pained by any external thing, it is not this thing that disturbs thee, but thy own judgment about it. And it is in thy power to wipe out this judgment now.
It is not the outside thing that is disturbing you but your judgment about it, and a judgment can be revised right now. It does not say the situation is fine; it says the part you can change is your view of it.
Men are disturbed not by the things which happen, but by the opinions about the things.
Events do not disturb us by themselves; our opinions about them do. This line is often shortened. This is the full wording in George Long’s translation.
Do not disturb thyself by thinking of the whole of thy life. Let not thy thoughts at once embrace all the various troubles which thou mayest expect to befall thee: but on every occasion ask thyself, What is there in this which is intolerable and past bearing? … remember that neither the future nor the past pains thee, but only the present.
Do not carry your whole life at once. Ask whether this moment, right now, is actually unbearable. Neither the past nor the future hurts you at this instant; only the present does, and the present is small.
Take away thy opinion, and then there is taken away the complaint, "I have been harmed."
The hurt of a loss is real. The extra sentence we add (“I have been wronged”, “I was a fool”) is the part we can edit. Marcus is not saying the pain is imaginary; he is pointing at the story we pile on top of it.
Marcus is not saying the pain is imaginary. He is pointing at the story we add to it.
In plain words
Gentle
Your mind is trying to protect you by solving something. When it cannot, it repeats. Instead of fighting the thoughts, give them a container: write them down, then ask the one question that matters. Is there anything I can do about this today? If yes, write the step. If no, tell yourself “noted” and turn gently to something physical.
Tough love
Rumination feels like problem-solving but it is rehearsal of pain. Set a ten-minute timer, write everything down, then stop. Choose action or release. If you catch yourself starting again, stand up and do something with your hands. You are not an audience for your thoughts. You are allowed to leave the theatre.
A 10-minute brain dump
- Write every thought on paper for ten minutes. Then close the notebook.
- Circle one action you can take, and schedule it.
- Interrupt the loop physically for five minutes: cold water on your face, a walk, or tidying one surface.
Flash cards to repeat
Flip each card, then use “Repeat mode” to cycle through them, or “Read aloud” to hear them. Hearing or reading the same few lines again and again is the point.
- Such as are thy habitual thoughts, such also will be the character of thy mind; for the soul is dyed by the thoughts.Marcus Aurelius, Meditations V.16
Gentle: What have you been feeding your mind lately? What would you like to feed it instead?
Tough love: You become what you rehearse. Rehearse something useful.
- If thou art pained by any external thing, it is not this thing that disturbs thee, but thy own judgment about it. And it is in thy power to wipe out this judgment now.Marcus Aurelius, Meditations VIII.47
Gentle: What is the judgment under the thought? You can examine it.
Tough love: The thought is a verdict. Challenge it.
- Some things torment us more than they ought; some torment us before they ought; and some torment us when they ought not to torment us at all.Seneca, Letter 13, §5 (On groundless fears)
Gentle: Too much, too soon, or about something that should not trouble you?
Tough love: Sort the thought. Then act on it or drop it.
- Is there any action I can take today?
Gentle: If yes, write the step. If no, say “noted” and move on.
Tough love: Act or drop. No third option.
- Do not disturb thyself by thinking of the whole of thy life. Let not thy thoughts at once embrace all the various troubles which thou mayest expect to befall thee: but on every occasion ask thyself, What is there in this which is intolerable and past bearing? … remember that neither the future nor the past pains thee, but only the present.Marcus Aurelius, Meditations VIII.36
Gentle: Only this hour. Is this moment actually unbearable?
Tough love: Stop carrying the whole year. Handle this hour.
Sounds to sit with
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Books for this feeling
- Psychology
The Happiness Trap
Russ HarrisAn approachable guide to acceptance and commitment therapy: how to make room for hard thoughts without being run by them.
Find it on Bookshop.org - Psychology
Unwinding Anxiety
Judson BrewerA neuroscientist and physician explains how worry loops form and offers small, practical ways to break them.
Find it on Bookshop.org - Psychology
Feeling Good: The New Mood Therapy
David D. BurnsA classic on cognitive behavioural therapy, the modern approach most similar to Stoic thinking about thoughts and feelings.
Find it on Bookshop.org
Questions
Why can’t I stop overthinking at night?
At night there are fewer distractions, so unfinished worries get louder. Some people find that writing a short list before bed and leaving it on the table helps. If poor sleep goes on for weeks, talk to a doctor.
What did the Stoics say about thoughts?
Marcus wrote that the soul is dyed by the thoughts, meaning the thoughts you repeat shape the character of your mind (Meditations V.16). So it matters what you choose to dwell on, and what you choose to put down.
Related feelings
This page offers philosophy and reflection, not therapy or medical advice. If you are in crisis or thinking about hurting yourself, call or text 988 (US) or call 911 in an emergency. More help. Quotes are from public-domain translations and are checked against the source. How we verify.