Stilpo of Megara was one of the most famous philosophers of his age; the young Zeno would later study under him. When king Demetrius conquered and plundered his city, Stilpo lost everything in one day: his house, his possessions, and according to Seneca his family as well. He came walking out of the smoking ruins alone. Demetrius, who wanted to spare the philosopher, asked him whether he had lost anything, and offered to compensate his losses. Stilpo's answer became one of the most famous sentences of antiquity: I have lost nothing, everything that is mine I carry with me. He meant his insight, his character, his calm. Seneca told the story again and again to anyone who would listen: look, it can be done.
The maximum loss: everything at once, through no fault of your own, without warning. The question that remains is whether anything of you is left.
The city, the house and the fate of those dear to him: never his, however unbearable that sounds. What the soldiers could not carry, they also could not steal: his judgment, his wisdom, his way of standing in the world. Stilpo's sentence is no denial of the grief; it is the inventory of what remained standing.
Make the inventory for yourself: if everything outside you fell away, what would you still carry with you? And do you spend as much maintenance on that part as on the rest?
Yours, Not Yours · A Stoic practice ground · All cases