Don’t Be Scared
Fear often feels larger than life. It multiplies shadows, paints monsters on the walls of the cave, and invents dangers that have not yet entered the world. Fear is a storm; reality, a drizzle. We tremble, and yet so do those we fear—each of us carrying secret nights of uncertainty. But the Stoics remind us: courage is not the absence of fear, but the choice to step forward despite it. Who was Musonius Rufus? Musonius Rufus (c. 20–100 CE) was a Roman Stoic philosopher, often called the “Roman Socrates.” He taught that philosophy was not abstract theory but a practical guide to living well. His students included Epictetus, who later became one of the most influential Stoic voices. Musonius believed that virtue was the highest good and that courage, simplicity, and self‑discipline were essential to a meaningful life. In one of his teachings, he said: “We begin to lose our hesitation to act when we realize that the worst thing that can happen to us is death, and that death is not terrible...
