“You have been formed of three parts–body, breath, and mind. Of these, the first two are yours insofar as they are only in your care. The third alone is truly yours.” Marcus Aurelius, Meditations, 12.3

Where is the trumps mind?

“These are the characteristics of the rational soul, self-awareness, self examination, and self determination. It reaps its own harvest….It succeeds in its own purpose…” Marcus Aurelius, Meditations, 11.1-2

If the stoics ever needed a person to show the opposite of their thoughts it would be the trump.

“When you let your attention slide for a bit, don’t think you will get back a grip on it whenever you wish–instead, bear in mind that because of today’s mistake everything that follows will be necessarily worse… Is it possible to be free from error? Not by any means, but it is possible to be a person always stretching to avoid error. For we must be content to at least escape a few mistakes by never letting our attention slide.”  Epictetus, Discourses, 4.12.1.19

The trump’s attention spans seems to be as long as a twitter feed. He is also free from error as long as his little finger on his small hand can point at someone else.

“Here’s a way to think about what the masses regard as being ‘good’ things. If you would first start by setting your mind upon things that are unquestionably good-wisdom, self control, justice, courage-with this preconception you’ll no longer be able to listen to the popular refrain that there are to many good things to experience in a lifetime.” Marcus Aurelius, Meditations, 5.12

Wisdom, self-control, justice, courage is beyond the grasp of the trump.He is the complete opposite.

“Epictetus says we must discover the missing art of assent and pay special attention to the sphere of our impulses–that they are subject to reservation, to the common good,and that they are in proportion to actual worth.” Marcus Aurelius, Meditations, 11.37

Trumpcare died today. Next time will the trump use his power for the common good. I will not hold my breath on that one.

“What is bad luck? Opinion. What are conflict, dispute, blame, accusation, irreverence, and frivolity? They are all opinions and more than that, they are opinions that lie outside of our own reasoned choice, presented as if they were good or evil.  Let a person shift their opinions only to what belongs in the field of their own choice, and I guarantee that person will have peace of mind, whatever is happening around them.” Epictetus, Discouses, 3.318b-19

Opinions are hard to flush. Considering we are under the leadership of the trump.

“Do away with opinion I am harmed, and the harm is cast away too. Do away with being harmed, and harm disappears.” Marcus Aurelius, Meditations,4.7

The trump would benefit greatly from this bit of advice.

“Pay close attention in conversation to what is being said, and to what follows from any action. In the action, immediately look for the target, in words, listen closely to what’s being signaled.” Marcus Aurelius, Meditations, 7.4

What voices are in the trump’s head?

“Nothing will ever befall me that I will receive with gloom or a bad disposition. I will pay my taxes gladly. Now, all things which cause complaint or dread are like taxes of life–things from which, my dear Lucilius, you should never hope for exemption or seek escape.” Seneca, Moral Letters, 96.2

The trump has paid no taxes for many years his ledger will be balanced soon.

Believe me, it’s better to produce the balance-sheet of your own life than that of the grain market.” Seneca, On the Brevity of Life,18.3b

The trump’s balance-sheet for life will be unbalanced.