Sometimes we fail when we try to offer help. This can take a toll on us. Darnell has been politically active, working toward police accountability in his community. If it weren’t for his dedication to the issue, he would have quit by now. He’s talked to local politicians, organized a local activist group, and published a few op-ed pieces on the subject. But he still hasn’t seen significant movement. Though the Stoics realized that much of the world isn’t in our complete control, it didn’t stop them from trying to improve the world. How do Stoics act for the greater good despite setbacks?

Whether reading the news or looking around your neighborhood, it’s not hard to see many things wrong with the world. Sometimes these problems can seem insurmountable. And sometimes they actually are. An assassination attempt didn’t stop Malala Yousafzai from continuing her work on education rights, whereas it may easily have stopped others. While we can’t all be Malala, we can do what we’re able to attempt to make the world around us a little better. This week, you’ll take a step or two in that direction.

Have you ever had trouble falling asleep because you’re rehashing something you did earlier that day that you regret? Niamh has. She lost her temper at her husband for not taking care of the dishes yet again. Yes, she’d had a long day, and yes, he does neglect his share of things frequently. But instead of working things out, she turned to insults that clearly hurt him and that she now regrets. Niamh doesn’t normally act out like this, and she can’t help but berate herself about her loss of composure. Fortunately the Stoics have a method that allows you to look at and learn from, rather than dwell on, your past actions.

It can be hard to know how to act without guidance. John could have used some when dealing with teenagers, who, he knew, could be a handful. Growing pains. Rebellion. It’s all part of the experience, right? But knowing this hasn’t helped John manage his son Brian’s recent troubles in school. Brian’s falling grades are concerning, but the fight Brian started with the guidance counselor today is beyond the pale. As John considers his son’s actions, his astonishment and anger rise. How can Stoicism help John with his anger and guide his reactions to his son’s behavior?

When we’re angry, we may think that venting will help, partly because it often feels good to vent. This is exactly why Kofi started venting his anger—after a lifetime of keeping his feelings bottled up, releasing them felt good. But it had a nasty side effect, as with many things that can feel good: He started venting anger more and more, which led to strained relationships, in turn leading to more venting, creating a vicious cycle. Modern psychology and the ancient Stoics have similar explanations for why this vicious cycle occurs, and the Stoics offer several methods for countering it. This week, you’ll be exploring one of those techniques.

If our emotional responses were directly caused by specific external circumstances, then we’d expect everyone to react the same way to any given problem. But that’s not what we see. Consider Giovanni, who recently came out of a tough divorce. Some of his friends have also been through something similar, and though they all feel a great sense of pain and bitterness about their circumstances, Giovanni simply doesn’t. Instead, Giovanni talks about what role he played in the divorce, what he has learned about himself in the process, and how to make himself better as a result. Stoicism can help us practice the attitude that seems to come naturally to people like Giovanni. This week, we’ll focus on one such technique.

The way we view other people’s actions can affect how we feel and act toward them. Linh found this out when she learned why her usually reliable coworker Seth kept dropping the ball on a shared project, leaving Linh with most of the work. When Linh angrily confronted her colleague about slacking off, she learned that Seth was dealing with his mother’s Alzheimer’s disease, which had progressed to a point where his mother could no longer care for herself, and Seth was left as the main caregiver. This piece of information instantly transformed Linh’s anger to compassion. What kind of Stoic practice could help this paradigm shift happen more frequently, especially those who we initially find frustrating?

We occasionally encounter people who are frustrating and difficult to deal with. This gets in the way of not only our own peace of mind, but also our ability to work well with and be kind to others. Mia has experienced this firsthand. Her sales job means she constantly has to communicate with current and potential clients, as well as collaborate with coworkers. She gets along with some of them fine, but many of them can be . . . difficult, to put it mildly. When someone raises her hackles, it can cost Mia both social capital and commissions. The Stoics used premeditatio malorum (premeditation of adversity), which you practiced in Week 6, to help work through dealing with others. Their view of the world helped them act with a sense of kindness and justice as well. But how did they put their theory into practice?

It’s natural to discuss what’s going on in your life with people who care about you. Opening up to others not only keeps them informed, but it can also create closeness. However, not all forms and quantities of sharing are created equally. That’s what Valerie’s friends think, anyway. While they care about what’s going on in her life, they find she tends to overshare in person and especially on social media. It’s not just the quantity that bothers them, but the fact that Valerie often redirects her online comments back to herself. Many in-person conversations with Valerie also wind up being about her. How much sharing is too much for you? You’ll find out for yourself this week with an experiment on cutting down on talking about yourself.

How much do you care about what other people think of you? Taking people’s opinions of you into account is an important part of the Discipline of Action. However, we must care in the right way. Emil takes it personally when people criticize him to his face or when he hears through the rumor mill that somebody thinks badly of him. It stings, and it provokes Emil to use a great deal of time and emotional energy to defend himself. This week, you’ll practice a simple technique to better respond to criticism and rumors.