Cutting Off Toxic People: Protect Your Time and Energy

Do you often feel frustrated by the negative behavior of your co-workers, friends, or even family members? If you allow others to upset you, the responsibility doesn’t lie with them.

Many of us say, ‘It’s not me, it’s them!’ — quick to place blame on others for our emotions.

We believe that they cause us to feel a certain way. But that’s not true. You are the one who decides how to react to what happens in your life.

Events can’t harm us. Our perception of an event harms us. That’s one of the most important ideas of Stoic philosophy.

In other words, you decide what meaning you give to the things that happen in your life. If your friend tells lies about you behind your back, and you get upset, that’s because you decided to get upset.

After all, you don’t control others. That’s why who you spend your time with is a matter of life and death.

The great Stoic philosopher, Epictetus, said this in his Manual For Living:

“Avoid fraternizing with people who don’t share your values. Prolonged association with those with false ideas can only tarnish your thinking.”