Stoicism and the American Dream

What does it take to be within the top 0.1 per cent of the population who are exceptionally ambitious, like the author, a self-made capitalist-philanthropist? Following the precepts of Stoicism, an ancient Greek philosophy, which distinguishes emotion from reason, perception from facts, builds the soul, and guides daily actions is one way.

- SANJEEV AHLUWALIA

Stoicism lives on today as "Cognitive Behavioural Therapy" which changes maladjusted behaviour by altering negative perceptions and examines emotional responses rationally to deal with immediate needs. This book adopts an attractive narrative in the Stoic tradition of voicing principles as catchy, easily memorised aphorisms (disguised here as 42 chapters, some just two pages long) to guide real life actions.

Your parents can only afford underserved city schools. Work hard and excel, your teachers will bail you out and manage scholarships for you as the author's teacher did. You are poor and have no family role model. Read biographies in public libraries and choose your role model. Identify real life role models. The author did this at age 13 to cull inside information from brokerage employees, piquing their curiosity enough to share tips on when to buy and sell, thereby saving his family from certain loss in a "pump and dump scheme."