> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://wiki.stoicfellowship.com/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://wiki.stoicfellowship.com/wiki/exercises/choice-action-and-virtue/contemplating-the-sage.md). # Contemplating the Sage Use an exemplary person to clarify the judgment and action a situation requires > **Also known as:** Seek the Sage; Meditate on Others' Virtues > **Practice basis:** Ancient instruction with modern titles Choose a person who exemplifies good judgment, then use that example to clarify how you should act. ## At a Glance * **Use when:** You know the situation but cannot see the best response. * **Trains:** Moral attention, practical wisdom, and imitation of virtue. * **Time:** One to five minutes. * **Timing:** Before or during a difficult choice. ## Purpose An abstract instruction such as “act wisely” may not tell you what to do next. A good example makes virtue concrete. In *Letters* 11, Seneca recommends choosing a person whose life, expression, and manner can stand before us as a standard. Epictetus likewise tells his students to set the character of Socrates before them (*Discourses* 2.16.21–22). The sage is an ideal of perfected wisdom; your model need not be a sage in the strict Stoic sense. You might choose Socrates, Cato, or Epictetus. A well-written character from a book or film may also make a virtue easier to picture. Still, a wise person from your own life may provide the best model because you have seen how that person judges and acts outside a single story. Do not assume that one person must serve as the model for every situation. Someone may demonstrate courage under pressure while another shows better judgment in friendship, leadership, grief, or disagreement. Choose the person who demonstrates the particular virtue the situation requires. Then identify what that person would notice, refuse, and do. The model helps you reason; it does not relieve you of responsibility for the choice. **Core Stoic Skill:** Turning an example of virtue into a reasoned choice of action. ## How to Practice 1. **Name the difficulty.** State the decision or temptation plainly. 2. **Choose the model.** Recall an ancient figure, fictional character, or person from your life who handles this kind of situation well. 3. **Identify the virtue.** Ask what quality in that person is relevant here. 4. **Translate the example.** Decide what that quality requires you to notice, avoid, and do. 5. **Act for the right reason.** Do the appropriate thing because it is appropriate, not because you are imitating a personality. ## Example: Owning a Mistake You discover an error in work already sent to a group. Your first impulse is to wait and hope no one notices. You recall a colleague who admits mistakes early and corrects them without drama. What matters is not her confidence or style; it is her honesty and concern for the people who rely on the work. You notify the group, explain the correction, and repair what you can. ## Common Mistakes * **Choosing fame instead of virtue.** Admire the quality of character, not status or success. * **Treating one person as the model for everything.** Choose according to the virtue and situation. * **Copying conduct without context.** The same virtue may require different actions in different roles. * **Inventing the model's answer.** Test the imagined advice against reason and Stoic principles. * **Excusing your own judgment.** You remain responsible for the choice. ## Variants * **Sage on the Shoulder:** Instead of asking what your model would do, imagine that person is present and watching what you choose. The decision is no longer made in private. You still judge and act for yourself, but you do so before the imagined witness whose standards you respect. * **A council of examples:** Compare how two or three models might express the same virtue. * **Retrospective review:** Ask how your model might have handled an action you now regret. ## In-the-Moment Phrases * “What would \[the sage] do?” * “Seek the sage's example.” * “How would I act if the sage were watching?” ## Optional Reflection Use these questions for journaling or quiet contemplation. Writing is optional. * Which virtue did my model make concrete? * Would someone I know provide a clearer model for this situation? * Did I imitate an action, or did I understand the reason for it? ## Source Anchors * Seneca, *Letters on Ethics* 11.8–10 * Epictetus, *Discourses* 2.16.21–22 * Marcus Aurelius, *Meditations* 1 ## Related Exercises * [Role Ethics Review](/wiki/exercises/roles-relationships-and-speech/role-review.md) * [Two Handles](/wiki/exercises/choice-action-and-virtue/two-handles.md) * [Maxims](/wiki/exercises/tools-and-methods/maxims.md) ## Modern Parallels Many modern Christians will recognize the same structure in **WWJD**: “What would Jesus do?” In Charles M. Sheldon's 1896 novel *In His Steps*, characters pledge to ask that question before acting. Nearly a century later, cloth bracelets bearing the initials WWJD became popular as wearable reminders to retrieve the question when a decision arrived. The bracelet demonstrates why “What would \[the sage] do?” can be a useful maxim. Four letters made a larger practice easy to remember at the point of choice. A Stoic may use a card, bracelet, phone reminder, or memorized phrase in the same way. The reminder does not make the decision; it recalls the example, virtue, and standard against which you make it. --- # Agent Instructions This documentation is published with GitBook. GitBook is the documentation platform designed so that both humans and AI agents can read, navigate, and reason over technical content effectively. Learn more at gitbook.com. ## Querying This Documentation If you need additional information that is not directly available in this page, you can query the documentation by asking a question. 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