> 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/roles-relationships-and-speech.md).

# Roles, Relationships, and Speech

Practices for fulfilling roles and acting justly toward others

## What These Exercises Train

These exercises apply Stoic judgment to relationships, duties, social concern, association, conflict, and speech. They ask what your present role requires, how far concern should extend, and how to speak or remain silent without sacrificing truth, justice, protection, or care.

## When to Use Them

Use these practices before or during conversations, conflicts, social pressure, criticism, and decisions involving competing relationships. The speech exercises are narrow by design: each gives you a different test for deciding whether and how to contribute.

## Exercises in This Section

| Exercise                                                                                                                       | What It Does                                                                              |
| ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| [Role Ethics Review](/wiki/exercises/roles-relationships-and-speech/role-review.md)                                            | Identify the duties attached to your present roles and choose the appropriate action.     |
| [Circles of Hierocles](/wiki/exercises/roles-relationships-and-speech/circles-of-hierocles.md)                                 | Extend practical concern by drawing people from wider social circles closer.              |
| [Exercise of Social Goods](/wiki/exercises/roles-relationships-and-speech/exercise-of-social-goods.md)                         | Value relationships and civic goods without confusing them with moral good.               |
| [Take the Outside View](/wiki/exercises/roles-relationships-and-speech/otherize.md)                                            | Judge your own misfortune with the proportion you bring to another person's.              |
| [Choose Your Company Well](/wiki/exercises/roles-relationships-and-speech/choose-your-company-well.md)                         | Choose and limit association according to the habits it strengthens.                      |
| [Prepare for Difficult Conversations](/wiki/exercises/roles-relationships-and-speech/prepare-for-difficult-conversations.md)   | Prepare the purpose, judgment, and conduct for a conversation likely to involve conflict. |
| [Reframing Insults](/wiki/exercises/roles-relationships-and-speech/reframing-insults.md)                                       | Examine an insult without treating another person's words as moral harm.                  |
| [Speak Little and Well](/wiki/exercises/roles-relationships-and-speech/speak-little-and-well.md)                               | Speak with restraint when speech serves truth, justice, relationship, or duty.            |
| [Avoid Gossip](/wiki/exercises/roles-relationships-and-speech/avoid-gossip.md)                                                 | Refuse to pass along unverified or needless claims about absent people.                   |
| [Avoid Crude or Empty Talk](/wiki/exercises/roles-relationships-and-speech/avoid-crude-or-empty-talk.md)                       | Decline speech that trains vulgarity, malice, or empty preoccupation.                     |
| [Do Not Speak Too Much About Yourself](/wiki/exercises/roles-relationships-and-speech/do-not-speak-too-much-about-yourself.md) | Keep self-reference proportionate to the needs of the conversation.                       |
| [Don't Lecture About Philosophy](/wiki/exercises/roles-relationships-and-speech/dont-lecture-about-philosophy.md)              | Demonstrate philosophy in conduct instead of displaying doctrines.                        |


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