In our final quote from Marcus Aurelius for this video,

he says “How beautifully Plato put it. Whenever you want to talk about people,

it’s best to take a bird’s-eye view and see everything all at once”.

Considering the big picture is a tremendously important part of clearing one’s mind. When

living life, we are always right in the middle of everything: every problem can seem like the

end of the world. For example, when you’re in the middle of a small crowd, it might seem that

the entire city is crowded - but taking only a few steps aside will prove the opposite. So,

in general: when we take a step back and look at the entirety of the world and our lives,

we see how small all we experience really is, and how tiny we truly are. And then we

see how much of the world is there beyond our subjective experience.

Lots of people forget that their experiences and opinions are not the only thing that should

matter - even to themselves. Someone who's had a bad experience with dogs,

for example, might not understand or believe that dogs can be helpful and amazing pets to others,

unless they consciously consider the possibility of other experiences. From time-to-time,

we all need to take a step back and ask ourselves “What are we forgetting or missing?”

Doing this can be helpful in a number of ways. For example, imagine having to choose between staying

at your current job or applying for a newly opened position somewhere else. This might seem like a

difficult decision, especially if you’re not sure whether either of those would satisfy you. Maybe

you feel okay about your current job and don’t want the added responsibility of the promotion,

but you do appreciate the better pay that comes with it. You might feel stuck. However,

there is so much more you could think about. Have you considered moving into an entirely

different field altogether? Or a side-hustle - A way to make money in your free time,

alongside your current job? Perhaps immersing yourself in a hobby to shift your focus away from

the time spent doing something you don’t like as much? There is a big chance that there are many,

many options in life that you’re not even aware of. Looking at the big picture instead of being

focused only on what’s right in front of you can help tremendously when making a decision.

Looking at the grand scheme of things is not only helpful for deciding what is important,

but also helpful when forming an opinion. You need to know about all options or all

the aspects of a certain situation if you want to judge it properly. Furthermore,

taking a step back also means getting away from your own view and biases. When you let go of your

own desires for a moment, you might be reminded of the people around you and your duty to them.

You might think that in the heat of the moment, littering is not a big deal, but when you step

back and think of the entirety of the world, of the possibility of everybody else doing it,

you finally see the smallness of your desire to litter in comparison to the well-being of

the world. As said before, the stoics thought that everything in the world is interconnected and that

the general well-being of the world improves your personal well-being as well. Thus, taking a step

back and looking at the world as a whole instead of just your life is tremendously important.

When facing a choice, hardship, problem or change in life, you can inwardly ask

yourself some questions. This can be in the moment, or later on, perhaps when you’re

thinking through your day, whether while out for a walk or when journaling about

them - Something Aurelius was a particular fan of! The most common questions to ask yourself are;

What could the long-term effects of my choice/action be?

How could someone else’s perspective on this differ from mine?

Do I know somebody in a similar situation or with similar goals to mine that could help?

Does my choice/action affect my well-being? Does it affect the well-being of those around me?

Are there any choices I have not considered yet? Taking the time to consider all aspects of the

world helps yourself in the way that it helps you understand your actions,

thoughts, life and choices more clearly - and it helps yourself in the way that

it allows you to help the world. When you consider the whole picture, you will always

have an overseeing view that leaves you free from unnecessary restraint, bias or doubt.

If you enjoyed this video, please make sure to check out our full philosophies

for life playlist and for more videos to help you find success and happiness using

ancient philosophical wisdom, don’t forget to subscribe. Thanks so much for watching.