“If anyone starts talking about philosophy, stay quiet, because you might end up just vomiting out the stuff you’ve learned without digesting it. Sheep don’t throw up grass to show a shepherd how much they ate . . . instead, they digest it and use their food to produce wool and milk.” — Epictetus
When you first discover philosophy, it’s tough to resist the urge to tell everyone about what you’re learning. But blabbing about your newfound knowledge could hold you back from making progress . . . which is why Epictetus used to warn his students about the vomiting sheep.
If you really apply Stoicism to your life and focus on using it to grow, then other people are going to notice that you’ve changed. You won’t need to tell them about your progress, because they’ll see it in your actions.
If you’re busy bragging to everyone about your wisdom, then you’re wasting time that could be used to improve yourself and live a happier life.
So, are you learning Stoicism and then puking it out to show people how great you are? Or are you applying it to your life and using it to become a better person . . . without worrying about other people’s opinions?