Calm under pressure. Marcus Aurelius 6.20

Marcus here appreciates the value of separating actions from emotions. Today as anciently, combat sports offer an excellent way to train this skill. Few things in life are more practical than learning to fight without losing your cool, especially when you lose.

Ἐν τοῖς γυμνασίοις καὶ ὄνυξι κατέδρυψέ τις καὶ τῇ κεφαλῇ ἐρραγεὶς πληγὴν ἐποίησεν, ἀλλ’ οὔτε ἐπισημαινόμεθα οὔτε προσκόπτομεν οὔτε ὑφορώμεθα ὕστερον ὡς ἐπίβουλον· καίτοι φυλαττόμεθα, οὐ μέντοι ὡς ἐχθρὸν οὐδὲ μεθ’ ὑποψίας, ἀλλ’ ἐκκλίσεως εὐμενοῦς. τοιοῦτόν τι γινέσθω καὶ ἐν τοῖς λοιποῖς μέρεσι τοῦ βίου· πολλὰ παρενθυμώμεθα τῶν οἷον προσγυμναζομένων. ἔξεστι γάρ, ὡς ἔφην, ἐκκλίνειν καὶ μήτε ὑποπτεύειν μήτε ἀπέχθεσθαι.

Someone lays us out in the gymnasium, drops a wild beating on our head, but we don't make a big deal of this, taking offense or suspecting that his deranged attack is an indication of deliberate malice. Though we defend ourselves, our defense isn't offered with spite, as to a foe, but with deference, as among friends. Let this be the rule in other parts of our life, too. We overlook many things from those who compete against us. It is possible, as I have said before, to defend ourselves without mistrusting or hating those we ward off.