Prosoche

προσοχή

pro-so-KAY

Intermediate

Attention to oneself; the continuous vigilant awareness of one's thoughts, judgments, and impulses that the Stoics considered foundational to philosophical practice. Prosoche is the watchful presence of mind that catches impressions before they become automatic reactions.

Modern Application

You cannot lead others if you remain blind to your own mental processes. Practice prosoche by creating moments of pause before decisions—notice what stories your mind is telling you and whether your reactions serve your values or merely your comfort. This self-attention is not navel-gazing; it is the reconnaissance that makes wise action possible.

Related Concepts

Prohairesis Askesis Phronesis Sophrosyne Hexis

Articles Exploring Prosoche (9)

October 23, 2025

Excellence

Excellence Is Rented, Not Owned: The Rent Is Due Every Day

Grandma's cast iron pan lasted 60 years with daily care. My 'lifetime warranty' pan died in 18 months with neglect. Excellence isn't owned—it's rented. And the rent is due every single day.

October 22, 2025

Mastery Forge

Stop Waiting for Flow - Start Training It Like Every Other Skill

You can spend another year waiting for flow to happen, or you can spend the next 12 weeks training it like the ancient Greeks did, systematically, progressively, relentlessly.

October 08, 2025

Mastery Excellence

Your Focus App Isn't Working: Stop Tracking Distractions, Start Training Focus

Your focus app was never designed to make you focused. It was designed to make you dependent. Real focus comes from training attention like a muscle, not from tracking every distraction and optimizing dashboards.

October 02, 2025

Excellence Leadership

Akrasia: Why You Sabotage What You Know Is Right

You know exactly what you should do. You've known for months. So why aren't you doing it? The ancient Greeks had a word for this: akrasia, acting against your better judgment. And they understood it's the ultimate killer of excellence.

October 01, 2025

Mastery Forge

Why Trying Harder Makes You Worse (And How to Let Excellence Flow)

You built the conditions. You trained your attention. Now stop trying so hard. The excellence you're forcing toward shows up when you allow it to emerge.

September 29, 2025

Mastery Forge

Manage Attention, Not Hours: How to Do Work That Matters

You don't need more hours, you need cleaner attention. When you defend attention, deep work shows up and the needle finally moves.

September 28, 2025

Mastery Forge

Stop Chasing Flow. Build It.

Flow doesn't show up when you beg it. It shows up when you remove what blocks it. The people who hit flow states most aren't gifted, they're disciplined about building the right conditions.

July 30, 2025

Excellence

The Reflection Stage: Where Wisdom Begins and Excuses Die

Prosoche, the Stoic practice of disciplined reflection—transforms raw experience into actionable wisdom. Part 7 of The Greatness Flywheel series shows how systematic reflection accelerates excellence by preventing repeated mistakes and compounding learning.

July 21, 2025

Excellence Mastery

The Greatness Flywheel: Why Excellence is a Cycle, Not a Destination

Excellence isn't a destination you arrive at once and maintain through willpower. Excellence is a flywheel. The six-stage cycle that transforms ancient Greek wisdom into systematic excellence methodology.

Series Featuring Prosoche

The Greatness Flywheel

Derek Neighbors' breakthrough methodology that transforms excellence from destination to self-reinforcing cycle using ancient Greek wisdom and modern flow science

View series

Ancient Wisdom Flow States

Ancient wisdom meets modern neuroscience in understanding peak performance states

View series

Practice Prosoche Together

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