Melete

The meditative anticipation of difficult experiences through mental exercise and rehearsal.

Melete (μελέτη) is a central Stoic practice of discipline that consists of deliberately envisioning difficult situations, obstacles, and unwanted events in the mind, in order to work through them mentally and prepare oneself emotionally and cognitively. It differs from rumination through its directed structure: the practitioner imagines a scenario, recognises what is within their control and what is not, and accepts this accordingly. Melete is thus a form of preparatory mental rationality that cultivates clarity and equanimity in the face of adversity.