The Stoic philosophy of life originated in ancient Greece and Rome. An individual with a stoic personality is unwilling to display his or her emotions or be subjected to emotional considerations. Stoics are also strong, resilient, and calm in the face of life’s inevitable struggles. With our world becoming increasingly chaotic, the stoic mentality can provide a welcome reprieve. With a stoic personality, we will become better at managing adversity, more empathetic and more independent.
In this article, we will explain the stoic personality. We talk about eleven common traits of this personality and discuss the benefits and challenges of having such a personality. Finally, we will guide you to practice stoic personality in order to live a better life.
Plus, A Guide to the Good Life by William B. Irvine will give you more life advice.
Contents
· What Is Stoicism and Stoic Personality?
· 11 Common Traits of Stoic Personality
· 7 Benefits of Having a Stoic Personality
· Challenges of Having a Stoic Personality
· How to Practice Stoic Personality?
· What Is Stoicism and Stoic Personality?
“Stoic” is the adjectival form of stoicism, a Hellenistic school founded in Athens by Zeno of Citium. Today, the word stoic is commonly used to describe people who appear to be apathetic or indifferent to pain, pleasure, grief, or joy.
Stoics were concerned with the role passion plays in upsetting moral thought and action. They believed that certain destructive emotions resulted from errors in judgment, while others resulted from faulty reasoning. The best strategy for stoics was to live according to nature, which they considered divine law. Stoics believed that all emotions must be suppressed, or at the very least channeled into appropriate responses.
According to the Stoics, the goal of life is to eliminate disabling emotions (passion) and to encourage enabling ones (temperance, courage, and wisdom). Stoics wanted to rid ourselves of such destructive emotions (passion) and to cultivate constructive emotions (temperance, courage, and wisdom).
· 11 Common Traits of Stoic Personality
1. You Are Not Discouraged by Setbacks
Our lives are full of surprises and unfortunate setbacks that prevent us from achieving what we desire.
Those with stoic personalities are rarely affected by these setbacks. Being stoic makes it much easier to brush yourself off after such surprises and move on without dwelling on what may have gone wrong.
2. You Easily Adapt to Change
There are many people who find change disorienting. Even small changes in lifestyle can be difficult to adjust to. We can be completely thrown off balance by new or different circumstances, like a new job, new home, or a new routine at times.
Having a stoic personality, however, usually means that these changes aren’t as disturbing as they are for other people. Changes don’t cause them much worry, and they move on with little disturbance.
3. You Recognize Your Own Needs
Unlike most people, stoics are much more aware of their own needs. They can recognize when they need emotional or physical care, regardless of whether they are emotional or physical.
When it comes to their own needs, a stoic person is more likely to prioritize them — they know what they need and they can take care of them easily.
4. You Focus on Solutions
Most of us struggle to remain practical and logical when we face difficulties in our lives because we get caught up in the emotional strain of the situation.
It is more likely that people with stoic personalities will focus on the solutions to problems and will be more pragmatic in their approach to tasks.
5. You Learn from Mistakes
Trial and error are sometimes considered the best way to learn and grow. Seeing options presented in front of us allows us to understand what went wrong so that we can fix it in the future.
Instead of becoming bogged down by the negative feelings that come with making mistakes, people with stoic personalities often use these shortcomings and mistakes to their fullest potential.
Without letting their emotions guide their actions, they are capable of learning quickly and turning mistakes into opportunities for growth.
6. You See the Bigger Picture
It is common for us to become fixated on minor details, especially when things don’t go as planned. This may be a small hurdle that must be overcome or a setback we may experience along the way.
It is usually easier for a stoic to see the big picture or to focus on the bigger picture for their struggles. Instead of obsessing over every step along the way, they see the destination as their focus and the difficulties they might encounter as mere bumps in the road.
7. You Recover Quickly from Rejection
There are some people who take rejection and hurt very badly. This is simply human nature. Stoics, though, usually move on quickly from these kinds of upsets without dwelling on their negative emotions.
It is less likely that they will take it personally or believe that it reflects something they need to change about themselves. It does not hinder their confidence when they return next time.
8. You Remain Calm Under Pressure
An individual with a stoic personality usually has greater control over their emotions. Thus, when situations are difficult or high-pressure, a stoic person is likely to stay calm and rational.
While other people may crumble under pressure, stoic people are likely to thrive. Pressure does not affect them or distract them from their goals.
9. You Don’t Often Seek Help
It is not always a good thing to have a stoic personality. Some stoic people will not reach out to others for help in times of need. You will need help with everything from moving furniture to your mental health.
When someone has a stoic character, they are much more likely to take on these things themselves, even when they are struggling greatly. They are strong people who can handle difficulties without needing support and reassurance from others.
If they are unwell, they may not seek help or medical attention. They may continue to do so even if they are not feeling their best because they feel more comfortable being alone.
10. You Can Separate Emotion from Practicality
There can be times in our lives, whether good or bad, when we feel incredibly emotional.
When people move home, plan weddings and funerals, or have a child, these life events can be both emotionally and logistically challenging. It is difficult to get things done in these situations when logic and emotion don’t work well together.
When dealing with situations that require logic and rational thinking, Stoics are able to separate their emotions from the practicalities. This allows them to complete tasks more efficiently and without becoming overwhelmed.
11. You Are Very Self-Aware
Since someone with a stoic personality does not become clouded by emotion or insecurity, they know themselves very well and are more self-aware than other people.
In addition to understanding their dreams and goals, they also understand their own needs very well and are capable of supporting themselves.
Since they understand even the simplest things about themselves, like their likes and dislikes, they seldom do things they don’t want to and can fight for themselves when necessary.
Having stoicism means you are strong and comfortable, so you’re much harder to shake in times of trouble. In addition to this, you might not seek help when you need it. While having a stoic personality is a good thing, don’t be afraid to let others in when the pressure starts to mount.
· 7 Benefits of Having a Stoic Personality
1. Managing adversity
There is no doubt that life is filled with struggle and adversity. The stoic simply looks forward to the end of their adversity.
2. Self-Knowledge
Stoics practice self-knowledge and self-understanding, which allows them to know who they are, what they are capable of, and what they need to improve on. As a result of this, we are able to remain true to our own standards of behavior and also understand how others may behave better than we do.
3. Self-Control
Stoics are able to control strong emotions, so they are more likely to remain rational and make better decisions by remaining stoic. Having self-control is a key part of living a stoic life. Stoics don’t worry about the actions of others, because they know that their only real control is themselves. By accepting this, a stoic person is more calm and relaxed in many situations where others would become angry or upset.
4. Empathy
A stoic person is capable of placing themselves in the position of others around them, enabling them to interact with different people on a personal level. If you truly understand someone’s emotions, it is difficult to hate them. Without empathy, we remain detached from those around us, which makes it difficult for meaningful relationships to form. In addition to allowing us to see things from multiple perspectives, empathy allows us to be more strategic and deliberate.
5. Facing fears
A stoic person will face their fears head-on without worrying about what other people may think. A Stoic understands that other people’s opinions do not matter because only their own opinions matter, at least when they are faced with a particular fear. We can only master fear once we have faced it, demonstrating our maturity as individuals and our ability to cope with life’s challenges.
6. Resilience
Stoicism teaches us to face adversity head-on. True to their name, stoics stay calm and focused in stressful situations. This allows them to get through painful experiences in life without spending a lot of time worrying about them. In life, we are constantly faced with molehills, and resilience is what enables us to make mountains.
7. Living a Serenity Life
By living according to nature and accepting life’s flow, we can achieve serenity. This is quite hard in a society that constantly tries to mold us and our lives into what they believe we should be. In the end, the power lies with us, not with others. After all, we are all different, so why should we conform to their opinions about what we should be doing? Stoics view this as liberating, and instead of being frustrated by other people’s inability to attain “stoic wisdom”, they strive to improve their own understanding.
· Challenges of Having a Stoic Personality
One advantage of being a stoic is the ability to remain calm and level-headed in challenging situations. You are less likely to get caught up in the drama and more likely to see things objectively.
However, people may take advantage of your ability to always keep your cool, which can make you appear distant and unemotional to them. It can also be difficult to form close relationships with others because you are not as quick to show your emotions.
Overall, being a stoic gives you peace of mind and inner strength.
· How to Practice Stoic Personality?
1. Time management
Stoics recognize that time is something we don’t own and are often absorbed in work and other activities. You don’t have to neglect your family or yourself, but you need to understand how you use your time to control it. Having a clear goal is very important in a stoic lifestyle because it allows us to allocate our time efficiently rather than letting it slip by inefficiently.
2. Simple pleasures
Since only natural pleasures last, Stoics do what they enjoy, not because they want material things like money. Because they understand that a life without suffering is much better than one filled with suffering, they emphasize “prosperity in poverty.” The Stoics emphasize prosperity in poverty because it allows them to live frugally and worry about their possessions without worrying about them. This includes acquiring wealth and success, but they also emphasize prosperity in poverty because it allows them to live frugally.
3. Embracing “life as it is”
Stoics do not emphasize absolute tranquility in their living. Instead, they emphasize accepting things for who they are, rather than striving for absolute tranquility. By accepting and maintaining our composure, we are able to be at peace with the current state of our lives. Additionally, they allow us to deal effectively and efficiently with difficult situations.
4. Avoid harmful emotions
Those who are stoic are aware that harmful emotions, such as anger and fear, hinder their ability to make rational decisions. Therefore, they try to avoid these feelings as much as possible by understanding their causes and ignoring things that may trigger them. Stoic behavior includes ignoring other people’s opinions of you, because your own opinion matters. It doesn’t matter what other people think about you, because the truth will always prevail.
5. Practice meditation
Since Stoics believe that the mind is responsible for most problems, they meditate and accept their thoughts as much as possible. They do not waste time trying to figure out or solve a difficult problem, but instead let go of what is stressing them and free their minds from all worry.
