A Beginner’s Guide to Stoicism

Three Key Pillars of Stoic Philosophy

Stoicism is gaining popularity in the modern world. Yet, it can be a complex philosophy to explain in simple words. In this article, I aim to simplify Stoicism by identifying and explaining the three fundamental principles of stoic philosophy using the concept of “The Stoic Triangle of Happiness.”

A simple yet visual concept popularised by the author Jonas Salzeger in his brilliant book “The Little Book of Stoicism.”

First Corner of The Stoic Happiness Triangle — Live With Arete

What does it mean to “Live With Arete”? The classic translation of Arete is Virtue or Excellence. In modern translations, we can think of living with arete as “to express the best version of yourself moment to moment.” According to the stoics, expressing your best self is the ultimate purpose of life.

So, how do we express our best selves? The Stoics advise us that the path to our best self goes through 4 cardinal virtues that lie at the core of Stoicism. If we practice these four virtues, we can live with arete. The four stoic virtues are as follows:

Wisdom — Knowing how to live well and act appropriately.