The Pure Stoic… Useless To Everyone But Themselves

I believe Stoicism to be one of the greatest philosophies ever conceived, and I believe it to be the greatest of the classical philosophies. More importantly, I believe it is needed now more than ever. So, despite the title of this story, this is not a “bash Stoicism” post, but rather a critical look at practical Stoicism, and how relevant it is today, if applied practically.

To discuss practical Stoicism, first look at another Greek philosophical concept, “moderation in all things.” The Greek poet Hesiod (c.700 BCE) told us, “observe due measure; moderation is best in all things.” Hundreds of years later (c. 340 BCE), in his work, “Nicomachean Ethics,” Aristotle discusses the concept of the “Golden Mean,” which suggests that virtue lies between deficiency and excess. In other words, moderation is the key to achieving moral excellence. It’s important to understand that in this context, moderation literally means “reasonable amounts,” so for example, the classical Greeks would not espouse pure sobriety, nor would they condone wanton drunkenness, rather they would approve of moderate drinking, kept under control. They would neither condone gluttony nor abstinence from pure pleasure foods, rather they would approve of eating healthily with moderate indulgences in pleasure foods. In other words, moderation means purposeful choices made intelligently with the avoidance of extremes in either direction.

What is interesting to me about the classical Stoics is that they do not ever mention moderation, nor do they seem to allow for exceptions within their belief system. For the pure classical Stoic, everything is a minimization or maximization problem. For example, for the classical Stoic, any actions or decisions made in anger would be counter to virtuous behavior, without exception. There is no room in the pure Stoic mindset for the moderation of this belief; there is no concept such as, do not make most decisions in anger, but occasionally, it’s justified. It’s never justified.

Anger, if not restrained, is frequently more hurtful to us than the injury that provokes it. — Seneca

To understand this better, an overview of classical Stoicism follows.

Virtue as the Highest Good: Stoicism teaches that the ultimate good in life is virtue. Virtue, according to the Stoics, consists of wisdom, courage, justice, and temperance, each in maximal amounts.

External Indifference: Stoics distinguish between things that are within our control (our thoughts, actions, and attitudes) and things that are outside our control (external events, other people’s opinions, and circumstances). Stoicism dictates without exception on focusing on what can be controlled and accepting with equanimity what cannot.

Acceptance of Fate: Stoicism emphasizes the absolute acceptance of the natural order and the inevitability of change. Stoics understand that one cannot control external events and can only control one’s response to them.

Mindfulness and Self-Examination: Stoicism requires self-awareness, mindfulness, and regular self-examination.

Practice of Negative Visualization: Stoicism requires the practice of negative visualization, which involves contemplating the impermanence of things and considering the possibility of loss.

Endurance and Resilience: Stoicism teaches endurance in the face of hardships. Adversity is considered an opportunity for growth and a chance to practice virtue. Stoics aim to endure challenges with patience and resilience.

Memento Mori: Reflect on mortality and, in doing so, cultivate a deeper appreciation for life. Consider yourself dead now, and life the rest of your time as a bonus you wouldn’t have otherwise had.

With the basics of Stoicism defined, it must also be stated what Stoicism is not. Contrary to popular belief, Stoicism has nothing to do with the suppression or elimination of emotions. However, this misconception is easy to understand when you understand Stoicism better. Stoicism does not advocate suppression or even indifference to emotion. Stoics feel the full range of emotion as any human would, however, what Stoicism advocates is the control of the responses to emotion. A Stoic will feel anger, but will not lash out in anger, or respond in anger at all. A Stoic will feel sorrow, but will not despair or respond with sorrow. This applies to both so-called negative and positive emotions. A Stoic will feel joy, but will not uncontrollably act the “happy fool,” even for fun. This gives the outside appearance that the Stoic is emotionless, but on the contrary, Stoicism does not advocate the suppression of emotion, but rather advocates the calm analysis of emotion to understand them, and thereby contain emotional responses. Stoicism is all about responses to feelings, and not the feelings themselves.

If you are distressed by anything external, the pain is not due to the thing itself, but to your estimate of it; and this you have the power to revoke at any moment. — Marcus Aurelius

With the basics of Stoicism defined, notice there is little room for moderation. Virtue is the highest good, that’s it. Indifference to external things is absolute (if you wish to be a pure Stoic). If you personally cannot affect something, accept it unquestionably, and move on. If it is in the natural order, accept it, and do not attempt to alter it. Self-examination is absolute and far more important than any external examination of anything or anyone. Endurance and resilience are absolute. As Marcus Aurelius stated, “If it is endurable, endure it. If it is not, your end will mean its end as well.” Basically, he is saying, shut up and endure, or die, pick one. Pure Stoicism is a philosophy of extremes, and I would argue this makes the Stoic sage (i.e a person who masters pure Stoicism) mostly useless to all other humans.

If you take pure Stoicism to its logical conclusion, the Stoic sage would be a person completely inward looking; devoid of any need to interact with the outside world, indifferent to all injustices which they can personally affect, and to the outside observer, seemingly emotionless. A Stoic sage would never be visibly outraged at an injustice which they cannot personally correct. For example, while they may participate in an action to correct an injustice, if they felt they could make a difference, they would not be highly motivated to do so. Unless it was first proved to them, they could make a difference. And only if that difference was not against the natural order of things. That’s a pretty high bar to move the Stoic to action. That example alone points out a massive flaw in pure Stoicism if it were to be adopted wholesale by the masses. How many injustices have been corrected by pure, blind mass outrage? A lot. A true Stoic would not approve, but the truth is, sometimes rage and outrage have a positive place in society. A Stoic sage may also miss opportunities of the moment. For example, the Stoic sage, upon randomly meeting another person to whom they are wildly attracted (i.e., classic love-at-first-sight), would not allow themselves to react in-the-moment with passion. The Stoic sage would contain their reaction of the moment, and examine that reaction and save the proper response for a later time. Maybe that would work, maybe it wouldn’t. Maybe the opportunity will be missed because the other person will soon be gone, never to be seen again. Of course, the pure Stoic would also think to themselves, that’s proof it was not meant to be, and then go merrily about their way, never thinking twice about it. The point being, while the pure Stoic may be perfectly happy within themselves, they have very little to offer the outside world. Therefore, I would argue, the pure Stoic is useless to us as a whole, and downright terrifying if we were to all adopt pure classical Stoicism as a societal norm.

So, if pure Stoicism is not the answer, what is? A Stoic-based lifestyle, i.e., the merging of the basic tenets of Stoicism with your own personal goals, lifestyle, and philosophy. Contrary to the pure classical Stoic approach, Stoicism should be the beginning of wisdom, not the end of it. Stoicism should be the guiding light on your path, but not the path itself.

I will first take myself as an example, and then expand this concept to other paths. My path is that of the warrior-philosopher lifestyle, which I wrote about in a previous story. As I detailed in that story…

The warrior philosopher lifestyle is a duality, striving for equality and balance between two seemingly opposing concepts. The warrior embodies the traits of strength, martial prowess, physical discipline and fitness, victory through conflict, and trains daily to improve in these regards. The philosopher embodies the traits of intelligence, knowledge, education, empathy, compassion, reason, victory through discourse, and studies daily to improve in these regards. Stoicism is the “glue” that holds it all together.

That path has many implications, the most important of which is I no longer explicitly pursue things like career, financial rewards, cultivating relationships, or building a network (all in very Stoic fashion). That is not to say I'm not concerned about those things, it means there is no explicit pursuit or concern for advancement in those things. It’s a very Stoic approach to life because all those things are external, and I'm not concerned about influencing or managing external things because they can’t be influenced. Unlike most people who explicitly pursue promotions, raises, better jobs, a larger network, more relationships, I simply let all those things be the result of my lifestyle, but are never my lifestyle in their own right. My lifestyle is almost completely dedicated to self-improvement along two very specific paths; 1) The Warrior: physical fitness and personal combat prowess, and 2) The Philosopher: intellectual, academic, and philosophical growth. I focus on the pursuits of heavier lifts, harder punches, higher kicks, more effective self-defense, more effective weapons training, more academic knowledge, more degrees, more practical intellectual skills and abilities, and a greater understanding of the natural world. My career, my money, and my relationships and whatever happens to them are simply consequences of those pursuits, and are never explicit pursuits in-and-of-themselves. Stoicism is critical to that process as it is the glue that holds it all together, and it provides a guiding light on that path.

So, if Stoicism is so great, why is it the light on the path, but not the path itself? It all goes back to the beginning of this story; it’s all about moderation. I will take three examples where the Stoic warrior-philosopher must use moderation in Stoicism, if they are to successfully walk that path. Then I will relate that to other paths.

Example 1: Anger. The pure Stoic would never give into anger, and certainly would never display rage, or act impulsively in anger. The warrior philosopher is also strongly guided by this principle and knows never to act impulsively in anger. This is probably one of the most important of the Stoic principles to which the warrior philosopher must adhere. However, the warrior philosopher also knows there is a place for anger, if controlled, directed, and unleashed under strict discipline and focus. Anger, and specifically rage, when directed at an opponent under controlled and focused mental discipline, is an incredibly effective weapon. Rage is in the warrior’s toolkit, no different from a hook punch, a side-kick, a blade, or a firearm. Stoicism provides the guidance; never act or react out of anger, but warrior philosophy leaves room for an exception. That exception is focused, controlled, and measured rage, applied with discipline and training, no differently than any other tactical weapon, to be unsheathed, used, and decidedly put away when done.

Example 2: Reputation. The pure Stoic never cares about reputation. Reputation is an external factor, beyond the control of the Stoic. The Stoic concerns themselves with only being a better person, day-by-day, and what people think of them is of no consequence. I wrote another story somewhat related to this, on how I never personally concern myself with making a good impression. Impressions are outside my control, so I do not concern myself with them. However, the warrior philosopher does pay attention to reputation (a very related concept), but in moderation, and of course under Stoic guidance. Reputation is a strategic tool in the warrior philosopher’s toolkit. Using myself as an example, I have a distinct reputation among people who know me for never backing down from a fight, intellectual or physical. That reputation serves me well because it keeps conflict to a minimum (which is really the goal of both the warrior philosopher and the Stoic). Anyone who wants to start a fight with me, intellectual or physical, has to first decide they are willing to fight to the bitter end because there will be no surrender on my part, and all weapons are on the table from moment one. I have a personal saying, if we fought, and you think you won, but I’m still alive, then we are not done. That’s a massive barrier to most people, and most people will think twice before engaging in conflict with such a person. So, it is in my best interest to maintain this reputation to reduce conflict. Therefore, I do concern myself a bit about reputation, but under strict Stoic guidance, even though it is a decidedly un-Stoic behavior. This is not done by cultivating the reputation explicitly, but rather simply by embodying the reputation I wish to project (a very Stoic approach). However, then I do something very un-Stoic, I check in on my reputation from time-to-time to make sure it’s intact, and if it’s not, I make minor adjustments to what I project. This is quite un-Stoic because I am admittedly concerning myself with what other people think and making minor adjustments to my actions. No pure Stoic would ever bother with this, but it serves my path and my purpose, and it is done in moderation under Stoic guidance.

So much depends on reputation, guard it with your life. Be mindful of your reputation, protect it, and use it to your advantage. — Robert Greene

Example 3: Accolades. The warrior philosopher lifestyle demands measurable and definable accolades, as well as explicit formal ranking from peers as evidence of successfully walking the path. These accolades often take the form of degrees, certifications, martial arts belts, weapons training certifications, victories in the ring, etc. The pure Stoic would never care about such badges and labels, and if they were achieved by the Stoic through some coincidence, they would be discarded as external trivialities. However, the warrior philosopher advances themselves with the respect and approval of peers on the same path; it’s a core part of the lifestyle and cannot be discarded. So what is a Stoic warrior philosopher to do with this very un-Stoic like fact? As with the previous two examples, accolades are accomplished and treated with Stoic guidance. The warrior philosopher does not care what anyone outside their path thinks; the warrior philosopher does not care what juniors on their path think (very Stoic). Concerns are only for peers and superiors on the same path. For example, in my case, I couldn’t care less what the average person thinks of my degrees, or what they mean, or what I do with them. I couldn’t care less what the average person thinks of my martial arts skills, belts, or choice of martial arts. I don’t care what anyone who’s never been inside of a gym thinks about my workouts or my diet. More to the point, I care very little about what most people think about most things. All very Stoic. However, I do care what my martial arts master thinks. I do care what my PhD advisor thinks, and I do care what my PhD peers within my discipline think. Admittedly, those concerns are not very Stoic. Then again, I also reserve the right to discard those cares any time I choose, and I often remind myself and my peers of that fact, which again is very Stoic.

In those three examples (there are many more), it is easy to see how Stoicism can form the foundational guidance for any lifestyle, and can be very effectively used to provide a guiding light to any path. However, notice carefully, in each case, the absolute minimum accommodation and moderation to Stoic philosophy is made. That is key. Stoicism is the guiding light, and the further you stray from it, the more you enter darkness. Stay very, very close to the light on the path, just remember, the light is not that path. The path is the path.

I wrote about my path, but Stoicism could be applied to any path to yield greater success on any path. If your path is entrepreneurship, stoicism provides a very effective guide to rational and intelligent decision-making, endurance, and resilience, all necessary qualities on that path. If your path is art, stoicism provides clarity, peace, and resilience in the face of criticism, all necessary qualities for that path. If your path is the athlete’s path, stoicism provides resilience, endurance, introspection, self-assessment, and discipline, all very valuable to the athlete. The path could be actor, IT professional, recluse, laborer, medical professional, or whatever; Stoicism provides one of the most universally effective means to walk your path successfully — when used as a guiding light on your path, but not as the path or goal itself.

The formula for this is simple.

• Detail your path and the necessary factors and qualities of your path, regardless of Stoic beliefs.
• Study and apply Stoicism in the purest form possible for each of the factors and qualities of your path. Note the qualifier, purest form possible. You will find the application of Stoic principles can very often be implemented in their purest form, but where there is conflict between Stoicism and your path, apply Stoicism with moderation as a relative guide rather than an absolute.
• Do not randomly cherry-pick Stoic tenants to suit your mood and weaknesses. Be honest, strict, and disciplined with yourself. Be Stoic or don’t be, pick one. Stoicism is not for the weak, undisciplined, or impulsive. Stoicism is a philosophy of strength and discipline. Remember that.

The irony (and danger) of Stoicism is its power. If you pursue pure Stoicism as an end in-and-of-itself, it will consume you and all other paths until you are left with nothing but being a Stoic sage. If that’s your path, more power to you, and you’ll probably end up pretty happy, but I doubt anyone around you will be. Conversely, if you want to actually do something with your life, and make a positive impact on the people around you, and also still end up pretty happy, choose Stoicism as the guiding light on your path, but not as the path itself and not as the end goal.

Or don’t. Whatever. I don’t care 🤣