New Year, Old Philosophy.
A Primer on Stoicism.
In the summer of 2017, on my honeymoon to Greece, I purchased a book for the flights and downtime. It was Meditations by Marcus Aurelius. I had heard about it before and was interested in reading it so it was a great opportunity.
It was life-changing. And so, here is a micro-primer on the origins of Stoicism and how to apply it to life today.
Aurelius was the Emperor of Rome from 161 to 180 AD, and he wrote Meditations as a way to reflect on his experiences and prepare himself for whatever challenges life threw at him. The book is filled with wisdom that has stood the test of time and can apply to anyone today who reads it.
Stoicism is a school of Hellenistic philosophy founded in Athens by Zeno of Citium around 301 BC. The Stoics considered the world to be governed by divine reason, and so were dedicated to living according to virtue. They held that every human being has a duty to live a virtuous life for the sake of maintaining cosmic harmony and order, and in accordance with nature. Of all the Hellenistic schools, Stoicism is often considered to be the most practical and widely applicable, emphasizing ethical conduct.
The Stoics met regularly in groups called “collegia” (singular: “collegium”), which were open to the public and included both men and women.
The Stoic philosophy strongly influenced Roman civilization, particularly through the teachings of Cicero and Seneca. It later grew popular with Christian scholars, who added Platonism and Christian theology, producing a syncretistic religious system called Neoplatonism.
Zeno’s ideas spread throughout Greece and eventually Rome, where they were further developed by Epictetus. Epictetus taught his students how to practice self-control — not by trying not to feel emotions but rather by understanding their nature and learning how to manage them accordingly. His most famous student was Marcus Aurelius, who went on to become Emperor of Rome.
Stoicism is still useful today because it teaches us how we can use reason as a shield against negative emotions such as anger or fear. If you’re feeling upset about something that happened today then try asking yourself: “What is this emotion telling me about myself?” If you can answer that question honestly, then you’ll begin to understand why this emotion is so important to you. If not, try asking yourself: “What would happen if I didn’t feel this way?”
Stoicism teaches that we can overcome destructive emotions by recognizing that they are manifestations of false judgments about what is valuable or important in life. By practicing self-control and accepting things outside our control as beyond our personal power, we can achieve serenity (ataraxia), and freedom from negative emotions such as anger, fear, or grief.
Stoicism is a practical philosophy that focuses on how to live a good life by exercising self-control and maintaining focus on our goals while remaining indifferent to external things that do not help us achieve them.
The Stoics also believed that there were two types of control: internal and external. External control refers to things we can actively affect, such as the choices we make or our actions. Internal control refers to those things that are beyond our power (the will of others, outcomes of events).
In the face of a chaotic world, Stoicism is the philosophy for you. You can use Stoicism to make yourself more resilient to negative events and to get through them with your head held high.
Modern-day stoicism is all about making the most of your life by taking a step back and getting in touch with what’s important to you. But how exactly can we apply it to our daily lives?
Take a moment to reflect on what really matters to you — the people, activities, and values that make up your life. Then write down these things so you can remember them later on when it’s time to make decisions about how you want to spend your time.
When something negative happens (and it will), ask yourself: “Is there anything I can learn from this?” If not, ask yourself: “What would Seneca do?” (Hint: He’d probably keep calm and carry on).
The more stressful situations seem, the more important it becomes for us to take a step back and give ourselves space to breathe.
- Practice mindfulness — being mindful means being fully present in each moment without judgment or expectation; being able to observe everything around you without getting caught up in your thoughts or emotions
- Learn how to meditate — meditation helps calm your mind so that you can focus on things that are happening right now instead of worrying about.
Cheat Sheet
- The universe is governed by divine Reason (logos).
- We should strive to align ourselves with this Reason.
- We should strive for inner peace through self-control and rigorous self-discipline.
- Zeno of Citium (300 B.C.)
- Epictetus (55 A.D.)
- Marcus Aurelius (121 A.D.)
- Lucius Annaeus Seneca (4 B.C.-65 A.D.)
- Books: The Daily Stoic by Ryan Holiday, Meditations by Marcus Aurelius
