Why Don’t More Stoics Meditate?

Stoicism and mindfulness meditation are not always put together.

Yet thousands of Stoics practice it.

And, arguably, many more should.

The Benefits of Mindfulness Meditation For Stoics

Mindfulness meditation focuses on cultivating non-judgmental awareness.

It’s about seeing things as they are, without adding stories or narratives. With meditation we can practice acceptance. Allowing what is out of our control to be. Seeing our life without judgement. These are central goals of Stoic life.

Consider the famous line summarizing Stoicism:

Objective judgment, now, at this very moment. Unselfish action, now, at this very moment. Willing acceptance — now, at this very moment — of all external events. That’s all you need.

Marcus Aurelius, Meditations

Objective judgement involves embracing and discovering reality, however it is. When our stories warp our view of the world, we often make worse decisions.

For many of us, meditation can improve our ability to see the world as it is.

It’s different from other Stoic exercises — it’s less about logic and reason and more about noticing what’s going on in a non-conceptual…