“The things you think about determine the quality of your mind. Your soul takes on the color of your thoughts,” – Marcus Aurelius
About 2,300 years ago in Athens, Stoicism developed as a practical philosophy to teach us how to live a good life by living with arete, Greek for excellence.
At its core, Stoic philosophy teaches you how to:
live your values;
be a person of excellent character who looks out for others;
take things less personally;
stop worrying about things that are beyond your control;
bounce back stronger after hard times.
Before we go on, let's clear up the confusion about the difference between capital “S” Stoic and lowercase stoic.
When people hear the word ‘stoic’ (note the lowercase), they often think of someone who swallows their emotions. They keep things to themselves and don’t seek support.
Uppercase Stoicism means the complete opposite – Stoics cultivate healthy emotions and manage unhealthy ones – they don’t try to force them away. They question them. They seek the truth about them.
In fact, the Stoics practiced therapeia, the foundation of today’s leading evidence-based treatment for anxiety: cognitive behavioral therapy.
A snapshot of the most popular Stoics
The story of Stoicism begins around 300 B.C., when a rich merchant named Zeno lost everything in a shipwreck. He washed up in Athens, where he read a book about Socrates, who died about 100 years earlier.
Zeno was so blown away by the ideas he was reading about that he started studying different philosophies, eventually blending them together to create Stoicism.
And this began an ancient, philosophical tradition that thrived for 500 years first in Athens, and then moving on to Rome when that empire began to dominate.
One of the things that made Socrates so radical was the fact that he admitted that he didn't know everything – and this is still a radical idea today. Socrates questioned things and he tried to get other people to question their beliefs, as well. This eventually got him killed.
He really wanted people to start thinking about why they do the things they do. Why do we believe the things we believe?
Most people weren't thinking about that then (or now).
The Stoic goal is to live a virtuous life, which sounds a little weird and antiquated to the modern ear. Today we might say something like “live as our highest selves,” or live with excellent moral character (arete).
Almost all the ancient Greek texts have been lost to history. Thankfully, the Romans loved Greek stuff and kept the philosophy going.
We can still read material from or inspired by the Roman Stoics Epictetus, Marcus Aurelius, and Seneca, who came about 300 years after Zeno founded the Stoic school.
Marcus Aurelius
Marcus Aurelius became emperor in 161 A.D. Before this time, he unofficially ruled alongside Antoninus Pios, his adoptive father, during a very peaceful reign.
But as soon as Marcus inherited the empire, all hell broke loose. Enemies invaded the borders; a plague broke out and killed millions; there were floods; his trusted general declared civil war against him.
Marcus lived his Stoic values to keep calm and carry on, let go of what was out of his hands, and maintain the love he had for his people.
During this tumultuous time, he journaled on Stoic teachings. This private diary was never meant for public view but now everyone can read his Meditations.
“You could leave life right now. Let that determine what you do and say and think.” (Meditations, 2.11 Greg Hays translation).
Marcus was greatly influenced by the teachings of Epictetus, who I’ll cover next. To learn more about Marcus, read Donald Robertson’s How to Think Like a Roman Emperor.
Epictetus
Before Marcus was born, Epictetus had been a slave to Epaphroditus, a secretary of Emperor Nero, who history tells us was so debauched and tyrannical, the Senate declared him a public enemy and he was forced to commit suicide.
Legend has it that Epaphroditus broke Epictetus’s leg, leaving him permanently disabled. Yet somehow Epictetus was allowed to study with the most renowned Stoic philosopher of the time, Musonius Rufus.
This changed everything for Epictetus, because he learned that…
It doesn’t matter what circumstances you were born into or what situation you find yourself in now…freedom comes when you realize that the only thing that’s important is the quality of your character – your personal excellence – and no one can take that away from you.
Eventually Epictetus gained his freedom and went from invisible slave to the most sought-after Stoic teacher in the empire, the person all the nobility wanted to listen to.
Epictetus didn’t write anything down, but his student, Arrian, took notes during his lectures and used these to produce a series of eight books called The Discourses (four of them still exist) and a cheat sheet of Epictetus’ most important teachings called the Enchiridion, which means ‘handbook.’ The idea was to have these wise ideas ‘ready at hand’ when you need it.
Marcus studied these works, which you can still read today. It’s unlikely Marcus met Epictetus, whom Emperor Domitian exiled to Greece before Marcus was born. But Marcus journaled about Epictetus’ teachings.
Seneca
And then there’s Seneca, the most complicated of the bunch. He also worked in Nero’s court, first as Nero’s tutor and then as his advisor. Historical records indicate that Nero’s reign started off well and then he became unhinged and did things like kill his own mother.
Seneca, a practicing Stoic, senator, and playwright, was accused of also being a propagandist for Nero. It’s said that Seneca tried to retire and walk away from Nero, but Nero refused because it would make him look bad.
James Romm wrote a fascinating book about this called Dying Everyday: Seneca at the Court of Nero. Eventually Nero ordered Seneca to kill himself, believing that Seneca had been plotting against him.
Two thousand years later, many of Seneca’s letters on how to be a Stoic, as well as some books, are still read today. I recommend starting with David R. Fideler’s Breakfast with Seneca as an introduction to the author.
Seneca had a lot to stay about how much time we waste:
“You are living as if destined to live forever; your own frailty never occurs to you; you don’t notice how much time has already passed, but squander it as though you had a full and overflowing supply – though all the while that very day which you are devoting to somebody or something may be your last. You act like mortals in all that you fear, and like immortals in all that you desire.” On the Shortness of Life, Seneca
Does that scare you? Light a fire under you? Both?
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