Understanding Stoicism and Its Philosophy for a Better Life
Stoicism dates back to the 3rd Century BCE in Athens. Zeno of Citium founded the philosophy after being influenced by cynics such as Diogenes, and Zeno was also inspired by Greek philosophers such as Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle. Zeno's philosophy stressed the importance of virtue and claimed that being virtuous was the act of submitting to the will of God.
Zeno also believed in the importance of Apatheia, which translates to 'showing no passion.' This was something Zeno believed to be necessary for people to philosophize properly. Overall, Zeno's philosophy pondered how to achieve happiness and a good life. His answer was by living with virtue. In Stoicism, there are four core virtues: wisdom, temperance, courage, and justice. These virtues are the framework for ethical decisions in Stoicism and the gateway to a happy life.
Zeno's philosophy went on to inspire many other philosophers in Stoicism. Some of the most famous include Epictetus, Seneca, and Marcus Aurelius. While their philosophies are all slightly different, the common thread between them is that they teach people how to live a better life. Here we will explore some of these ideas.
Focus on What is in Your Control
One of the most important tenets of Stoic philosophy is focusing on what is in your control. Distinguishing between what we can change and what we cannot, allows us to focus on what we can control. A good example of this is planning a picnic. While you can control what kind of food you pack and the location you plan it, you cannot control the weather.
Focusing on what we can control is something Stoic Marcus Aurelius particularly emphasized. He believed it did not matter what other people said or thought; it only mattered what he did.
Love Your Fate
While we can focus on things in our control, many parts of our lives are out of our control. Seneca was a Stoic who faced a lot of misfortune throughout his life. He experienced a health issue that disrupted his work, and an emperor exiled him. Despite this, Seneca saw these as good things. He chose to look at the events as good. This made him love his life instead of hate it. Seneca's philosophy about his life shows that we have a choice in how we view our lives. By loving our lives and our fate, we can move forward however we want.
Do Not Create More Suffering For Yourself
Another tenet of Stoicism is to stop over-worrying about the future. This is something easier said than done. Most people worry about things that could happen to them or people they care about. Cancer, car accidents, robberies, and the increasing cost of living are all real things that could and do happen. However, worrying about these things does not stop them from happening. Stoicism points out that worrying about these things leads us to suffer more than when they happen. According to Seneca, most of the time, we feel more frightened than hurt. Our thinking makes us suffer more than our reality does. Seneca advises that people do not let their troubled thoughts take over their reality. He says this will only lead to more suffering.
Take One Small Step Each Day
Seneca also advised on the importance of self-discipline. In his letters to his friend Luculius, he advised Luculius to acquire one thing a day that would make him strong against misfortunes. The advice of doing one small thing a day is manageable for most people. From starting a business to writing a book or learning a new language, we can make progress towards our goals with small incremental consistency. Over time, all these small steps will add up to achieving your goal. Starting to approach new goals this way can help curb procrastination.
Make The Most of The Morning
One of the best times to start working on your goals is in the morning. While most people hate getting out of bed, getting out of bed early sets the tone for your day. Marcus Aurelius was a Stoic who talked about the importance of getting out of bed early. Even though he wanted to stay in bed, warm under the covers, Aurelius always got himself out of bed early. He knew that this was the key to having a great day and a great life. Getting out of bed early to start conquering the day looks different from person to person. Some people might get up early to meditate or go for a walk; others might get a head start at work or head to the gym.
Stoicism And Death
One of the most famous Stoic quotes is "momenti mori." The phrase translates to "Remember you must die." Dealing with death is a popular topic that Stoics talk about. In Stoicism, it is generally believed that people should accept the inevitability of death. Death is not considered evil; instead, the Stoics see death as a fact of life. Death is one of the activities that falls outside of human control. We are not likely to be able to control when we die or how we die. Stoic philosophers such as Epictetus teach us to accept death and overcome our fear of it. This way, we are not living our lives in fear of death. This philosophy also motivates people to take action. Since we will die, we should not procrastinate our lives.
Why Learn About This
From focusing on the present to taking small steps each day towards our goals, the ideas in Stoicism teach us how to better our lives. Stoicism even contributes to positive mental health. Some modern psychotherapy, such as Cognitive Behavioral Theory, incorporates aspects of the philosophy. Stoicism benefits anyone looking to learn more about self-actualization and how to be happier. To learn more about the philosophy, consider checking out a book by a Stoic philosopher. A great one to start with is Marcus Aurelius's Meditations.
