In a scene from Steven Pressfield’s famous novel The Virtues of War, Alexander arrives at a river crossing only to be met by a philosopher who refuses to move. “This man has conquered the world!” exclaims one of Alexander’s warriors. “What have you done?” The philosopher says confidently, “I have conquered the need to conquer the world.”
In the vast tapestry of human philosophies, few have withstood the test of time and resonated as deeply as Stoicism. Developed in ancient Greece by philosophers such as Zeno of Citium, Cleanthes, and Epictetus, Stoic philosophy offers a profound guide to navigating the complexities of life with grace, resilience, and a steadfast commitment to inner tranquility. This started with Zeno of Citium getting fed up of studying with the Cynics, who led ascetic lives, leaving behind all earthly pleasures. Seeing that this did not give him a sense of well-being, Zeno abandoned its teachings to lay down the school of Stoicism, which centres on the idea that there is nothing wrong with enjoying life’s pleasures as long as they do not take control of your life as you enjoy them.
A lot of what I’ll put here is from youtube channels, instagram, some books like Ikigai and The Daily Stoic. When I face mental blocks, anxiety or indecisiveness in life, I go back to these principles here. Like any great movement or religion, the extent to which you pick and select the elements that work for you determines its popularity. We can nod wisely at one page while gracefully ignoring another that doesn’t seem to work for us. We may and must decontextualize the ancients and modernise the Stoics’ issues. And I followed suit. Some pages in Stoic literature do not accord with my beliefs, but others I really adore. I’d like to put them in this blog.
“The chief task in life is simply this: to identify and separate matters so that I can say clearly to myself which are externals not under my control, and which have to do with the choices I actually control…” - Epictetus, Discourses, 2.5.4-5
This idea is the core of Stoic philosophy. When I find myself worrying about how things will play out as I wait, I remind myself that waiting, by definition, means it hasn’t happened yet, therefore the worry is all voluntary. Let the news come as it may. If we’re Stoic, there is one thing we can be sure of: whatever happens, we’re going to be OK.
“If a person gave your body away to some passerby, you’d be furious. Yet you hand over your mind to anyone who comes along, so they may abuse you, leaving it distubed and troubled - have you no shame in that?” - Epictetus, Enchiridion, 28
We would never let another person jerk us around the way we let our impulses do. It’s time we start seeing it that way. We should be the ones in control, not our emotions, because we are independent, self-sufficient people.
Have you ever seen a seasoned pro deal with the media? Someone like the President, or perhaps a compelling character from a movie. No question is too difficult, and no tone is too harsh. They deflect each blow with wit and care. They choose not to react. That commands my respect.
“Don’t set your mind on things you don’t possess as if they were yours, but count the blessing you actually possess and think how much you would desire them if they weren’t already yours. But watch yourself, that you don’t value these things to the point of being troubled if you should lose them.” - Marcus Aurelius, Meditations, 7.27
Seneca was incredibly wealthy. He had many material possessions. He enjoyed them while they were there, but he accepted that they might go away eventually. What a better mentality than desperately wanting more or being terrified of losing even one dime. Indifference is solid middle ground. It’s not about avoidance or shunning, but rather not giving any possible outcome more power or preference than is appropriate.
Life is always in a state of change. We are as well. To be bothered by things is to mistakenly believe that they will last.
“… when someone tells you someone died - even so, what is that to you?” - Epictetus, Discourses, 3.18.1-2
It is all too easy to become sidetracked by terrible news from around the world. The Stoic’s proper reaction to these events is not to not care, but mindless, meaningless sympathy does very little either. If there is something you can actually do to help these suffering people, then, yes, the disturbing news has relevance. If emoting is the end our your participation, then you ought to get back to your life.
“The Process” - created by coach Nick Saban, University of Alabama. He taught his players to ignore the big picture - opponent’s lead, winning the championship - and focus instead on doing the absolutely smallest things well - practicising with full effort, finishing a specific play. A season lasts months, a games lasts hours, but a single play is only a few seconds.
How you do anything is how you do everything. How you handle today is how you’ll handle every day. How you handle this minute is how you’ll handle every minute.
Part of the reason we fight against the things that happen is that we’re so focussed on our plan that we forget that there might be a bigger plan we don’t know about.
“What if someone despises me? Let them see to it…” - Marcus Aurelius, Meditations, 11.13
When someone has a strong opinion about something, it usually reveals more about them than it does about whatever or whomever the view is about. This is especially true when it comes to feelings of anger and hatred for others.
“Leisure without study is death - a tomb for the living person.”
The goal of retirement is not to live a life of indolence or to run out the clock, as tempting as that may seem. Rather, it’s to allow for the pursuit of your real calling now that a big distraction is out of the way.
“When the standards have been set, things are tested and weighed. And the work of philosophy is just this.” - Epictetus, Discourses, 2.11.23-25
Is this thing I’m about to do consistent with what I believe? Or, better: Is this the kind of thing the person I would like to be should do? The work of living is to set standards and then not compromise them. When you’re brushing your teeth, choosing your friends, losing your temper, falling in love, instructing your child or walking your dog - all of these are opportunities.
“The philosopher’s lecture-hall is a hospital - you wouldn’t walk out of it feeling pleasure, but pain, for you aren’t well when you enter it.” - Epictetus, Discourses, 3.23.30
Some observations above might touch your pressure points. It’s nothing personal. It’s supposed to hurt. That’s how you’ll develop the will to endure and persevere through life’s many difficulties.