Stoicism or Stoic Philosophy sounds boring and daunting and like the last thing, anyone would want to learn about. A few years back I would have gone a long way around this topic. Today, I’m writing about it because I fell in love with so many of its beliefs. So they didn’t call it Supermanism but Stoicism, and as old and boring as this may sound, it’s still highly relevant and contains some of the most powerful tools we can use in today’s modern world.
Stoicism is a toolset that helps us direct our thoughts and actions in an unpredictable world. We don’t control and cannot rely on external events, but we can (to a certain extent) control our mind and choose our behaviour. In the end, it’s not what happens to us but our reactions to it that matter. Stoicism was designed to help people live their best possible lives.It’s a philosophy of life that maximizes positive emotions, reduces negative emotions and helps individuals to hone their virtues of character. At any moment, in any situation, and at any stage of life, Stoicism provides a framework for living well. It reminds people of what is truly important, providing practical strategies to get more of what is valuable.
Stoicism was deliberately created to be understandable, actionable and useful. Practising stoicism doesn’t require learning an entirely new philosophical lexicon or meditating for hours a day. Instead, it offers an immediate, useful and practical way to find tranquillity and improve one’s strengths of character. The creation of this guide has these goals in mind. Stoicism is having a renaissance with entrepreneurs, athletes, and politicians.
WHAT ARE THE MAIN PRINCIPLES OF STOIC PHILOSOPHY?
This Philosophy changed over time, shifting focus from logic and physics – to more psychological concerns like tranquillity and well-being. Also, the Stoics could never convene to affirm all of their tenants precisely, but there are certain principles at the core of the Stoic operating system, so here are some rules.
- “Waste no more time arguing what a good man should be. Be One”
- “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. Where then do I look for good and evil? Not to uncontrollable externals, but within myself to the choices that are my own.”
- “No person has the power to have everything they want, but it is in their power not to want what they don’t have, and to cheerfully put to good use what they do have.”
- I judge you as unfortunate because you have never lived through misfortune. You have passed through life without an opponent, no one can ever know what you are capable of, not even you.”
- “External things are not a problem. It’s your assessment of them. Which you can erase right now.”
- “Let us prepare our minds as if we’d come to the very end of life. Let us postpone nothing. Let us balance life’s books each day. The one who puts the finishing touches on their life each day is never short of time.”
- “Keep death and exile before your eyes each day, along with everything that seems terrible— by doing so, you’ll never have a base thought nor will you have excessive desire.”
- “The good or ill of a man lies within his own will.”
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