The Recent Rise of Stoicism

Jun 7

Stoicism is an ancient philosophical school of thought that originated in Greece around 300 BCE. It has gained popularity in recent years as a practical philosophy that can help individuals increase their mental fortitude and resilience.

What is Stoicism?

Stoicism is a philosophy that emphasizes the importance of accepting things outside your control, focusing on what you do control, using reasoned choice, and living a virtuous life. It teaches that happiness comes from contentment in your life, rather than seeking external pleasures.

The Stoics believed that there are four essential cardinal virtues for living a virtuous life: wisdom, courage, justice, and temperance. By prioritizing these virtues, you can place yourself on the path to living a moral and fulfilling life. A life that focuses on objectivity to situations and obstacles without emotional, irrational reactions.

The dichotomy of control

Focusing on what is within your control and accepting the things outside of it is the crux of Stoicism. Giving attention and energy to things outside your control like traffic, the weather, crazy politicians, and the opinions of others takes away energy that you could be spending on improving conditions that you can directly impact.

Unexpected situations arise, people will be rude to you, people will say nasty things about you, but what good will come from you worrying about it? Wouldn’t you be better off focusing on what’s in front of you and in your control? This is obviously easier said than done, but if you think to yourself, “Can I do something about this?” and the answer is no, it is better to move on and accept the outcome.

Negative visualization

All too often we think, “I’ll be happy when I have this job” or “I’ll be satisfied when I make this much money per year.” This enters us into a never-ending loop of wanting more. Even when we arrive at some milestone, we just keep raising the bar.

Negative visualization is an exercise where you think about worse-case scenarios to prepare yourself for adversity. This exercise can increase your life satisfaction and gratitude. It makes you realize how lucky you are to have your current life.

Think what it would be like to lose your job, become diagnosed with a terminal illness, or lose a loved one. This may cause some temporary feelings of discomfort. But it should open your eyes to all the great things you have in your life currently.

Take time each day to practice negative visualization to become content with what you have. Learn to love the life you already have and think what it would be like if your circumstances worsened.

Amor fati

Amor fati is a Latin phrase that translates to “love of fate.” The Stoics embraced everything that happened to them and saw every experience as necessary. The practice of Amori fati involves accepting the things that happen to you and seeing them as opportunities for growth and learning.

This can help you find peace in difficult situations. Instead of feeling sorry for yourself while waiting at the DMV, you can use it as an opportunity to listen to your favorite music or learn something on a podcast. When your boss dumps a last-minute project on you, use it to showcase your skills and earn a raise or promotion.

Think back to some of the most difficult times in your life when you overcame a challenge thrown your way. Typically, you’ll look back with fondness and see how those situations made you better. If you want to live a happier life—change your perspective on events and truly love each of them.

Memento mori

Memento mori is the practice of remembering that we are mortal and that our time on earth is limited. It helps us appreciate the present moment and focus on what is truly important in life. Marcus Aurelius wrote, “You could leave life right now. Let that determine what you do and say and think.”

Some may feel uncomfortable with this practice at first. But once you realize how little time you have left, you can finally make time for the essential things in life: family, friends, and purpose.

Remember: there will be a last time for everything in life. There will be the last time you pet your dog, go for a walk in nature, or talk to a loved one. Don’t dwell on the fact that there will be a last time for everything in life, let it help you appreciate the little things in life.

A life calendar can also help with this practice. This is a poster with all the weeks you have already lived and an estimate of how many you have left. Here is a calendar you can use. By filling out a life calendar, you should feel a sense of urgency in your life to put your energy into the things that are most important to you.

When you are stressed, anxious, or caught up in minutiae in life, just remember that one day you will die.

Applying Stoicism in your daily life

One reason that the Stoic philosophy has grown in popularity is due to its applicability in daily living. Practicing Stoicism can yield immediate benefits to improve your mood, resilience, and overall life satisfaction.

The next time you feel anxious or stressed about a situation, ask yourself if you’re stressing about something you control, or if it is out of your control. If you can improve the situation, lay out logical steps to fix it, then get to work on improving it! Don’t let feelings of anxiety paralyze you from taking action. Objectively look at the situation and see it for what it is.

The Stoics also espoused doing hard things for the sake of doing hard things. This could be taking a cold shower, going for a run, meditating, or picking up a book about a difficult topic. The only way to grow and build your mental and physical strength is to do hard things. Go out of your way to complete one hard task daily, and you may be surprised by how it improves your life.

Finally, look for silver linings in your daily life. Use difficult situations as an opportunity for growth.

You get injured? It’s an opportunity to take control of your health and get stronger. You miss your flight? It’s an opportunity to catch up on some reading. A person cuts you off in traffic? You get to practice your patience and kindness.

Conclusion

The practices of Stoicism have lasted for almost 2,000 years and are just as relevant today as they were back in Greece in 300 B.C.E. The ideas are simple—focus on what you control, see things for what they are in objectivity, challenge yourself, remember that you are mortal, and look for silver linings.

I will end with a quote from one of the greats of Stoicism, Marcus Aurelius, who summed up the practice in one sentence, “Objective judgment, unselfish action, willing acceptance. That’s all you need.”