What is Stoicism?
A philosophy that was created and taught several thousand years ago in Athens by Zeno. Where later on became well-known by famous philosophers such as Epictetus, Seneca, and lastly Marcus Aurelius who symbolized the Golden Age of the Roman Empire.
By making use of these tools not only will you learn to control your emotions, adapt and overcome things when life throws you a curve ball but also thrive in your daily lives using the timeless wisdom taught by stoics.
The mind that is anxious about future events is miserable.
~Seneca
Stoicism Philosophies
Most people will think that being stoic is someone who doesn’t like to show their emotions to other people and might even come off as standoffish. Well, they’re not too far off on that point.
When you start learning what stoicism is really about you realize our emotions are fickle and can be controlled when you change your viewpoint on how you perceive things in certain situations.
Dichotomy of Control
You can control how you feel about specific events and change the way you respond to them. You should not only focus on reacting to situations. Instead, take a step back and consider how to handle it.
It’s not what happens to you, but how you react to it that matters.
~Epictetus
If there are some things that you’re unable to control why keep stressing about them?
There is no reason to suffer about things you have no power over such as other people’s opinions about you, your past mistakes, or balding(yes I’m turning bald soon enough…) anyways you get the idea of it.
Trying to control things outside our control will only leave you frustrated, demotivated, and bitter about life.
“It never ceases to amaze me: we all love ourselves more than other people, but care more about their opinion than our own.”
– Marcus Aurelius
How stoics deal with obstacles and hardships
When faced with difficulties in life whether it is at your job/school/relationship, you can take the easier route by turning a blind eye and avoiding it.
Instead, think of those challenges as a chance for you to become better and be excited about them. Only when you actively take action on it will opportunities arise.
As you face an obstacle question yourself “What am I being taught right now?”
“The path of least resistance is a terrible teacher.”
~Ryan Holiday
Don’t look away from things that scare you and don’t always look for easily attainable things. Sure life can be unfair and cruel to you at times, but that’s just how life is.
You can ignore reality but you cannot ignore the consequences of ignoring reality.
Obstacles offer opportunities to practice virtue and grow.
Stoicism equals Accountability
You are where you are in life due to the choices that you have made along the way. If you are unsatisfied, it is something you should own up for it and not make excuses for.
Blaming other people or events will accomplish nothing. Accept that sometimes your best is not enough to achieve your goals and you need to take accountability for that failure.
It’s not what happens to you, but how you react to it that matters.
~Epictetus
You are not guaranteed to succeed but if you don’t even try, it is guaranteed that you will not.
Stoicism Philosophies
It is also how we respond to such “failures”. That’s where the word responsibility comes from. We can choose how we respond to what happens. Response-ability.
