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With the many different paradigms of human life, the struggle to define a good life has forever been debated. What really is a good life? For all we know of poverty, deprivation and destruction, the qualities of individual peace and harmony are far more than material – our psyches, physical well-being, social belongingness, friends, and family. The list goes on to prove the core pillar lies spiritual. Our current times remind us more than ever that no number of indulgences in food and entertainment, nor developments in Artificial intelligence and technology, can silence worry and sadness. In the real world, of prevailing good and evil, the answer is not utopian happiness but a much bigger mix of individual fulfilment. The ancient Stoics realised this millenniums ago and it is through their philosophical discussions and debates we arrive at the same position, wanting the good life. Stoicism today, however, goes overlooked as being impractical and sterile from the present-day luxuries and social divisions. This article seeks to explain Stoicism, and its core tenets and argue it remains a strong force against today’s overwhelming consumer and information age. As a mental framework for daily living, it offers inspiration to remain principled, yet pragmatic in life’s precarious journey. To uphold essential virtues of good character and conduct through an ever-changing world.

What is Stoicism

It will first be questioned what is Stoicism exactly – is this just another religion, a cult that thinks they have the truth and believes it can transform the world? Fortunately, the discussion of Stoicism as a guide for the present is not a religious creed or an esoteric abstraction but a mindset to absorb the reality of life. Stoicism has no affirmed starting point or guru. Similar to the way we define ideologies, it encompasses a set of ideas or perspectives from past thinkers and philosophers. Stoic thought is commonly attributed to thoughts as old as 300BC, in Athens, to Zeno of Citium. Although his works perished, and we no longer have any surviving documents to go back on, it was his school of life and practices that were carried on through later ‘Stoics’.

Stoicism can be best described as a mindset, a way to think about life and thereby striving to affect daily living. It stems from an assertion that the purpose of philosophy ought to be about finding a smooth flow of life. The concern about the past, present and future brings forward the Stoic mindset. As John Seller summarises:

“…Stoic philosophy is not merely a series of philosophical claims about the nature of the world or what we can know or what is right or wrong; it is above all an attitude or way of life.”

(Sellers, 2014, p.1)

One may argue this is no different from all other ideological creeds which finds itself with thinkers grappling with ideas of the best way society should be organised and people’s purpose within it. However, Stoicism or the Stoic mindset avoids all grand assertions and hones into a self-conscious practical philosophy. Composed of an understanding of our human nature, the strengths and limits of our knowledge, and the debate between good and evil, Stoicism provides a way to remain rooted in a precarious world. Stoic ideas from the works of Rufus, Epictetus and Marcus Aurelius, all feed us with timeless reflections on finding balance in our conflicted realities. Hence, Stoicism encompasses a common theme, concerning the self and virtue ethics. They wanted to know, as much as we still strive to find, ways to secure tranquillity, purpose, self-control and happiness (eudaimonia – a life worth living or a flourishing life).

While we could complicate ourselves with the long history and advice of every Stoic thinker, it is best to summarise their thinking as embodying a few key attitudes to achieving calmness in oneself. The Stoic mindset remains deeply rooted in the acceptance that the external world, the environment around us, is wholly beyond our control. Although we muster many actions to affect it, the result of the universe around us remains deeply tied in the web of causes and effects all happening at once. By accepting the outside world limits each individual, the focus of Stoics becomes to do all that we can to tame the many human passions that otherwise cause us to act hastily and often irrationally. As much reason as the human mind can muster, we must focus on controlling our thoughts and immediate actions. Darren Brown’s Happy: Why More or Less Everything is Absolutely Fine (2016) attempts to revive the salience of Stoic thinking by eloquently summarising the Stoic mindset through Epictetus’s famous words: “What upsets people is the not things itself but their thoughts about it” (cited in 2016, p.12). Impressively, this quote tells us a lot about the wide and shared thoughts of Stoic philosophy, from our understanding of human existence to the people around us, to the battle with the Self (the conscious being inside of us that mulls and yearns).

The Four Cardinal Virtues: Pursuing Fulfilment

With the practical focus of Stoicism towards a fulfilling life, Stoics strike a balanced perception of life between Aristotelian elitist virtues and Cynic’s overly minimalist virtues. The ethical standard set here foregoes unrealistic abstractions of life that are more sympathetic to a utopia, by encompassing a consistent degree of expectation between the good and the bad in human life. If we take the latter as embodying all of humanity’s possible evils, the former – good ought to include a set of thoughts and actions that embody order, peace and harmony on a societal level.

Morality being mutual leads Stoics, in their search for eudemonia, to begin at the point of human beings as social animals. There is little denial us humans have ranging individual interests and passions. But outside of a dystopian hedonistic society or a state of nature, our self-interests inevitably face a compromise as we recognise others who also have similar or competing interests. This abstraction here is only to emphasise the larger picture – individual fulfilment must address the condition of society as a whole whereby our actions do not hinder but facilitate tranquillity and purpose for everyone. If individuals were to strive for relentless individual pleasure, they would create for themselves a society that is unresourceful, selfish, stingy, and corruptive. On the other hand, following principles that keep us grounded offers a chance to relish purpose in ourselves, amongst the good and the bad, and avoid mutual self-destruction. Therefore, Stoicism scales back the complexity to finding fulfilment in life by returning to our dutiful condition as a social being. It is the principles of the individual, our qualities and our relationship to our environment that give us a cause to be happy and content.

The scale of human beings from being egotistical to being gregarious, compassionate creatures leads Stoics to pick out four cardinal virtues as the means to moderation, and thereby fulfilment in our tumultuous lives.

  1. Courage

The first cardinal virtue is courage. This is not about becoming some grand warrior or over-empowering leader. Instead, Stoics like Seneca and Marcus Aurelius emphasise courage as the struggle to overcome fear, confronting challenges in life by not giving in and mustering the will and strength to do what is necessary. Similar to the stoic lessons on taking small steps, this is not about perfection or miraculous transformations. Courage for the Stoic means standing firm on life’s principles, remembering that the worst is death, and the best is doing what is available in your capable hands. Even on the basis of death, one must take pride in being a cause for humanity in seeking justice and compassion rather than a heedless ignoramus.

  1. Temperance

The second cardinal virtue is temperance. It goes without mentioning the pursuit of a fulfilling life cannot be achieved by indulging in excess or exuberance. The ability to find contentment with whatever we have or do comes from first understanding the many privileges in our lives. Many people get lost in consumption as it turns easy to lavish in finer tastes, looks, statuses and environments. This is not to deny that we should want the best for ourselves or magically remove our likes and dislikes. The problem, however, arises when we pursue more pleasure and wants without reflection – in essence, a consideration of others. A refugee out of a war-torn country who spent many years sleeping on the ground, hearing bombardment and anticipating his death would find no qualms settling for the space you proclaim as dull and dreary. Nor do we need to create an enormous commotion when someone gets our order wrong, we settle for a simple sandwich or miss out on a holiday getaway. There are always blessings to be found as long as we moderate our bar of expectations and wants. If we cherish moderation, i.e. delayed gratification we discover there is greater meaning to be found in every experience. The restrained pleasures in food, relationships and material luxury bring forth a sense of satisfaction, closer to contentment than a wild-headed chase for more and more. After all, the worst place any one of us could be is torture or death.

On the other hand, in refusing to lower our expectations and wants, our desires gradually turn irrational, meeting no fulfilment. Hedonism is a great disease that demonstrates there is no endpoint in our wants and pleasures. The conscious self soon degrades to a fudge of primal passions and desires, uncounted and immeasurable. The compulsion to gain short-term, individual satisfaction can lead some into transgression, committing violence or violating societal norms and laws necessary to protect the wider community. In short, excess eventually shows itself in discontent.

It is therefore essential to realise temperance beckons upon all our souls as social creatures gifted with reason and conscience beyond mere impulse. What makes us humans is the ability to acknowledge our existence, along with others, from the moment of birth to children, adolescence and adulthood involves needing to make compromises. Our self-interest, passions and desires cannot singlehandedly be met without recognising the needs and emotions of others. Subsequently, as social animals, with the capacity to reason, our minds possess an incredible logical power to suppress instincts and follow reason and rationality. This is all to say humans cannot live reasonably if we pursue our infinite passions and desires. Derren Brown (2016) expresses this lack of moderation in his concept of the hedonic treadmill. Many of us without realising ride a treadmill in which our consumer habit of buying new phones, laptops, clothes and more leads us to be hooked on a stream of dopamine hits. Hence, it becomes all too common to see many of us treating our sour moods or boredom with more purchases. The truth remains, however, that our deeper connective memories and pleasures come from the non-material world, in experiences such as family events, pets, gardening, travelling, journaling, meditating and many more intimate human interactions.

Temperance of course does not just concern the pursuit of pleasure but as importantly the many other raw human emotions such as anger and love. We need little explanation to know anger and fury bellow out of us when our mind and body convulse to something we deeply disagree about. There is the neurological side but also the simple understanding that anger and rage are emotions on the opposite spectrum of love and happiness. There is often the argument that Stoicism is a suppressing mindset that stifles the real human emotions that make us leap off the sofa. For instance, when we feel rage, one would argue it can be a necessary telling sign that something deeply unsettling is taking place to someone or ourselves. Without feeling the heat to lash out or intervene, Stoics are accused of becoming the vulnerable prey that is swooped up by those with a fierce passion to influence, control and be victorious in human affairs. On the contrary, Stoics through the virtue of temperance promote a healthier, more prosperous use of deep-seated human emotions. Similar to a ruling leader, the Stoic strategizes for the long term, remaining calm even in the most heated situations, knowing the true, widest victory in life and human affairs is not in rash, hasty and impulsive decision-making but with calm-headed reason. By avoiding the extremes, the Stoic is left with the greatest number of avenues to pursue and enjoy life.

  1. Justice

The third cardinal virtue concerns justice which combined with temperance reflects the deep ontological thinking of a practicing Stoic. To go by the broadest and easiest definition of Justice from the Cambridge Dictionary, justice is about “fairness in the way people are dealt with”. This understanding of course cannot escape an enormous dissection of what and how we think of equality and ethics, and the policies needed to bring about its fairness i.e. in state provisions.

The Stoic perception of justice avoids idealistic demands by first and foremost emphasizing the practical reality of our communal and individual existence. In the grandest of senses, to acknowledge fairness and unfairness we must look towards our precise physiological order in the vast universe. From the very placement of Planet Earth, perfectly situated between Jupiter and Mars, to receive enough sunlight but not be blighted by heat, cold or asteroids; life on Earth being the only known life amongst the many trillions of galaxies are just a few examples of the telling signs for Stoics to acknowledge there is a greater metaphysical significance to our current times. Regardless of your religiosity, this deep acknowledgement of the purposeful order to our life on Earth, allows many of us to see we are merely individuals amongst a network of myriad events, far beyond our control. Thinking just about the chain of events that must occur to travel to work, pass a test, find a partner or raise a well-mannered child, reveals a perplexity of things or events that are interrelated and interdependent to materialise the present. As such, our past and future ought to be both accepted and continuously refined through our overarching individual responsibilities and duties endowed upon our shared existence. For example, this appears in Cicero’s thinking, a famous Roman statesman and prominent Stoic thinker, on the passive and active nature of our duties to justice (Nussbaum, 2001). Even in a time of war, peace and progress can only come from affirming cosmopolitan values which we all naturally share and need for any hostility to settle or end i.e. mercy, diplomacy, honesty and respect. Admittedly, as Nussbaum (2001) points out, there is still a hard economic reality to implementing justice, i.e. food supply, court systems, lawyers, police etc. that stretches beyond state boundaries. Nonetheless, Nussbaum concludes the inward-looking Stoic perspective “permits us to salve our conscience about our failure to aid our distant fellows”. In all, while the Stoic mindset may not be as proactive as other perspectives, focusing on raising the conscience of doing what is fair, the deep acknowledgement of events beyond our immediate actions makes acting justly a due cause.

  1. Wisdom

As Stoics are concerned with applying virtue in real life, wisdom ultimately becomes the final virtue to uphold towards a fulfilling life. It is vital to make the distinction that when we talk about wisdom, this is not the same as intellect. Wisdom differs by being a quality derived from experience. Whereas we could become intellect by studying so many years of mechanical engineering, biochemistry, computer programming, or Kantian ethics, wisdom necessitates both age and experience. The person who has experienced the birth, and death of family members, spent time with their community, been made to lead, and spent time reading and thinking, can consider themselves having gained wisdom. The wise person is a guide through the precarious, fraught tributaries of human existence. Someone who has endured difficulty, overcoming challenges through even greater thought and action in the real world. In times of hardship, we therefore find ourselves turning not necessarily to the smartest person but most often to the seniors, elders, friends and pious leaders who hold the uniting empathy to guide us towards a better future.

Embodying wisdom for the Stoic leads us into the conditioning of accepting and embracing life, whether good or bad. Stoics like Epictetus have held a strong belief that events in life are not necessarily good or bad as their severity depends on the way we interpret them. As the saying goes, for one’s person pain, is another person’s pleasure. This is to express the point there is a real disconnect between what happens in our lives and what we know or think is true. Stoicism thus provides the relieving consciousness to acknowledge not only that the world is beyond our control, but also that events in our lives do not make us weak – as long as we are breathing and moving, we can equally look forward, towards learning, overcoming and growing stronger from every experience. In summary, it is only through these lived experiences, of death, pain, joy and peace, that we can truly tame our expectations of life, holding willpower to act in every circumstance. Combining our wisdom with the necessity of temperance, Stoics can project an immense level of leadership to think and act rationally when emotions are running high. The capacity to enjoy life also becomes greater as the Stoic mind remains prepared for life’s inevitable twists and turns, anticipating change and not being overwhelmed by disappointment or exuberance.

The four virtues of Stoicism were the only things required for a flourishing life, they were necessary and sufficient. The Stoics believed that everything valuable in life followed from living with virtue, particularly happiness and love. Moreover, the development of virtue could bring about a change in a person’s emotional life, moving them from bad, irrational emotions based on a lack of wisdom, to good emotions based on an understanding of virtue. In short, the Stoics thought that the four virtues of Stoicism would make them better people, improve their lives and help them live well. It is quite possible they can do the same for us two thousand years later.

(Lake, 2022)

The challenges to Stoicism in today’s age:

Despite Stoicism being an ancient practice, undergoing plentiful thought and reflection, its practice is rarer to find today with the many challenges the modern world brings upon us. As well as virtue ethics being denigrated by modern philosophers such as Nietzsche for their supposed fakery, secularisation has diverted concerns towards aspects of power, influence and status as the tangible elements towards definitions of success. In particular, the globalised world whereby we are no longer attached to a small-scale community but a world that competes for resources, has taken aback the salience of looking inwards that Stoicism so desperately is focused on. Instead, the globalised world with humanity’s ever-lasting problems of violence and war has reinforced the economic structures of materialism. For instance, it is fair to declare the increasingly secular world enjoys more hedonic pleasures than what was the pursuit of eudemonic fulfilment i.e. in religion, tradition, community, and farming. These immediate pleasures have insidiously fed a growing entitlement culture seen in the developed world where some people obliviously consume and expect more without understanding the void between the emotional self and all that is material. Subsequently, today’s modern secular world which claims to have rid itself of ‘superstition’ and ‘fantasies’, in a similar way towards religion, has made Stoic virtue an anachronism no longer needed to enjoy our immediate luxuries. The once pious person now gets viewed as a fraud for even trying to live a life of modesty when it would appear to the secular mind to have no physical cause in restraining our indulgences.

The greatest challenge Stoicism has faced has come deeper from the nature of Realpolitik. One would argue there is simply no space or time for Stoic abstraction or discipline in a globalised world ruled by hard men and dogmatic politics. Stoic contentment is often criticised for being tame, following a path of acceptance against forces of passion that seize the narrative before reasonable decision-making. In particular, it may seem Stoicism suffers the same dilemma as deontological ethics in becoming impractical or potentially harmful by focusing on maintaining an individual moral standard. For instance, a Stoic may refuse to speak out, lest they act hastily when experiencing a deceptive partner who happens to keep breaking promises, or an exploitive workplace that conjures you into uncomfortable work practices and minimal pay. Worse still, the Stoic individual who out of pure virtue upholds compassion may be taken advantage of by the world’s egotistical individuals who find it as easy to lie and pretend to gain favours as to appear humble and charitable. In a world fuelled by pragmatic decision-making, Stoicism in the real world for the layman appears too slow and reflective against the outspoken, reactionary characters of our fast-moving world. Similar to the Gish-galloping politician, the audience in our information age would prefer to see and hear more than dive into an assessment of the integrity of each person. In sum, the subdued Stoics may find themselves battling hyenas in a world fuelled by emotion and pace. Without mustering the energy for confrontation, the Stoic risks allowing their surrounding environment to fester harm. The passion-driven, hysterical person may once again seize the chance to slander, falsify and gaslight their surroundings. In a similar way to Machiavelli’s perception of fortuna, it may be this irrational person who cajoles preceding events to their liking ahead of the holistic, rational Stoic.

This moves us to the broader argument looming above Stoicism – claimed as being unnatural to deny our deep emotions as human beings who physiologically feel pain, anger and love.  As the triad of human rhetoric expresses, pathos links to our hard-wired expressive nature to feel and not just touch. Our hearts embody a sight into our souls, a means to measure our current condition in a temporary world. When we are hurt, our internals cry in agony, whether it is physical, or by our minds when we are backstabbed, betrayed, oppressed or abused. Our hearts are tender to also feel broken when relationships end in a bitter argument, vacating us from a partner or family member. More strongly, a question looms, can we or should we deny all forms of anger? While anger appears as the antithesis of the stoic mindset, one can admit the motion of nullifying human anger is far easier said than done. Anger is a response buried deep in our hearts, riddled at the front of our minds and possessive of our entire nature. What happens when we suffer murder, vicious abuse, robbery, and injustice? The body wants to do nothing more than destroy into anarchy. Likewise, in a globalised world, is it truly possible to not live in the moment? War and catastrophes show a limit to stoicism. These crises force us into action, not abstraction. Whether rational or not, the emotions felt inside are a necessary, if not essential part of the way we react thereafter. Thereby, we arrive at another conjunction concerning Realpolitik or pragmatic people; Stoicism can appear weak or prone to being taken advantage of by a lack of aggression. One may argue stifling true emotion prevents stoics from propelling their deep honest thoughts and opinions which may be necessary to condemn or advocate a cause. Their greater reasoning can go a miss amidst more boisterous characters who instil their hysteria and perspicacity to seize the debate, decision-making process or perception of the future. Therefore, the numb Stoic in a world fuelled by emotion can be secluded, as energised populists clammer on discussions without room for greater reasoning.

Does Stoicism retain its standing today?

a. The yearning for spiritual belongingness and balance

The materialistic indulgences today, however, have not eliminated the spiritual yearning for a greater purpose. Whereas religious following has fallen, it can be seen the younger generation is latching to a more laid-back lifestyle focused on work-life balance. This may not necessarily be separated from chasing certain luxuries but it comes only after a deeper, growing sentiment in embracing friends, community, social justice and peace. The younger generation is arguably more societal and environmentally conscious than some previous generations, hence seeing more social movements online and in person which during global crises proves for the better. In addition, where there may have been monotonous, unquestionable work-life, today we see a different set of priorities focused on a healthier social work-life balance. In this way, it can be argued this garnering for more social life has opened space for greater discussion regarding not just mental health but also finding fulfilment and purpose in our spare time. For instance, the search for eudaimonia can be seen in the thriving catalogue of self-help books, YouTube videos and even travel vlogs as the yearning for experience and spiritual fulfilment. In the bustling urban life of cities in the West, we also hear a more common theme of those wanting to experience the outdoors, one day live off-grid, or in small-scale villages, and take back some autonomy in a farm life where they can grow their vegetables and raising their animals. In sum, life would seem ephemeral when our material luxuries and pleasures reflect mere moments of bliss that do nothing to deter our existential questions; the lurching questions on what we do with our limited time, how we spend the fine days, months and years. Hence, the spiritual reality of consciousness bodies takes us back to the essence of eudaimonia. Even the over-indulgent will find in quiet hours the creeping questions as to how they can be wiser with their time towards duties, chores, and relationships as a family member and global citizen.

b. Managing anxiety – empowering individual responsibility

Furthermore, Stoicism stands of greater relevance in the background of rising anxiety and depression across the increasingly materialistic, secularised West. The liberal world is evidently in an existential crisis faced by a declining population, increasing mental health and an arbitrary display of ‘freedom’ and ‘tolerance’ in increasingly fragmented societies. This postmodernist age thus finds itself hollowed out with competition identities and loss of absolute virtues amongst its leaders. For the layman in the West, it is common to find the anxious individual feeling overwhelmed and lonely in this atomised environment. On the other hand, with increasing discussions about mental and changing priorities, we, fortunately, look back at the metaphysical world, in its religion and spiritual practices such as meditation, as necessary primitive mechanisms to grasp the swing and sways of the world. This growing spiritual awareness therefore provides a platform to see Stoicism as a platform to detach and believe in a higher purpose. We can take great relief in realising our precious existence on Planet Earth. The concept of fate and living purpose becomes enormously empowering when we can finally accept not everyone can be controlled – we must only focus on doing our best as a single individual attached to a wider community. In all, the need to step back and embrace purpose within ourselves, without comparison or blame, sees a widening space for a Stoic perspective on life. As individuals in an increasingly complex world, our realities still depend on our immediate actions for the absolute of ourselves and others, to enable the Whole to configure itself.

c. Kindness and Justice as a lasting legacy

Although the harshness of the real world prevails, fuelled by divisions and zealotry, the cause of compassion and virtue remains the most victorious even in the most difficult situations. It was previously reflected that we must be honest to recognise the existence of true evil in this world. This world is no utopia as we witness death, destruction and violence alongside the existence of humankind. Unfortunately, the lack of integrity stretches to our very day-to-day living. As much as we strive to be honest and kind, some continue to cheat and deceive as if there is no morality. In this tit-for-tact state, it may be tempting for some to give up all standards and follow the trend, especially when our leaders act as tyrants, openly lying and spreading violence without justice.

However, when our very intuitions tell us there is not something fitting, forever sustainable for the greater good of our generation, the time beckons upon all of us to be the difference maker. Stoicism as a mindset helps us to return to the importance and empowerment of virtue ethics. Every individual with a conscious thinking brain and capable hands must know is not the politicians or the corrupt-suited backroom that define the affairs of someone’s household, or their friends or even their enemies. As the teleology of history has shown us, true justice and peace come from those who pursue compassion, charity, respect, love and community in their spheres. These values of humanity like our souls being sponges absorb warmth, unlike the bitterness or fleeting guilt one feels from escaping justice. Those who have passed as revered, noble figures have never been stuck on thinking about if or when people have cheated them. As with the cardinal virtues, they reflect good in themselves as opposed to absolute evil. Thus, the real influence on the direction of the river, from our larger society to our communities to our close friends, stems from what the individual does in their capacity. The world may be one way, i.e. polluted, suffering from deforestation, be ridden by deceit and war, but we must remember it is neither logical to perpetuate suffering nor think that the sins of the world can never redefine humanity’s precious value for peace and justice. Subsequently, the stronger person with more content and changing power remains the virtuous individual, with the capacity to follow through with genuine action, not the person whose conviction stops at vanity.

Moreover, Stoicism in its character-building makes it still well-equipped to deal with the extremes of idealistic and deceptive politics. The Stoic at their core remains a realist, striving to never be dismayed by a broken reality nor flown away by dreams. As we see in Marcus Aurelius’s writings, the focus always remains on the present, dealing with both the past and future by honing in the present circumstances. The stoic is thus never weighed down by what has happened or the countless probabilities. With moral character and pragmatism, we must use the present to act, doing good for ourselves and others in the best capacity in the current moment. In this way, Stoicism can be seen as reaffirming an objective reality. One in which we cannot lose ourselves in a post-truth, relativist world combatting subjective claims of truths and falsehoods. Even when it comes to virtues, Stoicism reminds us to return to thoughts and actions implemented in the real world. How our actions carry a standard of good and evil – charity, compassion, and mercy, versus destruction, injustice and disharmony, compelling us to remain vigilant to ourselves and others. Therefore, the Stoic maintains a lasting holistic view. Every action one does ties with a larger picture, internalised by faith, for unity and justice. Therefore, the ethos to pursue a greater, universal order returns a person principled yet pragmatic, knowing where to stay firm, while knowing where to adapt and change, to steer circumstances towards long-term harmony.

d. Practical application 

The criticism of stoicism being enveloped in a self-righteous ideal remains disingenuous to this deeply introspective mindset focusing on taming the Self. This does not concern outward appearances or claiming enlightenment over your fellow beings. The Stoic path instead leads by example through its rejection of a hedonistic lifestyle. It takes neither a monk nor a drug addict to acknowledge the Self requires physical and spiritual remedy in line with maintaining our mind and body. One cannot do purely without the other. It is therefore not just Stoic virtues that hold a firm practical dimension but also the thought exercises carried within it that help us deal with reality as we see it.

Mindfulness has become common advice from many doctors, therapists and psychologists as a proven method of reducing anxiety. The modern world with more information and exposure has fed into the rising anxiety so commonly reported by people around the world. The Stoic perspective fits very closely with today’s practice of mindfulness. This is a form of meditation that anyone can do at any time. It involves taking deep breaths in and out, bringing ultimate focus to the very present moment. Within this state, you give no thought to anything else, just the breath that enters in and out, allowing any nagging thoughts or feelings to simply pass in the focus on the next breath. This sense of detachment comes close to the liberating Stoic belief in putting aside the future towards pre-destined fate. The focus becomes on the present, being aware of the mind that can equally choose to do what is possible or necessary – within our reach.

Negative visualisation presents another practical application of Stoic thinking. This is a thought exercise which involves imagining losing the things which are close to you, not just our precious material belongings but also the people around us. This admittedly sounds bleak and for depression or trauma sufferers, overwhelming to contemplate. But for others, this remains an effective, hard-hitting approach to taking gratitude from everyday life. You can immediately begin to sense how precious the people around us are, and the fact our family, community or even a distant neighbour or friend would not wish for us to freeze in life and give up. Imagining the loss of valuable possessions also reinforces the eudemonic point these inanimate objects do not complete the person we are or who we can be towards others. Virtue compels us to do better, to be an example by following inherent goodness to the best of our abilities unconditionally, to naturally shape a beneficial, fulfilling future.  

The principle of Amor Fati also proves to be a useful Stoic practice in encouraging us to embrace risk and failure to achieve more. It may sound counter-intuitive to think about failure before success but it can surprisingly be a liberating factor for many people who suffer from over-thinking and anxiety. Rather than being crippled by the expectation of success, preparing a dutiful fight against total failure or inaction can be a sobering push to take necessary risks in life to become a stronger, more resilient, experienced person. The biggest danger to any sane person can be to rationalise our fears so much we depart from the virtues of being courageous, truthful and just. Sometimes we must all take leaps of faith in the face of adversity to test who we are. These challenges provide us meaning, and a purpose to want new pathways and potentially new identities. To Nietzsche, this journey to endure and overcome – Amor Fati, to self-overcome, is what makes one super/Übermensch. Therefore, in line with Stoic thinking and virtue, we can all learn to stand strong and be purposeful by embracing new challenges. 

Finally, journaling can also be a powerful Stoic activity to separate ourselves from the verdict of others and interrogate our many thoughts and feelings. The act of writing enables us to express ourselves without being seen or heard. The page forms a blank canvas through which we can toss our many spiralling ideas, and be forced to contemplate. The words that string together in front of us get us to read our perceptions, thinking again about what I have said or felt really means in the grander moment of life I find myself living. Furthermore, journaling compels me to structure my thoughts and begin looking beyond mere hysteria and reactions – our expressions form a tunnel in which the moment of reflection allows us to decide where to steer next. Hence, the page becomes the ultimate private outlet against the public world that demands composure and rational decision-making.

Conclusion:

In summary, Stoicism can be understood as a gateway to seeking spiritual purpose and metaphysical discussions. As a school of thought, it forms the intuitive drive to establish a fulfilling life. According to the Stoics, the best life is one that is meaningful, purposeful and balanced. It has been shown an impulsive, hedonic lifestyle lacks any meaning. To satisfy and continuously pursue more pleasure does little to address the soul, felt in everyone after all the fun has subsided, to want harmony in all aspects of life. Whether it is the thought of why we are here on Earth, or what our relationships mean with our parents, siblings, friends and strangers, or what I am compelled to do throughout life, these are just some questions that beg more spiritual contemplation than another meal or party. Stoicism in trying to answer the question of living a ‘good life’ helps us to return to spiritual reflection. Fate forms a core part of the Stoic outlook on life and its practices. It is not up to the individual to immediately detest and blame for all the things that happen in their life. Pondering on the incomprehensible scale of the universe helps to submit to the notion that many events are not only interlinked but also far beyond our control. By accepting the present, Stoicism fuels the necessity to act for the better. Through the detailed four cardinal virtues, courage, temperance, justice and wisdom, the individual is reminded our presence ought to be purposeful in a life so fragile and tied up with the humanity of others. In the same frame we avoid and fight absolute evil, so does ‘good’ belong to the way we treat our bodies, mind and the existence of others.

References:

Brown, Darren (2016) “Happy: Why More or Less Everything is Absolutely Fine”, Uxbridge, Transworld Publishers

Chew, Louis (2022), “9 Stoic Practices That Will Help You Thrive In The Madness Of Modernity”, Daily Stoic, Accessed at: https://dailystoic.com/stoicism-modernity/

Lake, Tim (2022) “An In-depth Understanding on the Four Virtues of Stoicism”, The Collector, Available at: https://www.thecollector.com/four-cardinal-virtues-stoicism/

Sellars, John (2014), “Stoicism”, Abingdon, Routledge

Nussbaum, Martha Craven (2001) “Duties of Justice, Duties of Material Aid: Cicero’s Problematic Legacy”, American Academy of Arts & Sciences, Available at: https://www.amacad.org/news/duties-justice-duties-material-aid-ciceros-problematic-legacy