Stoicism stands apart from any other philosophy in the world. Nearly 2000 years after its inception, its teachings remain relevant and continue to amaze us with their enduring wisdom. Central to Stoicism is the belief that we have control over how we approach things. Instead of imagining a perfect world or a utopia, Stoics practice realism and pragmatism while pursuing self-improvement through virtues such as:
- Wisdom: Understanding the world without prejudice, logically, and calmly.
- Courage: Facing daily challenges and struggles without complaints.
- Justice: Treating others fairly.
- Temperance: Exercising voluntary moderation.
Individuals who cultivate these virtues can bring about positive changes in themselves and in others. Today, the term “stoic” is colloquially used to describe someone who faces pain or difficulties without showing emotion, someone who remains calm under pressure and avoids emotional extremes. While this notion is significant in Stoicism, the philosophy goes beyond mere attitude.
The Power of Inner Control
Stoicism teaches us to find calm in a world filled with pain, anxiety, and insatiable desires. According to the Stoics, we live in a reality that does not care about our personal opinions; we cannot ask it to eliminate pain and suffering. However, this does not mean we are powerless. There are two domains of life: the external, which encompasses events in our lives that we cannot control, and the internal, which involves how our mind reacts and interprets external reality, something we can control.
Focusing on things we cannot control will lead to infinite dissatisfaction. Therefore, we should focus only on what we can control. Our sense of joy comes from pursuing meaningful things in our lives, not superficial ones. A truly content person is someone who can live without the things they desire or find comfort in. Wealth, material abundance, fame, or power hold no value if the person possessing them has not learned to live properly without them. After all, these are temporary.
As Marcus Aurelius said, “Almost nothing material is needed for a happy life for the one who has understood existence.” Temporarily abstaining from things we depend on can show how strong we truly are without the things we think we need. This way, we can realize that we have been using them not because we needed them, but because we had them.
Acceptance and Indifference
We must recognize that nothing is inherently good or bad; only our judgments and interpretations of things can be good or bad. We should strive for acceptance and indifference toward everything that happens and focus our attention on controlling our reactions to these events. Acting virtuously, regardless of the misfortunes life may bring, allows us to start shedding the chaos of the world and find some form of happiness and presence within ourselves.
Life is not a race. Generally, we are not satisfied with our lives and compare ourselves to more successful people. We constantly look to the potential future of what our lives could be. The reality is that we always live in the present, and we should not compare ourselves to others but rather focus on improving ourselves both physically and mentally. This is difficult because we are surrounded by a culture that convinces us that the more things we have and the more popular we are, the happier we will be.
Material things do bring happiness, but it is a trap. They give us short-term pleasure and a desire for more. The things we frequently pursue in life often reveal themselves to be quite petty and insignificant in the grand scheme of things. We must define our happiness not by what we possess or achieve, and certainly not by how others see us, but by how we think, how we see ourselves, and how we live our own lives through our virtues.
Stoic Quotes and Their Wisdom
To illustrate these points, several Stoic philosophers offer profound insights:
- “You have power over your mind, not outside events. Realize this, and you will find strength.” – Marcus Aurelius
- “If you are distressed by anything external, the pain is not due to the thing itself, but to your estimate of it; and this you have the power to revoke at any moment.” – Marcus Aurelius
- “Always ask yourself: Is this something that is, or is not, in my control?” – Epictetus
- “Do not seek for things to happen the way you want them to; rather, wish that what happens happens the way it happens: then you will be happy.” – Epictetus
- “I judge you 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.” – Seneca
- “The first rule is to keep an untroubled spirit. The second is to look things in the face and know them for what they are.” – Marcus Aurelius
- “Wealth consists not in having great possessions, but in having few wants.” – Epictetus
- “I often wonder how it is that every man loves himself more than all the rest of men, but yet sets less value on his own opinion of himself than on the opinion of others.” – Marcus Aurelius
- “What matters is not what happens to you, but how you react to it.” – Epictetus
- “To live a good life: We have the potential for it. If we can learn to be indifferent to what makes no difference.” – Marcus Aurelius
- “Think of yourself as dead. You have lived your life. Now, take what’s left and live it properly.” – Marcus Aurelius