What is the Stoic Life philosophy?

Saturday, the 7th of September 2024, 8:00 PM

What is THE Intention behind developing a STOIC Life Philosophy?

        I guess it is safe to say that we have all gone through a terrible moment (or moments) in our lives that we would call a "deep hole" in our mental health and emotions. This could have been (or still is, for some people) triggered by highly emotional situations related to a loved one (yes, I am talking about your ex or that strange situationship you found yourself in), a relative, or even the pressure of future professional or academic expectations that keep us awake at night. We have two ways to deal with this highly emotionally charged situation: we either let ourselves be consumed emotionally, which later consumes us physically and mentally, or we learn from it and become resilient (or as we are going to call it today, Stoic). 

        If we decide to take the first path, we would likely suffer a great deal, which, in the end, would lead to extreme anxiety and depression. This would most likely end very badly, ultimately getting us nowhere and leaving us to go through life with a deep wound that would never heal, simply because we are not doing anything to heal it. Finally, whenever we think about it, it brings back memories of Vietnam (yes, I am serious about it). 

        But what if we take the second path, which we might call today "THE STOIC LIFE"? Let's define it first as "maintaining control of your thoughts, emotions, and actions regardless of what is happening around you" (Tuitert, 2024). Whether it is raining cats and dogs and you get soaked trying to make it to university, or it is scorching hot, and you feel like a melting stick of butter while you are supposed to be performing excellently at your job, your mind can still handle these situations (excellent focus for your frenemies who LOVE to complain about everything and anything, yes, I know you are thinking about your frenemy right now—you are welcome!)

But HOW can I develop a STOIC life philosophy without perishing in the attempt?

        As hard as it may seem, developing a stoic life philosophy is possible (even if you are a love-crying water sign just like me!), but it requires discipline and a commitment to changing your mindset for good. Let me break down three key points I have discovered throughout my journey of becoming the stoic self I aspire to be (so we can aspire together to become the amazing versions of ourselves we dream of becoming):

1. Guard Your Happiness Deep In Your Heart and Mind.

        As Marcus Aurelius once said, "I have often wondered how it is that every man loves himself more than all the rest of men, but yet sets less value on his own opinions of himself than on the opinions of others" (Chew, 2021). How many times have you let your happiness be ruined because of others' opinions and critiques? Frequently, we find ourselves thinking about what others think of us, our actions, and even our appearance. Do the following phrases sound familiar to you? "What if my crush sees me looking like this without makeup?" or "What will my boss or peers think when they realize I am not as good as I seem?" As human beings, it is normal to constantly reflect on our surroundings, and more often than not, we let our happiness be ruined because we want to be liked by everyone. 

        An excellent practice that I have put into action throughout these past months to develop that stoic mindset of not letting my happiness be broken by others is writing down the purpose of my life, my objectives, how I perceive myself, what I deserve, and the things I do which make me the amazing person I am (I know, you might be thinking about how fantastic this sounds—contrasting with how impossible it is, but trust me, sometimes you just have to fake it till you make it). Over time, you will be building the basis of your own happiness and will start living life more joyfully.

2. Cogito Ergo Sum (I Think Therefore I Am).        

        How many times have you overthought since the very first minute you woke up? I know the answer might be too overwhelming, just like your thoughts, and that simple question is the one that helps us really think about the way we think. In this digital age, civilization is based on technology, and whoever does not know how to use technology properly is regarded as a "slow learner" or even "less intelligent." Nonetheless, technology has brought about a big disadvantage that very few of us notice: that is the lack of focus and the excessive overthinking we do every minute of every hour of every day of our miserable lives (yes, human beings are codified to be miserable by nature, BUT this does not necessarily have to stay this way)

        Cogito, ergo sum is a powerful yet difficult-to-understand statement. How can we apply it to our day-to-day lives so that we become more Stoic? The key lies in learning to control our thoughts and carefully selecting the ones that are worthwhile to keep, as well as creating new ones that will transform us into better versions of ourselves. Let me put it into perspective: whenever you have to complete a big and difficult task, such as an exam at university, or speaking in public in front of more than 50 people, thoughts of laziness or fear begin to invade your mind. However, if you think about it, you can break those and create more peaceful thoughts, such as imagining yourself passing the exams successfully, completing the task with excellence, or being proud of having developed an excellent presentation at your job (which will hopefully lead to a promotion).

        You see, at the end of the day, whether we fear it or not, we will all have to complete that difficult task, finish that exam, or give that presentation in public, regardless of our negative thoughts. Why not allow our thoughts to be more peaceful and positive? Try this exercise: imagine that the worst-case scenario could happen, yet nothing would change. Remember, nothing lasts forever (Chew, 2021). I encourage you to think twice before letting a negative thought invade your mind. Remember: you think, therefore you are. Use this to your advantage by envisioning yourself, both who you are now and who you will become, in the most positive way possible.

3. It Is All About Rituals!

        Developing a Stoic mindset also involves adopting a new lifestyle. To achieve this, we must establish morning, afternoon, and evening rituals and habits. How many of us know that going to the gym is essential for maintaining a healthy, happy life, yet very few of us commit to it? Consider this: How do you think the people you see on social media with amazing bodies or successful businesses achieve that? Yes, they started from nothing, even when they had no direction at all, and most likely felt lost while doing whatever it took to become who they are today. That is the key, you have to start somewhere. If one of your goals is to improve your English, start by reading one page of a book that interests you and gradually increase the number of pages you read each day. By the end of the month, you will likely have read over 100 pages and learned more than 250 new English words.

        Now, I invite you to think about at least 1 habit that you have procrastinated on for months or even years (that could be going to the gym, reading more, or eating healthy) and I dare you to try it for only 30 days. I assure you that, daily, you won't see your actions as progress, but why? Because we regard progress as "overnight success," but it’s not like that. Think about Mark Zuckerberg, Elon Musk, or anybody you admire. Do you think it took them 5 days to build their empires? No, right? So start anywhere, and above all, remember that the point is making progress, no matter if it is small or big.

        Finally, some intentional rituals that are amazingly beneficial for developing a Stoic mindset include journaling, practicing gratitude, reading Stoic texts, and reflecting on virtues. Try them, and I assure you that your life and mindset will not be the same after trying them. Hopefully, your mindset will be different after reading this special post, which marks the beginning of this beautiful Stoic writing journey. Welcome to your new life, and thank you for setting aside time to read this!

        And that is a wrap! If you want to learn more about this amazing Stoic philosophy, I invite you to check the links I have included in the references. I assure you, it will be time well spent on some great reading. See you in the next post!

References:

Tuitert, M. (2024, March 13). Stoic philosophy: All about the stoic mindset in DRIVE. Mark Tuitert. https://marktuitert.nl/en/stoic-mindset-and-philosophy/#:~:text=The%20stoics%20emphasise%20what%20you,the%20expense%20of%20these%20values.

Chew, L. (2021, November 1). 9 stoic practices that will help you thrive in the madness of modernity. Daily Stoic. https://dailystoic.com/stoicism-modernity/

Allan. (2024, April 23). How to build a stoic mindset. What Is Stoicism? https://whatisstoicism.com/stoicism-resources/how-to-build-a-stoic-mindset/

Mishra, H. (2023, June 16). How to Practice Stoicism: Transform your mindset and conquer life’s challenges. https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/how-practice-stoicism-transform-your-mindset-conquer-lifes-mishra/