In popular tradition, having a stoic attitude is synonymous with facing life’s difficulties with integrity.
Stoicism is a philosophical current composed of writings and meditations, developed by Greek and Roman teachers and which has served as a basis for reflections, recommendations and reasoning, eminently practical.
Besides, It has been an inspiration for the most important current and ancient currents of thought, as well as for the most modern psychological theories, and has even influenced the great monotheistic religions. Therefore, we could consider that despite being ancient wisdom, its teachings are still valid today.
Immerse yourself in the writings of great masters of this discipline such as Marcus Aurelius the philosopher emperor, Epictetus the slave or Seneca the Cordovan. Is approach a practice that puts at the center the capacity of each person to govern themselves
In the books of these and other wise men of antiquity, we can find different ways to achieve what the Greeks called “Eudaimonia”. In today’s language we would translate it as tranquility of the soul, emotional stability or mental balance.
It is essential to keep in mind that these authors wrote their works more than two thousand years ago, so many of their recommendations (such as the total extirpation of passions) would not make sense in today’s world.
Furthermore, we must understand the social and historical context in which these masters lived where slavery was totally normalized and accepted or the role of women was tremendously secondary (although unfortunately, this is still valid today).
But Stoic thought is not a dogma that must be strictly followed ; In fact, they believed that there is no single way to live life. In their postulates, in addition to being very tolerant of other ways of life and in general of all members of society, they considered human beings to be fundamentally sociable, capable of reasoning and reaching agreements.
3. Psychological toolbox
This philosophy provides us today with a series of invaluable psychological tools, eminently practical, easy to understand and very current, which everyone can use as best suits them. Serve as an example the simple and useful advice that we can find in the famous book “the Enchyridion” by Epictetus
Examine our impressions, reflect on the transience of things, pause and take a deep breath, speak little and correctly, choose the company well, respond to insults with humor, do not talk too much about ourselves, do not judge anyone, reflect on our day, etc.
How to live better?
Doing a synthesis exercise, we can understand four main Stoic virtues These are a fantastic and simple compendium of attitudes towards life that can help us understand the world better and, in the process, lead a fuller life.
Curiosity, study and learning as a vital attitude and way of understanding the world around us.
2. Do not assume that you are living in a tragedy
The value for face the vicissitudes of life as pure events and not as tragedies.
3. Practice justice with the people around us
As Marcus Aurelius said, “what does not suit the honeycomb, does not suit the bee.”
4. Try to promote temperance
It is important have temperance in the face of some passions such as anger, as well as in the face of negative events such as the death of a loved one or one’s own illness.
Stoic principles
In short, we recommend reading these masters, since they are a true pleasure for the senses, given the beauty and depth of their words. There are three fundamental principles of this vital approach.
1. Virtue is the greatest of goods and everything else is indifferent
The search for good for oneself and for humanity It is the maxim of every human being. The rest is superfluous.
2. Follow nature
Each being has something that is particular to it and in itself is what must follow Just as for a river its being is to flow until it flows into the sea, in the case of people, following reason and doing good is the end of all activity.
3. Dichotomy of control
Something as simple and at the same time therapeutic as understand that there are things that we do not control and other things that do depend on ourselves Therefore, we must strive to cultivate what we can really control (feelings, passions, actions) and admit as part of the natural flow of life what we do not control (illnesses, accidents, deaths).
