Stoicism. Can a 2000-year-old philosophy remain relevant to this day?

11 min readSep 11, 2022

“Objective judgment, now, at this very moment. Unselfish action, now, at this very moment. Willing acceptance — now, at this very moment — of all external events. That’s all you need.” — Marcus Aurelius

Introduction

When you hear the word “stoicism”, what images, thoughts, and feelings come to mind? For some stoicism associates with strictness, detachment, lack of emotion, strength, calculation, and discipline, but I don’t believe that that is all there is to it. A stoic can be as empathetic as anyone else, maybe even more. He is able to laugh, feel, have fun, and enjoy life. What he does not enjoy though is being dragged around by his emotions. It is ok to feel them, but it is not ok if they are the sole basis for your actions and behavior. Contrary to what some might think, the stoics don’t stuff their feelings down. Instead, they process them and try to understand their origin. There is much to gain from carefully observing your internal landscape, and a stoic knows that.

Maybe that is one of the reasons why journaling is almost inseparable from the practice of stoicism. Putting pen to paper helps one to create some distance between him and his thoughts, emotions, and perceptions. It helps to pose questions, such as “Does what I think and feel actually reflect truth objectively, or is it only my wants, whims, desires, and pities taking the best of me?” Never mistake detachment for observation. While one dulls, the other sharpens. There is great power that comes with reflection. If one knows himself deeply and understands the events that surround him, he can be thoughtful and vigilant in action, and predict what might occur realistically. That is why stoicism is often seen as one of the most practical philosophies for daily living. As put by the angel investor Tim Ferris, stoicism is:

“a no-nonsense system designed to produce dramatic real-world effects. Think of it as an ideal operating system for thriving in high-stress environments.”

If stoicism can act as a shield and a sword in our daily living, it might be interesting to get to the roots of it. Where and when did it originate? What are its key principles? Let’s begin by answering the first question. Unfortunately, to zero in on it, this time I will use the most unreliable (yet this time accurate) source of information out there — Wikipedia:

“Stoicism is a school of Hellenistic philosophy founded by Zeno of Citium in Athens in the early 3rd century BC. It is a philosophy of personal eudaemonic virtue ethics informed by its system of logic and its views on the natural world, asserting that the practice of virtue is both necessary and sufficient to achieve eudaimonia — flourishing by means of living an ethical life.”

If that was a bit too academic, we can stick with Ferris’ description, calling it an “operating system for living and thriving in stressful environments.” This seems to hit the nail on the head rightly. It is hard not to wonder how the practice of stoicism manages to achieve such a feat. What makes this 2300-year-old philosophy so resilient and practical not just to the people of Ancient Rome or Greece, but also to us, living here and now? What lurks beneath this enigmatic school of thought?

Now that we know where and when did it originate, it’s time to look back at our second question. What are the core principles of stoicism? Leaving the 4 stoic virtues (wisdom, temperance, justice, courage) aside for another time, today I would like to focus on some other aspects of this school of thought, which may be considered bottomless and infinitely practical.

My hopes are that after reading this piece, you will become better acquainted with the ways in which the stoics approach the most unpredictable, yet unavoidable aspects of life, such as setbacks, obstacles, sorrows, and finally — death. There is nothing wrong or fundamentally pessimistic in the act of contemplating such things. What matters is how you approach them, and I am sure that the wisdom of the stoics will guide you through the proper manners of approaching these issues.

The dichotomy of control

Most of the time in our daily affairs we like to think that we are in charge of things. A big part of stoicism lies in the attempt to educate people that this just might not be the case. Some things we control, some things we can influence, but most of them we have no power over whatsoever. One of the great stoics of Ancient Rome, Epictetus, encourages us to:

“Make the best use of what is in your power, and take the rest as it happens.”

If we worry about events that we can’t influence, we will perpetuate in a constant cycle of anxiousness, stress, worry, and agitation. For us not to get involved in such unnecessary affairs, we have to learn how to zone in on the things that we have power on, leaving all that is outside of our reach to take care of itself. As written in the aforementioned philosopher’s Discourses:

“Some things are in our control and others not. Things in our control are opinion, pursuit, desire, aversion, and, in a word, whatever are our own actions. Things not in our control are body, property, reputation, command, and, in one word, whatever are not our actions.”

For most stoics, virtue does not lie in the events of the external world. Good and bad can be found only in our will to act and the ability to restrain oneself from behaviors that can be deemed unnecessary or immoral. This is in our power. Most of the other things, especially those that exist outside of us, at best can be merely influenced, or at worst — not impacted at all. We can’t change the weather, influence the victory or defeat of our beloved sports team, order others to behave as we want them to, or guarantee our success in a given enterprise. That is not for us to decide. Fortunately, according to the stoics, it is not for us to worry about either. What we should worry about is whether we are giving our all to that which we have control of: our moods, our efforts, our thoughts, and our pursuits. We can determine what we will do, but we cannot determine its return. As crystalized by the words of the photographer Sean Tucker:

“Success isn’t your responsibility. Your responsibility is to be the very best in what you do as you possibly can manage.”

Dictating a specific outcome oftentimes is futile. The outcome is not for us to enact. What we can do instead is manage the position we take towards a desired outcome. That is much more worthwhile to pursue and exert attention and energy on.

Amor fati

If we cannot 100% determine what will befall us, what to do when things turn out not as we have expected? What if something goes terribly wrong? Say we lose a bet, fail a deal, get sick, or someone close leaves us? What then? As we already know, not all is in our hands. Certain things happen whether we want them to or not, they are in the hands of chance, luck, or as some call it — fate. A stoic approach toward that what happens not voluntarily, against all odds, is to love it. Amor fati, translated from Latin, means the love of fate. For a stoic, fate chooses you, not the other way around. Thus, when something happens that pains us, the wisest and the most rational thing to do is to embrace it. As written by Nietzsche in his self-autobiography Ecce Homo:

“Amor fati: this is the very core of my being — And as to my prolonged illness, do I not owe much more to it than I owe to my health? To it I owe a higher kind of health, a sort of health which grows stronger under everything that does not actually kill it! To it, I owe even my philosophy.… Only great suffering is the ultimate emancipator of spirit.”

To love what befalls us is no easy task. There are wars, murders, rapes, mischiefs, deceits, betrayals, and failures. Many incomprehensible horrors plague the world daily, and what is recommended for us is to love it? “Have these people lost their marbles? What a bunch of bull!” That’s an absolutely reasonable remark to make, but when everything is said and done, what else can one do in order to stand back up, be productive and help himself and the rest of the community?

Amor fati is the most life-affirming aspect of philosophy that I believe is out there. Nothing can rival its radical positivity, especially when found in the midst of devastation. To aim at the highest Good with love and embrace, no matter the sorrows that life has thrown at you — that is the principle of Amor Fati.

Memento Mori

The knowledge of our death often makes us anxious, but for a stoic, it can also be a source of creativity and zest. To live every day to its fullest, as though it was our last — that’s what a stoic practitioner would encourage us. The prospect of us not being able to kiss our partner, hug a family member, engage in a meaningful conversation, or enjoy the warmth of falling sun rays makes us appreciate these casual, yet all so transient delights much more thoroughly. Knowing, that all will soon pass makes us turn to that, which still is.

Memento mori, translated from Latin, means “remember you will die” and is one of the cornerstones of stoicism. The remembrance that everything has been given to us as credit makes us rejoice due to the fact that it hasn’t yet been taken away from us. We can still breathe, feel, love, and appreciate the joys that life gives us, without forgetting their finite nature. We needn’t waste them, for we do not know how long they will be here. As written down by the last of the 5 good emperors of Rome, Marcus Aurelius:

“You could leave life right now. Let that determine what you do and say and think.”

Death, just like life, is a process about which we know close to nothing. To deem ourselves as its masters is childish. Everything that has been granted to us will soon be taken. Paraphrasing the old Zen and Christian proverb, as we come empty-handed, so we will leave with empty hands. Nothing makes us remember this better than the stoic practice of memento mori.

Keep the ego in check

The idea of everything passing should humble us, but some live as though they are expecting to be forever. That, although providing hope, is not a good long-term strategy. It makes you less aware of the situation that you are in existentially and more prone to fantasy and wishful thinking. Eternal existence is a comforting idea, yet no one has survived the transition to prove it empirically. Thus, it might be best to focus on life here and now, and not wish for something “out there.” Contemporary people actually are very good at that. They develop skills and competencies, nurture families, build homes, and participate in communal affairs. Yet, not all of us, are living as virtuously and proactively as we could. Something continuously stops us. Ryan Holiday calls it the enemy within — our ego.

“What matters to an active man is to do the right thing; whether the right thing comes to pass should not bother him” says Goethe

Acting in accordance with the Good is not an easy task. The world is full of temptations and possibilities to be unjust, puny, or scared. To live according to virtue, we have to make sacrifices, and sometimes the biggest sacrifice is our image of ourselves. Often we think that we are bright and brilliant, virtuous, successful, wise. Unfortunately, that is not always the case. As Ryan Holiday reminds us in his book Ego is the Enemy:

“You’re not as good as you think. You don’t have it all figured out. Stay focused. Do better.”

That is extremely important, both for the person at the bottom, and the person at the top. All of us constantly encounter the complexity of life, and if we overestimate or underestimate our abilities to adapt, we will fall short of what it required. Being good is different from thinking that you are good. Being clever is not the same as thinking that you are clever. And of course, being competent differs from thinking that you are competent.

When life puts us to the test, we have to bury our beliefs and look at it afresh. That is why we should always be thoughtful of our strengths and weakness without becoming grandiose, presumptuous, or self-demoralizing. Reality is our friend, and when our mental models stop reflecting it — we step into the area of danger. When we have lost touch with the world as it is, we have to reestablish our sights. Similarly, when we have lost touch with who we are, we have to look within and figure out what is blocking us from seeing the truth. If it’s our ego, our ideas, and beliefs about ourselves, it’s time to let the deadwood burn.

Communal responsibility

Contrary to what some might think, Stoicism doesn’t just focus on the individual. The stoics understand, that you cannot aim toward the Good with a capital G, if you don’t take into account the good of your community. It is not a philosophy of detachment, indifference, and self-interest. Rather, the stoics understand that the Good is that, what is good for me and the community now and in the future. Thus, it is a proactive, social philosophy, aiming at the betterment of life not just for its practitioners, but also for the rest of the society in which they are situated.

Messing things up for others does not correspond with the stoic way. If virtue is to be found in doing good, being just, and acting courageously, yet with temperance, some type of political activity might be a good extension of that. As written by Ryan Holiday:

“Self-mastery doesn’t make for a sexy political platform. It’s not “hope and change” and it’s not “make America great again.” But a school of thought that argues in favor of self-mastery even as it trains people for the use of power might be exactly what the political system needs.”

In conclusion…

Even though stoicism is a 2000-year-old philosophy, it is still useful and practical to this day. It reminds us how to differentiate things that are in our control, from those which are not. It also teaches us that hard work and effort don’t always pay off, but is still to be encouraged if it helps to build character and competence. Furthermore, in life, luck plays a big role as well. Sometimes, it’s bad luck… Knowing that hard times are inevitable, stoicism teaches us how to prepare for them. It shows us not just how to survive hardships, but to love them, embrace them, to turn them upside down, making misfortunes a platform for wisdom, growth and flourishing. It reminds us that death is inevitable and we should remember that daily. Life has been given to us as credit, and we needn’t spend time wasting it on improper conduct and ill behavior. Furthermore, it underlines the fact, that the biggest enemy to be found does not wonder the outer world, it rests within. Ego can make or break you, but if approached correctly, it can act as a mirror reflecting the world as it is, thus, syncing in accord with nature. Lastly, stoicism is not a self-interested activity. It aims toward the Good both for you as an individual, and for your community as an extension of your being. For that reason, conscious, just, courageous, and wise societal engagements are encouraged, given that they are in sync with the 4 cardinal stoic virtues: wisdom, temperance, courage, and justice.

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