Stoicism in a capsule

Who is a Stoic?

“A Stoic is someone who transforms fear into prudence, pain into transformation, mistakes into initiation, and desire into undertaking.” - Nassim Taleb

What are the core principles?

Focus: Not disturbed by events, how we respond to them

1. The ability to view ourselves, the world, and it’s people objectively and accept their nature as it is.
2. The discipline to prevent ourselves from being controlled by the desire for pleasure or the fear of pain and suffering
3. Making the distinction between what is within our power to influence, and what is not. Using this information we act on what can be acted upon, and we dismiss what can’t.

Why are the core principles important?

1. Firstly, it instructs us to take responsibility for how we view things, because this is the true cause of suffering. Rather than just blaming the world or other people for our shitty situation or our crappy mood, we are empowered to accept that it’s us who create our happiness. No one else.
2. Secondly, it draws a line between what we do and do not have control over. Many people suffer because we get upset about, or try and control the things in life that we have no control over. And, of course, this leads us to feel helpless, ineffective, powerless, bitter, resentful. We suffer.
3. However, when we focus on what we can control, we start to become effective, efficient, we solve problems more easily, we suffer less. The key is to accept that there is very little within our control, and focus of effort is that small patch of land that we own. Our thoughts, our actions, our perspective and our beliefs.

What are the Stoic practices?

1. The Dichotomy of Control:

“To achieve freedom and happiness, you need to grasp this basic truth: some things in life are under your control, and others are not.Within your control are your own opinions, aspirations, desires, and the things that repel you. We always have a choice about the contents and character of our inner lives.Not within your control is literally everything else. You must remember these things are externals, and none of your concern.”-Epictetus

“God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, Courage to change the things I can, And wisdom to know the difference.” - Serenity Prayer, AA

2. Memento Mori:

Memento Mori is the practice of contemplating your own mortality, or remembering that one day you will die. "Let us prepare our minds as if we’d come to the very end of life. Let us postpone nothing. Let us balance life’s books each day…The one who puts the finishing touches on their life each day is never short of time."- Seneca

Epictetus recommended that we all remind ourselves that we will die. He did this because when we recognize that our time is limited, we appreciate each moment more intently. When we are with loved ones, we don’t know how many moments like this we’ll have, so we become more present, focused and grateful. The concept of Memento Mori takes something destructive like death and turns it into a tool to more vividly enjoy life.

The Emperor of Rome, Marcus Aurelius practised Memento Mori to help guide his actions. In his journal, Meditations, he wrote:

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

Stoic philosophy does not view death as a painful concept to be avoided. It is seen as an inevitable part of life that should be embraced and used to more fully appreciate life. Memento Mori helps us prioritise what really matters but reminding us that time is finite.

3. Amor Fati: The love of fate

The Stoics used Amor Fati to accept the world around them and prevent peace of mind being affected by events outside of their control. Amor Fati translates to the love of fate.

“Frightened of change? But what can exist without it? What’s closer to nature’s heart? Can you take a hot bath and leave the firewood as it was? Eat food without transforming it? Can any vital process take place without something being changed? Can’t you see? It’s just the same with you-and just as vital to nature.” - Marcus Aurelius

Summary

(a) The Dichotomy of Control (b) Memento Mori (c) Amor Fati

Capsule Credit: Tobias, Orion Philosophy