Stoicism
Stoicism is a practical philosophy with the aim of living a meaningful life, and becoming one’s best self.
The Stoics believed in living a virtuous life, one with the potential to bring us personal happiness and
fulfillment. And that’s one of the reasons a person may choose to live after their fashion. After all, what
good is philosophy if it doesn’t ultimately bring us happiness? But in Stoic philosophy, it’s the pursuit of
virtue and good character that allows us to get there. For the Stoic, the pursuit of virtue is the pursuit of
happiness. If we can live virtuously, a good life will follow.
But what does it mean to pursue virtue?
Simply put, acting virtuously means striving towards one’s ideals and becoming the best version of
oneself. In becoming the person we want to be, we will be happy. But the Stoics also teach us that
happiness is our personal responsibility. The first and most important thing we can do is take ownership
of who we are and of the state of our lives. Only then can we become the people we want to be, and
find fulfillment and happiness in our lives.
5 stoic strategies
Stop Worrying About What You Can’t Control
We can’t control the world around us, external events, other people, nature, our genetics, or the past.
To try to, or to worry about any of these things is pointless, and only makes life more difficult. It’s in our
constant attempt to try to control these things that we end up suffering.
Focus on What You Can Control
The Stoics argue that the only two things that we have absolute control over are our thoughts and
actions. We can’t control the world around us, but we can control how we respond to it through our
judgements and reactions. Inevitably, things will happen in life that we can’t control, but it’s our
perceptions of events followed by how we respond to them that makes these things good or bad.
Think About Death
We all know we are going to die at some point, yet we live as if our lives will last forever. we waste a lot
of time doing things that are unimportant and then we complain that we don’t have enough of it. The
reality is that life is just long enough to do what’s important to us. Time is something we cannot get
back. So, we mustn’t spend it on unnecessary. If we want to be happy, we must let the thought of death
change our relationship with time. Let it teach us to be fully present, and to make the most of every
moment.
Want Less
One of the most prominent lessons in Stoicism is learning to want less. Most people believe that
happiness comes about through obtaining more of something. We believe that it’s in having more of
things like success, money, fame, talent, time, or possessions. Once we achieve these things, we believe
our problems will go away, and then we can finally be happy with our lives. The issue is that it’s our
incessant want of more that only makes our lives more difficult. We become slaves to our own desires.
But the opposite is also true. The Stoics teach that we can free ourselves by simply wanting less.
Simplify Your Life
Stoicism is, at its core, about simplicity. It’s about simplifying your life in every regard, and living
essentially. The Stoics teach that what’s essential to a good life is what we control: our character. Our
ability to create happiness comes from this. We must first realize that all we truly need for happiness is
ourselves.
So in conclusion Stoicism doesn’t claim to have all the answers; nor can it tell you exactly how to be
happy. Rather Stoicism teaches us that we are personally responsible for our happiness, and it’s up to us
to create happiness through our actions.
