Stoicism is an ancient Greek philosophy that was first taught by Zeno of Citium (ca. 335–263 B.C.). Stoics believed that the world was governed by a divine plan and everything has a reason to exist. This means one needs to accept whatever happens to themselves as part of the ‘divine plan’ and live as per nature to lead a virtuous life. Moreover, it admires indifference and courage while facing adversities and sufferings, as it was believed that the body could be chained but not willpower. Additionally, materialistic possessions and the concept of ‘hedonism’ were rejected as well, for these could be taken away very easily and were considered to be the opposite of a virtuous life. Some of the well-known stoics are Marcus Aurelius (Roman Emperor), Epictetus (a former slave who later became an influential lecturer and a friend of emperor Hadrian), and Seneca (famous playwright and political advisor). In fact, Marcus Aurelius himself wrote ‘Meditations’, a collection of his private notes and insights into Stoic philosophy, making it one of the first and most well-known books on stoicism.
The 21st Century has seen a steady rise in the popularity of stoicism, especially in high-achieving and performance-driven individuals, as a way to better endure stress and build modern-day resilience. Stoicism has portrayed a stereotypical masculine archetype, with males portraying more stoic ideologies as compared to females. However, recent studies have found more similarities than differences. The Openness trait in the Five Factor Model (personality) was the primary predictor of stoicism for both genders and they did not differ when associating stoicism with four measured outcomes i.e., well-being, distress, and attitudes to seek professional help for psychological problems. The study further suggests that stoicism appears to be a personality trait seen primarily in males but has similar implications and prevalence in females, especially in old age. The findings opposed stoicism as a psychological resilience factor and were found to correlate with lower well-being but unrelated to psychological distress. Additionally, stoicism was associated with negative attitudes toward seeking professional psychological help. These findings could be chalked down to a result of modern-day misinterpretation of the original stoic ideology. Furthermore, many people have found stoicism useful in stressful situations and in developing emotional mastery. For example, Victor Frankl explained in detail his experience in a Nazi concentration camp and gives his insights into the mindset he had to triumph over his suffering. Although he never explicitly mentioned stoicism, we can see him apply many of the core stoic principles throughout his book. Even Frankl’s logotherapy and existential analysis parallels the teachings of stoicism. Further, George Washington was introduced to Stoicism in his teen years, which could be the reason for his poise even under pressure. He was also often prone to quoting certain stoic aphorisms and philosophers. Similarly, James Mattis, a serviceman who practiced stoicism, always carried ‘Meditations’ by Marcus Aurelius, during his career in the military. He reported that the book is filled with Aurelius’ messages that are incredibly effective for handling the stress and anxiety of being in combat. These are only a few of many such case studies of individuals applying stoicism to foster resilience.
Although Stoicism focuses more on its core principles, it also consists of valuable techniques which can be used in our everyday life to improve well-being. The stoics recommend the use of ‘negative visualization’, which involves spending time imagining that we have lost a thing we value such as our car that could have been stolen; our partner that could have left us; or a job we could have lost. Such thinking would help us appreciate our valued possessions and keepsakes more than we otherwise would. To say briefly, it is a good strategy to increase one’s gratitude in the present moment. Another essential technique in the stoics’ toolkit is ‘Fatalism’, which suggests that one should let go of the past because it can’t be changed. Thus, we need to accept the fate of what is given to us in the present and make the best of it. This ideology closely resembles ‘Amor Fati’ given by Friedrich Nietzsche which means ‘love of fate’. Such a mindset provides a more rational approach to reducing stress and developing clarity in a given situation. Another technique that Seneca recommends is ‘self-denial’ which means rather than merely thinking about what it would be like to lose wealth, we should sometimes ‘practice poverty’. He suggests that rather than thinking of the discomfort that comes from the absence of pleasure and other facilities, we should live with that minor discomfort for a while. This will increase one’s confidence that they can deal with major discomforts as well and help them appreciate the comfort that they already have. William B. Irvine’s ‘A Guide to the Good Life: The Ancient Art of Stoic Joy’ elaborates on these techniques and provides insight into how one can achieve tranquillity through stoicism in the modern era. Thus, Stoicism is an ancient Greek philosophy that is still relevant in this modern era as it is used by entrepreneurs, executives, and in general people with high-stress jobs. Just like Buddhism and Taoism, Stoicism too gains popularity in our society and finds its way into many self-help books precisely because of its use as a mental health intervention and to skillfully navigate the stressful situations in our everyday life to achieve a state of mental tranquility.
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