How the Ancient Philosophy of Stoicism Can Help You Live a Better Life

Stoicism is a school of philosophy that originated in ancient Greece and found a firm footing in ancient Rome with thinkers such as Marcus Aurelius, Epictetus, and Seneca.

Perhaps more than any other ancient philosophy, stoicism aims to help individuals live a better life day-to-day. The philosophy is not grounded in complicated myths or attached to any doctrinaire religion. Rather, its goal is to make daily living less stressful and more action-based.

In the following article, you’ll find a basic primer on the philosophy of Stoicism, as well as some tips on how to start incorporating its principles and ethics into your own life.

What Is Stoicism and Who Were the Stoics?

As stated, stoicism is an ancient philosophy that originated in Greece in the 3rd century BCE. As a cohesive way of thinking, stoicism was originally started by Zeno of Citium, a Hellenistic (Greek) thinker of Phoenician origin.

Stoicism got its name because Zeno and his followers would meet at a covered porch — or stoa — to discuss their way of looking at life. For a long time, Stoicism was a street philosophy. Only certain lay individuals followed and practiced it, but it was not an aristocratic way of living or thinking.

As the Roman Empire soon began to take center stage on the Mediterranean in the early part of the first millennium, several powerful Romans began to adapt the ethics of Stoicism, including:

• Marcus Aurelius
• Epictetus
• Seneca

What Are the Core Principles of Stoicism?

The goal of stoicism is to live in accordance with nature — human nature and the nature around us. Through Stoicism, living a good life meant accepting what happened to you and what went on around you, including death, which is equally as important as being alive.

Rationality was first and foremost in the goals of the Stoics. The Stoics believed that what truly set us apart from other animals was our ability to think rationally and to reason out all of our actions.

Living with virtue — including fortitude (strength and courage), fairness and justice, temperance (self-discipline), and prudence (wisdom) were at the forefront of all stoic acts. It was important to do the right thing at all times and to know what the right thing was, in contrast to the impetuses that often compelled weaker beings.

4 Stoic Practices You Can Start Using Today

1. Realize that you can only control yourself.

There are many things in life that we cannot control, and the Stoics believed this vehemently. They believed that you can only control yourself, which is virtually undeniable by today’s standards as well.

When you constantly think that you can control outside occurrences like whether or not you contract an illness or get fired by your boss, you set yourself up for failure. If you learn to accept whatever happens to you, on the other hand, you set yourself up for success. You put yourself in control of your own thoughts, feelings, and actions, and you do with those what you can to lead a virtuous life.

2. Don’t feel like you have to have an opinion on everything.

The Stoics believed that there were many things in life that you shouldn’t put too much emphasis on, including wealth, health, and one’s reputation. Instead of focusing on these things as goals, a Stoic should always focus simply on being virtuous.

If those other indifferent things like a good reputation and wealth came because of your actions, fine. If not, it was just as well.

3. Set morals for yourself, and live by them.

Don’t wait to find your morals on the street. Rather, establish your own personal morality first, and then go out into the world. When you encounter a difficult situation, take the route that fits best with your already-established morals.

4. When something bad happens, don’t despair.

Life is suffering. This is something that most of us do not want to admit, but it is a profound truth that can be eye-opening and freeing if you accept it.

The Stoics believed that misfortune would befall everyone at one point or another. And when it did arrive at your door, you should handle it with courage, strength, and calmness. Doing anything different would not only be futile, but it would actually cause even more pain — pain that would be unnecessary and lead to additional suffering.

Want to Learn More About Stoicism?

If you would like to learn more about stoicism, pick up some of the source texts from authors like Epictetus and Seneca.

Just be careful.

Many novice scholars have started learning about the philosophy of Stoicism in this way and years later, wound up earning their philosophy degree with one of the many outstanding PhD programs online.