What Can We Learn from the Stoics?

“By teaching, we learn” - Seneca

It seems that nowadays we are constantly being fed things by social media, advertising and even the news that we need to be doing so many different things to our minds and bodies to ‘improve’ ourselves, and be the ‘best version’ of ourselves. Often this can feel overwhelming as we are bombarded with information that can sometimes have us questioning our worth and comparing ourselves to other people who seem to have it all. However, this idea of humans wanting to better ourselves is not a new one, and dates back thousands of years. The concept of Stoicism, and arguably philosophy as a whole, is the embodiment of becoming a better person, but there is no need to buy anything new, change how you dress, or how you eat, but simply consider the way that we talk to and treat others, as well as ourselves.

So what is Stoicism?

Founded in 300 BCE by Zeno of Citium, Stoicism is a branch of philosophy that is centred on self-improvement by living in alignment with four ‘virtues’, and a philosophical system of logic, physics and ethics. It may sound like a very complicated route to adjusting or being aware of how we live our lives, but when broken down in a way that makes it easy to apply to our everyday life, it is quite groundbreaking and arguably simple! There is much that we can learn from this, so let’s start at the beginning with the four virtues:

Prudence (or Wisdom) 

It can be argued that Prudence is the most achievable on a day-to-day basis of all four of the virtues, and, in essence, is about knowing what is good and being able to use reason to decipher right and wrong. Marcus Aurelias, a Roman emperor and Stoic philosopher, and Epictetus, another famous Stoic philosopher, believed that the best way to achieve this wisdom in order to apply prudence to everyday life, was to look within, which is where this ‘fountain of good’ can be found, and to really think about how we respond to things on a daily basis to achieve more wisdom. For example, if we are feeling jealous of our friends after they got a higher grade than us after an exam, or we see someone online with an item we desperately want and these feelings of envy are stirred, Epictetus is quoted as saying :“he is a wise man who does not grieve for the things which he has not, but rejoices for those which he has”, which is all well and good, but what does it mean? Simply put, Epictetus encourages us to be grateful for everything that we do have and are surrounded by, as opposed to ‘grieving’ the things that we don’t, which may feel like a frustrating thing to be confronted by when you’re in the midst of feeling these uncomfortable feelings such as envy or jealous, but it is proven that taking a minute to practice gratitude can actually reduce depression, stress and anxiety, contribute to happiness and improve sleep! And this can be achieved when we have the inner wisdom, or prudence, to acknowledge when we might need to shift our outlook on something in order to respond differently to a situation in a way that comes from that place of inner knowing. Prudence can be applied to lots of different situations in daily life, from the aforementioned gratitude practice, to being open enough to take in new information, being willing to change our minds about things, and to engage in a life of learning, unlearning and re-learning. Another excellent quote by Epictetus (which can also be applied during lessons both at school and in tutoring!) is: “It is impossible for a man to learn what he thinks he already knows.”. What might this mean? Well, it can be interpreted as understanding that if we remain open and willing to receive new information every day, and in all situations, we will be learning all the time, and to not let arrogance get in the way of the potential of expanding our minds which, ultimately, will also expand our outlook on our daily lives. Clever, eh?!

Fortitude (or Courage)

Fortitude seems like quite an archaic word now, and when we think of someone demonstrating courageous behaviour, it is easy to think of battlefields, people put in extraordinary circumstances and defying the odds, and gladiators coming face to face with lions in front of a crowd. Arguably, this behaviour is not associated with the everyday, so there can be a bit of distance with the concept, but really it is something that many of us already have, and most probably will in future, come across and deal with in our own way. The Stoic definition of fortitude is the choice and willingness to face uncomfortable emotions and situations such as pain, uncertainty, or intimidation head on, and to do so with mental strength and an ability to reframe negative emotions. This does not mean that a person practicing this aspect of Stoicism is neglecting their emotions, and is not undermining certain circumstances, but it is more about focusing on how negative emotions are dealt with and what the subsequent impact will be both on our lives and the lives of those around us. We can apply this to an array of situations, from the very small, such as becoming irritated by the actions of someone we know (or even don’t know!), to the bigger, more difficult scenarios; the only thing that really changes is our mindset and approach. For example, you might be worried about doing something that you think might impact someone’s opinion of you, such as a performance at school that might be embarrassing, or the prospect of someone finding out about a hobby that you’re trying to keep a secret, and therefore thinking of stopping this hobby. For a lot of people, the fear of the negative opinion is enough to stop us from doing the thing, even if it is something we know we enjoy or are excited by, but the Stoics had a very different opinion. Marcus Aurelius wrote the following in his Meditations: “Someone despises me. That’s their problem. Mine: not to do or say anything despicable. Someone hates me. Their problem. Mine: to be patient and cheerful with everyone, including them. Ready to show them their mistake. Not spitefully, or to show off my own self-control, but in an honest, upright way.”. So what does he mean? Simply that the opinions of others should not be anything to do with us, and that the most important thing is to live our lives in the way that brings us joy, without us bringing any harm to others, and in this way we can hold a mirror up to anyone who may want to share their negative opinions or attitudes with us. It may not seem like a particularly courageous thing to do, but this simple shift can help to build fortitude in realising that we can’t spend time worrying about other people’s views about us or the wider world, but that by acting with kindness, grace and being ‘cheerful with everyone’, this in itself can begin to change the world on a small scale, even if it is just within the immediacy of the world around us. By taking time to approach a situation with logic, taking a step back and thinking about how something could be reframed to minimise the negativity, we can begin to build our fortitude and resilience, whilst also ensuring that we are treating everyone else with grace, kindness and compassion.

Temperance

Temperance is another virtue which sounds quite old-fashioned, but in modern terms is something quite familiar: moderation. The idea of moderation can be applied to both the physical and mental, and how we can bring balance into our lives through voluntary, and non-damaging, self-restraint. The concept of self-restraint might seem boring, or even monk-like, but the Stoics believed that Temperance was vital if we are to live a fulfilled and peaceful life, and it is something that can very easily be applied to modern life. There has always been excess in society, from the Romans feasting and demonstrating gluttonous behaviour right up to now, where excess can be seen across pretty much all aspects of Western society, which is why it is interesting that another concept that was thought up thousands of years ago still has so much relevancy, if not more, today. In a world of so much over-consumption and where we are constantly being told that we need to buy more in order to be happier, and if we had ‘x’ thing then our lives would be better, practicing Temperance could end up being very beneficial. If we were to look at Temperance in relation to physical objects and consumption, one example could be about how we are constantly bombarded with adverts on social media. Whether it’s from a straightforward advert that our algorithm thinks we would like as we are scrolling, or a video from an influencer that you like who has been paid to promote a certain product, or even seeing something that your friend owns when you are looking through their photos or videos, we are always being shown the next thing, and the next thing, and the next thing that we need to buy. In reality, we don’t need a new phone case, or bag charm, or specific skin product, but we are being told that having this product will make us happier, more likeable, or a better person. This is where the practice of Temperance comes in (and even a bit of Prudence!). Next time you are tempted by an advert on social media, and you are tempted to buy it, are you able to ask yourself why you want this object, and think instead of something that you already own that would be a good substitute for the product? Not only is this activating more conscious and active thought rather than a knee-jerk reaction, but it is helping you to see what already exists in your life and be grateful for it. In addition, by stopping the unnecessary purchase of more stuff, you are also helping the planet! Win, win! Temperance can be applied to your thoughts and emotions, too, as the ability to moderate our emotions can lead to clarity of thought and improved mental health, particularly when it comes to restraining yourself from sending a reactive email or text message that may end up being damaging, or saying something you might regret. By taking a breath, thinking logically about the situation and applying reason, scenarios that felt difficult, or overwhelming may feel easier just by practicing self-restraint in how you respond. Of course, this may not be applicable to all scenarios, and it is always worth speaking to someone trusted if there is a particularly upsetting situation. It might not seem easy to do straight away, but as Epictetus said: “capability is confirmed and grows in its corresponding actions, walking by walking, and running by running… therefore, if you want to do something, make a habit of it.” It is about habit forming, retraining your mind to moderate and exercise self-restraint on a daily basis, and we might just see things across all areas of our lives as being far more balanced, and we might even see the benefits in our mental state, too.

Justice

Marcus Aurelius said that justice is “the source of all the other virtues”, so can be argued that it is the most important of the virtues, and perhaps the one that sounds the most familiar. It is the idea that all individuals should be treated fairly. When we think of Justice, we might think of law courts, of criminals and law enforcers, or of the justice system as a whole, but Justice in a Stoic sense goes beyond this, and is about equality and fairness for all people at all times. In a world of increasingly polarised opinions and people benefitting from a divided society, it can sometimes be easy to forget our shared humanity, but the Stoics believed in the importance of acting for the greater good of community and that even one person can make a difference. How can this be applied then to daily life? Well, the idea of community was hugely important to the Stoics, and Marcus Aurelius said “That which is not good for the bee-hive cannot be good for the bees”, meaning that if something negative is happening within a society, the functioning of the people within that society will be negatively impacted. One way we can overcome this is by thinking about what we can realistically do to contribute positively to our communities, such as volunteering. Is there a local food bank that you can help out at outside of school? A care home that needs support? Or is there a local nature group that is looking for volunteers to help planting in your local park? Not only do activities such as volunteering contribute to our mental health, but you are making an active contribution to your community on what might seem like a small scale, but with a huge impact. Even if you are not in a position to volunteer or go into society to practice the Stoic virtue of Justice, there are daily actions that you can take such as listening, really listening to people, even if (or especially when) they may have differing ideas or opinions to you. Seeing as Justice is all about treating people fairly, it is only fair to allow people to share their opinions and to be heard in the same way that you would wish to be – treat others as you wish to be treated is another aspect of Stoic Justice that, with a little practise, can be part of your day-to-day life. So although the concept of Justice seems huge and out of our hands, really it is, like all the other virtues, incredibly easy to learn from on a very small scale, which in turn, can have a massive impact both on ourselves and the people around us.

So, what can we learn from The Stoics? If the point of philosophy is to become a better person, then The Stoics can teach us a lot about just that. These are ideas that have been around for thousands of years, but somehow seem even more relevant today, when there is so much external noise and business, and the Stoic teaching to look inward, pause, take a breath before action is something that arguably everyone can benefit from. Maybe the act of Temperance is something that you want to investigate more so avoid burnout from revision or your tutoring schedule, or you love the idea of contributing positively to society and therefore you are implementing Justice by giving something back. However you choose to take lessons from The Stoics, as long as you are looking after yourself physically and mentally, as well as looking out for those around you, it can’t be a bad thing!

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Blog Post Crafted by Cicely

Cicely works on our Admin Team, and also tutors extensively.

In 2020, Cicely discovered her love of teaching, and has been tutoring English Literature and Drama ever since, as well as running a drama school audition help service with her friend and fellow actor to help prospective drama school students with their audition speeches.

Cicely has had her poetry published in anthologies and online, and in her free time is an avid reader. She loves living by the sea, a good podcast, and taking long walks in the countryside.