Zeno of Citium in Modern Day by DALL-E
About a year ago, I stumbled across a lot of posts and videos about Stoicism, and it instantly captured my attention. So, I went online to find a book that would explain everything I needed to know about it. One title kept showing up: How to Be a Stoic by Massimo Pigliucci. Naturally, I picked it up, read it, and noted my thoughts and learnings. Revisiting them now, I’m writing this post to explain what I’ve understood about Stoicism, and how it applies to everyday modern life.
Where It All Began
Stoicism began in 300 BC in Athens, Greece, where Zeno of Citium, a Phoenician (some people debate he's actually Greek) from modern-day Cyprus, laid its foundation. He was a student of prominent philosophers of his time like Crates of Thebes before founding his own school. Zeno’s followers were known as Stoics, named after the stoa poikilé, a decorated public porch in Athens whose ruins can be visited, where they gathered to discuss philosophy, ethics, and the human condition. It’s this simple origin that still resonates today: the Stoics didn’t need fancy lecture halls, just a shared space to contemplate life’s big questions.
The Stoic Disciplines
1. Desire
One of the core Stoic ideas is the understanding of what is and isn’t worth desiring. This distinction is crucial because it originates from the simple fact that some things are within our control, and others are not. It’s easy to be misled by illusions that we can control more than we really can. Stoicism emphasizes the importance of focusing our energy on what we can influence, while accepting the rest with equanimity.
Two of the four Stoic virtues directly govern desire:
- Courage: To face reality as it is and act accordingly.
- Temperance: To restrain desires and focus on what’s achievable, without being led by excess or fantasy.
The Dichotomy of Control
One of the most well-known teachings of Stoicism is the dichotomy of control. Epictetus explains it perfectly: Some things depend on us—our opinions, desires, actions—and some things don’t, like our bodies, possessions, or reputation. The key, then, is to make the best use of what is within our power and calmly accept what isn’t. This doesn’t mean passivity, but rather a conscious effort to shift focus toward what truly matters.
In practical terms, this means putting your effort into the work, not worrying about the outcome. The universe will take care of that part.
Living According to Nature
What sets humans apart from other creatures, according to Stoicism, is our capacity for rational thought. Living according to nature doesn’t mean just following instincts; it means living in harmony with our most human trait: our rationality. The Stoics believed that this rationality connects us all, which is why they saw every person as part of a larger whole. We should treat others as if they were our kin because, in the grand scheme of things, we are all in this together.
This idea is known as oikeiôsis, which speaks to the Stoic belief in cosmopolitanism: that we are citizens of the world, interconnected, and responsible for each other’s well-being.
Virtues and Preferred Indifferents
The Stoics make a fascinating distinction between virtues and “preferred indifferents.” Virtue—wisdom, courage, justice, temperance—is the only true good. Everything else—health, wealth, beauty, education—is considered "preferred indifferents." That is, they are preferable but not essential for a good life.
A Stoic wouldn’t reject health or wealth if they came along, but they wouldn’t let their pursuit of these things interfere with the practice of virtue. The challenge is to seek these “indifferents” without becoming dependent on them, remembering that they don’t determine our moral worth.
On God
Stoicism’s view of the divine is closely linked to its understanding of nature. The Stoics believed that the universe (or logos) was governed by reason, which they equated with God. God, for them, was not a separate being but rather the rational structure of the universe itself. By living in accordance with reason, we align ourselves with this universal order, in other words, God.
This also means accepting the inevitabilities of life, recognizing that we are part of a greater whole. By doing so, we honor both the universe and our unique human capacity for rationality.
2. Action
One of the most important aspects of Stoic philosophy is how we should act in the world.
This principle encourages us to be compassionate, even toward those who wrong us. It’s not an excuse for their behavior, but a reminder that wisdom—and ethical living—comes from understanding and patience, not anger or revenge.
The Stoic virtue that governs action is the third virtue: Justice.
Ethics and Personal Growth
The Stoics believed that our ethics are shaped through a combination of instinct, education, and critical reflection. A large part of one's moral development comes from observing role models from history or our lives. This practice helps put life’s challenges in perspective, reminding us of the relative magnitude of our own problems. Through this reflection, we can adjust our actions and grow ethically.
On Mistakes
They believed in treating people with kindness and understanding, knowing that most people don’t commit wrongs intentionally but out of ignorance. This reminds us that people mostly make mistakes based on a lack of wisdom, which highlights the importance of nurturing and expanding our own.
3. Consent
A key Stoic practice is how we respond to situations. Stoics talk about “giving or withdrawing consent” to the impressions we receive. This means learning to question the initial reactions we have and deciding how to respond thoughtfully. This practice is deeply rooted in Stoic logic—the study of what is reasonable to believe and how to act on it.
The Stoic virtue that governs Consent is the fourth and last virtue: (practical) Wisdom.
Reflections on Death
The Stoics were clear about death: we don’t control it, but we do control how we reflect on it. The real harm doesn’t come from death itself but from our fear of it. A Stoic does not fear death because, as they reason, when we are alive, death hasn’t arrived, and when it comes, we are no longer here. It’s a natural part of life that should not dominate our thoughts or actions.
Managing Anger
Anger, for the Stoics, is nothing more than a brief moment of madness. They teach that when anger arises, it’s best to take a step back and reflect. By doing so, we can prevent ourselves from acting irrationally (or against our nature) and causing harm to ourselves or others.
Lessons to Apply
Stoicism is a philosophy of action, and its teachings can be applied directly to everyday life. Here are a few ways we can use Stoic principles in our day-to-day:
- Focus on what you can control: If you’re stressed about a situation, ask yourself: “Is this within my control?” If not, shift your focus to something that is.
- Practice gratitude for what you have: The Stoics believed that true happiness comes from appreciating what we have now, rather than yearning for what we don’t.
- Take time to reflect: Whether it's your response to an event or your long-term goals, taking a moment to step back and reflect can make a huge difference in your decisions and overall mindset.
- Develop resilience: By accepting that challenges are a part of life, we can learn to face them with strength, patience, and grace.
- Focus on inputs, not outputs: We can't control the output of most things, but we do control the inputs we make to make that output happen. For instance, if you're training for a personal record in a marathon, you can control your training volume, nutrition, and active recovery, but you can't control a thunderstorm on race day. If your fulfillment was linked to the output, that would've been a bad day. Instead, if your fulfillment was linked to the fact that you did all that was within your control to reach your goal, that day wouldn't affect you as much.
Stoicism offers a blueprint for living a rational, virtuous, and meaningful life. It pushes us to face challenges head-on, to develop self-awareness, and to live in harmony with the natural order. More than a philosophy, it’s a way of being that helps us navigate life with clarity and purpose.
I encourage everyone to read Pigliucci's book. It offers great explanations of many more Stoic concepts that I could never explain as well as him.