Are there any Stoics here?

[ThorsBedazzler]

Does anyone else follow Stoicism here?

I'm an atheist, and happy with that. But having read Derren Brown's book "Happy" and read around stoicism, I've found a way of living that makes sense to me.

It has helped me focus less on other people, and more on what in m life i can control. I'm struggling at the moment with a run of unconnected but inconvenient events but have found it easier to bounce back because I've accepted that things happen, it isn't a cosmic plan against me, I'm not a victim.

I'm planning on reading Marcus Aurelius' Meditations (have read excerpts before) and Seneca too. It just seems a sensible way to approach life to me.

Anyone else?

I don't know if the book is the same as the daily email that some people get.

I have the book, but I just looked at this website

dailystoic.com

and some of it looks VERY different.

I found January a bit crap in the book. I read it all over about two weeks when I got it.

Thank you for the book recommendation. I am just reading a downloaded sample. I will definitely buy the book.
Talks self discipline being the key for getting things done, so might be worth a look @EmmaH2022

I'd start now. It doesn't really matter what order you read it in.

Thanks 👍

Well, I always accept that something might not happen, but no one is going to say "I will work on this marketing plan for shits and giggles". Maybe it's a semantics issue?

I think it’s more than semantics.

Stoicism is directly at odds with much of modern capitalism, and definitely the dark arts of advertising. It preaches detachment from outcomes, being satisfied with what you already have, seeking contentment from within. So totally the opposite of what marketing is trying to do.

Diogenes took it to an extreme but his lifestyle illustrates how detached from outcomes stoics should aim to be. Seneca put it “A wise man is content with his lot, whatever it may be, without wishing for what he has not.”.

Having said that, if your boss wants you to do something, he’s probably not going to accept your detachment from the outcomes that he is paying you to achieve 😂

I’ve often thought that’s the problem with a lot of self development, personal growth things: it’s great for you to learn, practice, benefit from but what happens when you come up against a boss / parent / partner who’s not onboard with this way of thinking ?!

though I guess the stoics has to deal with this too, dealing as they did with various insane ‘bosses’ like Nero (Seneca).

I think Nero would come very high on any list of "insane bosses"! I suppose also it might help on occasion if you were basically ruler of the known world, like Marcus, although he certainly had much to cope with for most of his reign.

One of the attractions of Stoicism for me is the complete focus on how we conduct ourselves. There is acceptance that the behaviour of others is outside our control and our power is in how we respond. That isn't always easy, but the writings acknowledge and reflect that I think, often through lived experience. I respect the way that it doesn't claim to be "a fix" for the ills and difficulties of life.

Am I misinterpreting posters or Stoicism?

I feel as if some posters are saying ambition and Stoicism are incompatible?

I work for myself but arguably clients are the boss.

I think the thing with Stoicism is that people generally take what they can use and discard the rest. Looking at who the original Stoics were, there was a lot of ambition and success there.
I like the link you shared @EmmaH2022 A useful resource, thanks.

I'm finding my reading about the philosophy useful as a way to be more confident about doing things I find uncomfortable, and to let go of things I can't do anything about. As such my life is more peaceful yet I'm achieving more. Have yet to look into it all a bit more.

It's all quite fascinating and I'm grateful to you for starting the thread @ThorsBedazzler

I think you’re right @Solosunrise , we all take what we want / find useful in old philosophies. For the old Stoics, it was their life: for us it’s usually fitted around family, work, etc - and in a very very different society / culture. it’s always going to be a case of picking the bits that have relevance to us individually and trying to apply them as best we can to our own lives. I’m not ambitious, so I haven’t gone looking for that in stoicism: doesn’t mean it isn’t there. And with a tendency to passivity- it’s easy to slip into that, for me.

I’ll tell you one bit of stoicism that I am truly crap at: detaching from my current physical environment. We are currently on holiday in a really hot place and it’s so hard! I lose all my stoic detachment when it’s 34 degrees outside and I have to go out!! I wouldn’t last long in a barrel (Diogenes) or in a prisoner of war camp in the jungle (James Stockdale).

If you like the idea of stoicism - Taoism is wonderful! More forgiving than stoicism and with more of a connection to nature/universe.

I've started listening to the Practical Stoicism podcast on Spotify and really liking it so far. Another man (am struggling to find female stoics- it would be good to hear some female perspective on it) but not a Stoic Bro.

I've gone right to the start and he is going through each of Marcus Aurelius' meditations so each episode is generally under 10 minutes long.

One that struck a chord was about focus, and how it can be easier to have a lot of different things going on at once because its easier than getting stuck in on the hard task. Which I am, ironically, avoiding now by posting this 😄

Thought I would share!

My mom basically raised us all with stoicism although she didn't have a name for it. I watch Ryan Hallidays daily stoic chanel on YouTube and have a copy of Marcus Aurelius book but haven't read it yet.

Is Stoicism unforgiving? I know nothing about it except for this thread and a coupleof videos I've watched as a resut of this thread. It doesn't sound unforgiving so I'm intrigued what the differences are.

I don't think it is unforgiving at all, forgiveness is encouraged, of self and others. Marcus, Seneca and Epictetus all wrote about it.

I'm a Stoic as best as I can be. I am convinced of it's continued relevance today, and love the emphasis on personal responsibility and acceptance of what we can control and what we cannot.

I listen to the Daily Stoic podcast, and have Meditations and other books related to Stoicism.

I love that CBT is based on Stoicism.

Forgiving in what sense? I find Stoicism to be deeply compassionate and accepting of people's flaws.

Sorry - last one. For the procrastinators, this is on my reading list:
www.amazon.co.uk/Four-Thousand-Weeks-Embrace-limits/dp/1784704008/ref=asc_df_1784704008/?tag=googshopuk-21&linkCode=df0&hvadid=501124540243&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=6651494526187353562&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9046560&hvtargid=pla-1321855364802&psc=1&th=1&psc=1

Oliver Burkeman is great. I recommend The Antidote: Happiness for people who can't stand positive thinking as well.

I love that CBT is based on Stoicism.

Yes, me too! As I said upthread, my dad was a CPN for years and used a lot of CBT with his clients - and he's very much a stoic (though he doesn't know it!).

I didn't know about CBT! Wonderful to know about something that has helped so many.

Oh aye. Makes perfect sense, really.
medium.com/stoicism-philosophy-as-a-way-of-life/stoic-philosophy-as-a-cognitive-behavioral-therapy-597fbeba786a

I'm a polytheist but during the pandemic I had friends who were classical Stoics and they really impressed me with how they dealt with it. They did all the practical things to ensure their health and then carried on. No agonizing about things they couldn't control.
They were productive at home/work and didn't have meltdowns, rather they were pragmatic-serene..
I'm looking into it now...

I'm aiming for pragmatic-serene @QueenHippolyta I was pretty much like your friends during lockdown.
I love the philosophy.
I've become more productive since embracing the philosophy.

I'm finding it easier to pull myself out of self pitying thoughts these days - asking myself why not me instead of why me? If something hasn't gone the way I wanted it to, or if something is currently a bit of a struggle (blinking house selling), then why am I asking "why me"? Why not me? There's nothing special about me that means life should always be buttercups and roses, of course I'm going to have more difficult times, everyone does.

I'm not more likely to have good times or more likely to have bad times. Stuff happens - or doesn't happen. So just deal with the stuff, no need to feel sorry for myself if it's happening.

No idea if that makes sense, but ot is definitely giving me more perspective on life.