Some years ago I heard Tim Ferris comment on Stoicism, something about which he is passionate. It took long for that comment to germinate and grow in my mind into an interest in the subject. Just today I finished my first book on Stoicism and am curious if others are interested.
First thing is Stoicism (big S) is not stoicism (little s). Stoicism is a philosophy first aimed at developing virtue. And later, by the Romans who adopted it, Stoicism helped people ensure tranquility. Below are five thoughts on Stoicism, which I'm sure can help some.
1. You are the source of your own happiness. Millions of people worse off than you are happy. And millions of people with vastly more resources and opportunities are miserable. It is not your conditions but your mental state that determines happiness.
2. To get off the emotionally depressing treadmill of ambitions in this material world, learn to appreciate what you have and not obsess on what you do not. This can be done with a technique called negative visualization.
3. Learn to triage important events. Prioritize the events for which you have complete control (like reading). Do not give thought to events for which you have no control (tomorrow's stock market). And for events in your partial control, internalize your goals and work towards them, not the external outcome. For instance, commit to two hours of practice for a presentation instead of a certain response from the audience.
4. Think not of the past or even your current situation. They are beyond your control. But the future is yours to shape.
5. For life's upsetting moments--an insult, an argument, an inconsiderate partner--it is possible for reason to triumph over emotion. But it takes time, practice, and more techniques than I'll include in this summary.