Thread by @culturaltutor

How to be a Stoic:

(and why you can't actually be one)

Stoicism has seen a resurgence in popularity in the 21st century. It is the latest interpretation of an ancient philosophy.

Why is an interesting but different question.

Here we'll explore what Stoicism is, philosophically, and how to put that into practice.

It's important to note that Stoicism doesn't refer to a loose collection of ideas.

Rather, it was founded in the early years of the 3rd century BC by Zeno of Citium as a self-defined, conscious movement.

So, what is Stoicism?

"Virtue is the only good."

That statement is the foundation of Stoic philosophy, the idea upon which all the rest is built.

For a Stoic, the only route to a fulfilling life is virtuous action - doing the right thing.

By fulfilling I mean a life which is deeply meaningful and worthwhile. You could use the word happiness instead, but that doesn't carry the same weight.

I'm not going to explore the Four Cardinal Virtues of Stoicism (wisdom, courage, justice, temperance) because that is a long and separate discussion.

For now let's say that "virtuous action" refers to doing what you deeply believe is the "right thing."

According to Stoicism, material conditions are neither good nor bad. They just are.

Therefore factors like physical health, social status, income, and possessions do not affect whether your life is good or bad.

Because they have no relation to virtue.

So even if you're ill, this wouldn't make your life worse.

Because whether your life is good or bad depends ONLY on whether you are living virtuously.

Illness, or physical pain, has nothing to do with virtue, therefore it can have no impact on how fulfilling your life is.

And, importantly, Stoicism maintains that you should only focus on what YOU can control.

If you can control it, you can make a decision. And if you can make a decision, you can make a virtuous one.

But if you can't control it, there is no decision, and no virtue involved.

And therefore it can neither make your life better nor worse.

The beauty of this is that it means only that which you can control can have any impact on whether your life is a good one or a bad one.

The culmination of this philosophy is that Stoicism makes you - as an individual - a fortress. External factors cannot influence you.

The only thing that defines your life is the decisions you make.

As Cicero said, "only the wise are rich" and "all fools are slaves."

A Stoic can have a meaningful life whether they are an Emperor or a beggar.

Whereas those who place value on the material world, even if they are wealthy & healthy, cannot.

Because their happiness depends on specific, changing material conditions. The Stoic is self-contented.

But it is crucial to understand that Stoicism is not about distancing yourself from the world.

The conclusion of Stoic philosophy is not "just don't do anything."

Rather, Stoicism is a *way* of doing things. It is a manner of engaging with the world.

Stoicism isn't about not needing friends, for example.

It's about being able to bear the loss or lack of friends in the best way.

It isn't about not falling in love.

It's about remaining self-fulfilled even after that love has ended, whether in heartbreak or grief.

Now here's the really important part: Stoicism emphasises action.

As Marcus Aurelius said in his Meditations: "No more roundabout discussion of what makes a good man. Be one!"

He was urging himself to take action rather than simply thinking and writing about it.

Stoicism isn't just about subscribing to a set of ideals or believing the world works in a certain fashion.

It's about *doing*. It's about living your life in a specific way.

And that's why I said you can't actually "be" a Stoic.

It's more than that.

You've got to *do* the Stoic thing. When life goes wrong - as it inevitably will - you need to deal with it according to the principles outlined above.

Grief, death, pain, failure...

You could say this is true of all philosophies. If you think the world works in a particular way, that may influence how you act.

But Stoicism is unusually emphatic about action. To *do* is baked into the fabric of the Stoic philosophy.

So how does one become a Stoic?

The easy answer is just: do all of the above. But that's hardly helpful.

And while we could explore the lives of famous Stoics throughout history, I think one example will suffice.

Seneca (4 BC - 65 AD) was a Stoic philosopher and personal tutor to the Emperor Nero, who is most famous for his Letters, which are a fascinating, influential, instructive account of the meaning of Stoicism.

But we're not going to talk about them.

Instead I want to talk about Seneca's death.

As the Emperor Nero grew older, his tyranny gradually worsened.

And, finally, after a conspiracy against his life in which Seneca was loosely implicated, Nero sentenced his old tutor to death.

The brilliant historian Tacitus wrote about this in his Annals, in the 1st century AD.

This is the moment when Seneca has been informed of the death sentence:

(Notice his composure while his friends are overcome with shock and sorrow)

And here, continued, Seneca urges calm reason rather than letting emotions take control.

He also reminds his friends not to forget their principles; to greet this calamity with firmness.

Even as Seneca was bleeding to death, in excruciating pain, he retained his composure.

It is a moving, harrowing, but inspiring passage.

Seneca wasn't a Stoic when he was writing his letters.

He was a Stoic when he embraced his death with equanimity.

It was the action - not just the thought, not just the belief on its own.

And this is why you cannot *be* a Stoic. You've got *do* it.