A Blueprint for the Modern Stoic

Stoicism dates back to the earliest days of Western Philosophy. Despite Stoicism falling out of favour as a philosophy unto itself a few hundred years after its inception, as a result of the explosion of Christianity, the values it espouses have been present throughout history. It has seen multiple resurgences throughout the ages, first in the Renaissance Period, then again in modern times.

The central goal of a practitioner of Stoicism is to reach a state of "eudaimonia", meaning "wellbeing". In order to do this, one must "live in agreement of nature". In one sense, this is a reflection of the belief, which prevailed at the time, that the universe is deterministic; that events follow a prescribed path. It is therefore crucial to accept things as they happen; in a world where everything that happens was always destined to happen, it is pointless to attempt to fight it. This is a key concept in Stoicism, and one which still holds up today. Whether or not one believes in a deterministic universe, one must recognise that there are certain things beyond their control. One must therefore seek to control what they can: their actions, their thoughts, their reactions. In another sense, "living in agreement with nature" can be taken more literally. We, by our nature, thrive when we are properly nourished, when we exercise regularly, and when we get regular sleep; taking care of one's own natural needs is a cornerstone of virtuous living. Also, to the Stoics, the defining characteristic of human beings is being able to reason. To live according to our nature, therefore, is to hone that ability which is unique to us. We must use reason as the foundation for all that we do.

The Stoics believed in a "Universal Reason". This is closely tied to the idea of a deterministic universe. By attuning ourselves to our nature, practicing the reason only we as human beings can, we come closer to understanding this "Universal" reason. In order to do this, we must first shed our egocentric individualism, working instead to unite ourselves with the cosmos. In other words, we must find our place within the broader universe, instead of placing ourselves at the centre of our own narrow worlds. The way to do this, according to the Stoics was through the practice of the "Four Cardinal Virtues". These are: courage, temperance, justice, and wisdom. The aim is to develop these skills whenever an opportunity presents itself to do so, as well as practicing exercises to develop them in isolation.

There are many facets to Courage, and many ways to develop it. The obvious comes to mind: remaining steadfast and acting selflessly in the face of danger, but in the modern day, few of us are presented with life-threatening situations on a regular basis. Instead, we must look to other forms of Courage. It can be helpful to consider whether not doing something would be indicative of Cowardice, the opposite of Courage. Cowardice is characterised by fear of potential consequences to the self. This could mean fearing getting into trouble because of standing up to a boss at work, or being spurned by a partner as a result of attempting to set boundaries within the relationship, or being mocked for trying your hand at a creative pursuit. I have struggled with all of these fears. The key is to let go of that individualism we discussed before, and to accept the consequences of holding to an ideal rather than self-preservation. Another way is to try new things, open yourself up to new experiences. In a world where all of our wants can be satisfied with the presses of a few buttons, it is easy to fall into patterns, to exist entirely within a comfort zone. Seeking out novelty is the remedy to this, and it has the added benefit of expanding our world views, broadening our minds and bringing us ever closer to that "Universal Reason".

Temperance is about moderation, avoiding taking things to extremes. It can be developed through discipline. Discipline can refer to commitment, self control, and restraint. Many, myself included, practice discipline by means of a strict routine. This can include: waking up early, meditating, exercising, eating consistently, and cold showers. Waking up early is crucial to me because the mornings are the time when we have the most energy, so it is far easier to do everything I want to if I allot a time to do it before I start work; by the time the evening comes around, it's anybody's guess whether I would actually pull through and do it. Waking up early paradoxically affords me more time in the evening for leisure, or pursuing hobbies. Meditation is a microcosm of practicing discipline. The cue most people follow when meditating is to focus on the breath. When the mind inevitably begins to wander, bringing the attention back to the breath enforces control over the mind. This is discipline in action. Regular exercise is hugely beneficial. I covered this in more detail in a previous post, so I won't go into too much depth here, but it's worth noting that age-old adage that "a healthy mind lives in a healthy body". Likewise, I have previously gone into detail concerning the importance of nutrition, but I will highlight that to nourish the body effectively allows one to operate at their best. I recently discovered that I need to eat a lot more than I previously thought. Since beginning to eat properly, I have noticed having more energy, maintaining a better mood, and being able to exert far more strength in my workouts as a result. Finally, cold showers. I detest stepping into a cold shower, but the benefits of cold exposure are too enticing to ignore. After the first few seconds of shock, I get used to the cold and am able to stay in without too much trouble, but that initial act of stepping in requires me to grit my teeth and bear it. This is a great way to develop discipline. There is also the element of self-control to consider. Avoiding alcohol and caffeine requires resistance to temptation, but I have found that it allows me to remain consistent far longer. This ties in to the core aim of Stoicism, as altering your mental state is not very in-keeping with nature. For anyone who does choose to consume alcohol or caffeine, it is still possible to practice Temperance, namely by consuming them in moderation.

Justice might seem like a strange virtue to include, surely being limited to judges and medieval kings, but it was considered by Marcus Aurelius to be the most important of the four, and a broader interpretation of the word gives it its place in Stoicism. Justice refers to: doing the right thing, treating people equally, and honesty. Doing the right thing can be understood as adhering to the social contract. Don't murder, steal, or harm others, be courteous and friendly, and you will be practicing justice. Equality is an important concept in Stoicism, the emphasis being on treating others as you would yourself. The early Stoics even acknowledged that slaves were human beings too, equally deserving of respect and dignity. (It should be pointed out that they weren't against slavery as an institution; some notable Stoics, such as Seneca the Younger, even owned slaves). With regards to honesty, it can refer to the surface-level interpretation of not deceiving people, which ties in nicely with the previous aspect of justice regarding social conduct, or, more importantly, honesty to oneself. This can be trained by means of meditation, self-reflection, journaling, or by seeking an outside perspective. We are all our own worst critic, after all, and sometimes it takes a bit of encouragement from a friend or family member to remind ourselves that we're not all that bad.

The final virtue is Wisdom. Wisdom can be seen as the culmination of experience. It is not something anyone is born with, but rather something attained by striving towards it. Wisdom is characterised by: the ability to distinguish good and bad, humility, wit, and critical thinking. It is developed in conjunction with the other three Virtues. By practicing Justice, one hones their ability to separate good from bad, right from wrong, signal from noise. By practicing Temperance, one learns to manage their own perception of themselves. Though Courage, one's mind is broadened, opening to new possibilities and different perspectives. Zeno himself, the founder of Stoicism as we understand it, once remarked that we have two ears and one mouth, and we should use them in proportion. The same applies to the number of eyes we have. The wise man, therefore, listens and observes before speaking. This is something many of us would do well to consider more often.

It may be worthwhile to note that there is a difference between "Stoic" and "stoic". When capitalised, it refers to subscribing to the teachings of the philosophy; when not, it describes someone who does not show emotion or complain. Although they bear a lot of resemblance to one another, there is a slight nuance that sets them apart. The latter has taken on certain connotations, namely of repression of emotion. This brings with it the implication that someone who is "stoic" may be emotionally unavailable or stunted. This contrasts with the philosophy itself, which emphasises honesty; those who are honest with themselves are usually less emotionally handicapped than those who are not. The key is to exhibit appropriate emotional responses.

Stoicism has stood the test of time for a reason. Some of the teachings of the philosophy may have outdated elements, but there is still much applicability to be found and brought into the modern day.