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Use Stoic Philosophy to Achieve Total Joy and Untroubling Equanimity

Jason Cooper — Mon, 10 May 2010 08:05:05 +0000

Zeno of Citium was the founder of the Stoic school of philosophy

Let Stoicism be my Calming Influence Amid a Troubled World

This rather lengthy post (so get your printer ready) is about a branch of philosophy which is close to my heart and mind, and is what I have applied practically to my life with positive results thus far – namely the philosophy of Stoicism.

For example, certain people who have been in my presence (especially at my workplace), seem to think that I don’t have a care in the world. They usually mention to me that judging by my demeanor I seem completely at ease and stress-free, despite others around me being totally anxiety-ridden and suffering from panic attacks whenever there is a slight (and I mean slight) sign of trouble in the air.

Don’t get me wrong, I too can suffer from stress and anxiety like the next person, and admittedly, can also be most impatient in certain situations and with people – this obviously, can lead up to me becoming angry which, I know, can be detrimental to my health and character. Yes, I have a few faults which I hope to address by using stoic techniques, which is up to now, helping to improve my temperament. Obviously, there are times when I do slip into error, but I’m not going to punish myself over the odd indiscretion – I am only human after all.

Stoicism, however, has so far taught me many valuable lessons in learning to be aware of myself and to withdraw into my inner kingdom whenever apparent difficulties or irritations threaten to disturb my mind and mood.

Now my attitude is: why have anxiety over something that is not in my power and control? The only thing I have power over is myself and how I choose to deal with these external influences – and that choice is to remain joyful and tranquil despite all hell breaking loose.

Yes I know. Much easier said than done in this most provocative and anxiety-ridden of worlds – but not impossible.

How can I hope to Achieve Happiness in Life?

For me, attaining peace of mind, equanimity and contentment ranks very highly on my list of things to achieve in my life. We have been conditioned to believe (by a mostly capitalistic society) that one will be happy if they attained: a high position in life; many luxurious possessions; a huge amount of wealth.

However, none of the much sought-after aforementioned superficialities can ever stave away the troubles of the mind and the negative emotions that can make a person’s existence a miserable one. By me embracing the stoic principles in my daily life, I have found that it has helped me immensely to become more patient (although, on some days I can be very close to losing it), healthier in mind, and powerful in spirit.

Hopefully, the practical wisdom of stoicism that I now share with you, can help to bring you both equanimity and joy whilst improving every facet of yourselves and lives.

Who were the major Stoic Philosophers?

The major practitioners of stoic philosophy were:

What major Stoic Writings are Available to read?

Come now and allow your minds to drink from “The Well” of stoic wisdom written by great ancient philosophers, so that you may then apply what you have learned and become masters of yourselves in the present.

I highly recommend the following books of Stoic wisdom:

Letters from a Stoic

by Seneca
Description: A philosophy that saw self-possession as the key to an existence lived ‘in accordance with nature’, Stoicism called for the restraint of animal instincts and the severing of emotional ties.

These beliefs were formulated by the Athenian followers of Zeno in the fourth century BC, but it was in Seneca (c. 4 BC– AD 65) that the Stoics found their most eloquent advocate. Stoicism, as expressed in the Letters, helped ease pagan Rome’s transition to Christianity, for it upholds upright ethical ideals and extols virtuous living, as well as expressing disgust for the harsh treatment of slaves and the inhumane slaughters witnessed in the Roman arenas.

Essays

by Plutarch
Description: One of the greatest essayists of the Graeco-Roman world, Plutarch (c. AD 46 -120) used an encyclopedic knowledge of the Roman Empire to produce a compelling and individual voice.

In this superb selection from his writings, he offers personal insights into moral subjects that include the virtue of listening, the danger of flattery and the avoidance of anger, alongside more speculative essays on themes as diverse as God’s slowness to punish man, the use of reason by supposedly ‘irrational’ animals and the death of his own daughter.

Discourses and Selected Writings

by Epictetus
Description: Epictetus, a Greek stoic and freed slave, ran a thriving philosophy school in Nicropolis in the early second century AD. His animated discussions were celebrated for their rhetorical wizardry and were written down by Arrian, his most famous pupil.

Together with the Enchiridion, a manual of his main ideas, and the fragments collected here, The Discourses argue that happiness lies in learning to perceive exactly what is in our power to change and what is not, and in embracing our fate to live in harmony with god and nature.

Meditations

by Marcus Aurelius
Description: Written in Greek by an intellectual Roman emperor without any intention of publication, the Meditations of Marcus Aurelius (AD 121-180) offer a wide range of fascinating spiritual reflections and exercises developed as the leader struggled to understand himself and make sense of the universe.

Spanning from doubt and despair to conviction and exaltation, they cover such diverse topics as the question of virtue, human rationality, the nature of the gods and Aurelius’s own emotions.

How can Stoic Philosophy help you in life?

The following definition perfectly describes what it means to be a Stoic who studies the wise art of living and applies it to themselves:

‘It teaches self-control and an indifference to pain or pleasure while advocating a staunch detachment from emotions. This allows one to be clear thinking, levelheaded and unbiased. In practice it is designed to empower an individual with virtue and strength and to give an individual the ability to readily refuse corruption, temptation, and help those who are in need. Stoicism also teaches independence, or more specifically, independence from society, regarding it as a chaotic and unruly entity that should be guarded against. Virtue, reason and natural law are prime directives. By mastering passions and emotions, it is possible to overcome the discord of the outside world and find peace within oneself.’

~ Hellenica website (http://www.mlahanas.de/)

As you can see, if you can manage to put the practical teachings of stoicism to good use, it can free your minds and help you to live a more peaceful and productive life, instead of being imprisoned by error of judgement, irrational fears, or self-imposed anxieties.

The many beneficial things that Stoic Philosophy can provide for us are:

making one be aware of, and concentrate on, their own daily conduct, which helps to improve character and moral behavior
producing calm indifference in the face of pain and difficulty
having non-attachment and independence from superficial attainments, family and friends
fearlessness of death and the loss of anything you may have acquired in life
attaining peace of mind and total contentment with what you presently have in life, no matter how little
learning self-mastery over all negative emotions, as well as encouraging the use of reason so to make the right decisions in important matters
encouraging one to become good of character and to pursue wisdom, truth and virtue always
developing endurance and self-restraint in terms of dealing with pain, adversity, or being able to refrain from over-indulgence or temptations
teaching one to live with humility, frugality, moderation, patience and simplicity – all this without complaint

Stoic Quotations

Zeno of Citium:

“Fate is the endless chain of causation, whereby things are; the reason or formula by which the world goes on.”
“No evil is honorable: but death is honorable; therefore death is not evil.”
“Wellbeing is attained by little and little, and nevertheless is no little thing itself.”

Seneca:

“The point is, not how long you live, but how nobly you live.”
“That which Fortune has not given, she cannot take away.”
“Let Nature deal with matter, which is her own, as she pleases; let us be cheerful and brave in the face of everything, reflecting that it is nothing of our own that perishes.”
“The soul should know whither it is going and whence it came, what is good for it and what is evil, what it seeks and what it avoids, and what is that Reason which distinguishes between the desirable and the undesirable, and thereby tames the madness of our desires and calms the violence of our fears.”

Dio Chrysostom:

“If my purpose on this occasion were to speak in behalf of concord, I should have a great deal to say, not only about human experiences but celestial also, to the effect that these divine and grand creations, as it happens, require concord and friendship; otherwise there is danger of ruin and destruction for this beautiful work of the creator, the universe.”

Plutarch:

“The mind is not a vessel to be filled but a fire to be kindled. “
“Know how to listen, and you will profit even from those who talk badly.”
“I don’t need a friend who changes when I change and who nods when I nod; my shadow does that much better.”
“Silence at the proper season is wisdom, and better than any speech.”

Epictetus:

“If a man would pursue Philosophy, his first task is to throw away conceit. For it is impossible for a man to begin to learn what he has a conceit that he already knows.”
“When I see a man in a state of anxiety, I say, What can this man want? If he did not want something which is not in his power, how could he still be anxious?”
“Nothing outside the will can hinder or harm the will; it can only harm itself. If then we accept this, and, when things go amiss, are inclined to blame ourselves, remembering that judgment alone can disturb our peace and constancy, I swear to you by all the gods that we have made progress.”
“No man is free who is not master of himself.”
“If, therefore, any be unhappy, let him remember that he is unhappy by reason of himself alone.”
“He is a wise man who does not grieve for the things which he has not, but rejoices for those which he has.”

Marcus Aurelius:

“Say to yourself in the early morning: I shall meet today ungrateful, violent, treacherous, envious, uncharitable men. All of these things have come upon them through ignorance of real good and ill… I can neither be harmed by any of them, for no man will involve me in wrong, nor can I be angry with my kinsman or hate him; for we have come into the world to work together…”
“If you are distressed by any external thing, it is not this thing which disturbs you, but your own judgment about it. And it is in your power to wipe out that judgment now.”
“If you work at that which is before you, following right reason seriously, vigorously, calmly, without allowing anything else to distract you, but keeping your divine part pure, as if you were bound to give it back immediately; if you hold to this, expecting nothing, but satisfied to live now according to nature, speaking heroic truth in every word which you utter, you will live happy. And there is no man able to prevent this.”
“The mind in itself wants nothing, unless it creates a want for itself; therefore it is both free from perturbation and unimpeded, if it does not perturb and impede itself.”

10 Wise Precepts to Adopt Towards Maturity of Mind

Jason Cooper — Sat, 10 Apr 2010 19:46:16 +0000

Is this man actually mature despite looking like he should be put in a museum?

The following precepts of wisdom that I am about to share with you was devised by fellow Blogger ThoughtBubble of Rooms for the Soul blog. These 10 Commandments for the 21st Century should, I feel, be adopted by everyone who wishes to mature in mind and live a fuller life:

“Signs of maturity:
1. A desire to explore a point rather than make or prove it
2. A tendency not to take things personally
3. A refusal to be judgmental
4. A willingness to admit “I don’t know”
5. An acceptance of people and things as they are rather than demand that they conform to one’s expectations, needs and beliefs
6. A realization that one’s happiness is entirely self and not other-determined
7. An ability to enjoy all the colors of the rainbow rather than be confined to the extreme positions of black and white, right and wrong
8. A readiness to honor every being as an equal and unique expression of the one, universal source
9. The ability and willingness to have as much fun as possible
10. The ability to live a life of gentle, humorous self-enquiry which often means self-acceptance, self-realization and self-liberation”

This wonderful list was a comment left by ThoughtBubble at the Blogcatelog discussion forum in reponse to the question: ‘What does maturity mean to you?’, which was asked by another of my friends, NothingProfound of Out Of Context: pieces of a life blog.

The lesson here is: just because one is of advanced age or has so-called experience does not automatically qualify them as being actually mature or possessing wisdom.

True maturity comes from within, which should then prompt the mind to instigate wise actions towards living a life filled with integrity and joy. If you want to be of good character who has a mind that permeates with maturity – be it now.

Timelessness is the key to your salvation.

Well, what does maturity mean to you? I would love to hear your own thoughts.

Enlightening Wisdom of Peace to Dispel the Darkness of a Conflict-Ridden World

Jason Cooper — Tue, 16 Mar 2010 09:42:00 +0000

Inspirational Words from Two Men of Wisdom and Peace

Two courageous and wise men.

Two great minds with a vision to overcome racial bigotry, social divisions and worldwide conflict.

Their ultimate goal was to unite all people of different race, religion and nationality.

They sought to inspire millions to turn their backs on ignorance and war, and to instead, walk towards “the promised land” of wisdom and non-violent protest.

They enlightened the world with their insights into Man’s problem with conflict and his continuing folly towards self-destruction.

Both became martyrs for peace when they were violently struck down by an assassin’s bullet.

Unfortunately, despite their noble efforts before their passing, the world, as of today, still remains tightly gripped by the Dark Spectres of ignorance and violence.

As these two great human beings continue to turn in their graves, this post will hope to both provoke our conscience and elevate our consciousness with their resonant message to us all.

Let us now remember their pacifistic efforts and learn a very important lesson, which is to improve ourselves with wisdom towards a peaceful existence and unity so that we can make this a better world for future generations to come.

The two men in question, if you didn’t know by now, were Mohandas Gandhi (1969-1948) and Martin Luther King, Jr. (1929-1968).

Martin Luther King, Jr

Watch King’s Powerful and Inspirational “I have a Dream” Speech:

Watch King’s Prophetic and Emotional “Last Speech” Before His Tragic Death:

Mohandas Gandhi

Watch Gandhi’s Famous “One World” Speech Given in London 1931:

Watch The Impact Gandhi Made on the World:

Quotes of Wisdom and Peace

“Always aim at complete harmony of thought and word and deed. Always aim at purifying your thoughts and everything will be well.”

~ Gandhi

“Hatred paralyzes life; love releases it. Hatred confuses life; love harmonizes it. Hatred darkens life; love illuminates it.”

~ Martin Luther King

“I object to violence because when it appears to do good, the good is only temporary; the evil it does is permanent.”

~ Gandhi

“I believe that unarmed truth and unconditional love will have the final word in reality. That is why right, temporarily defeated, is stronger than evil triumphant.”

~ Martin Luther King

“It is unwise to be too sure of one’s own wisdom. It is healthy to be reminded that the strongest might weaken and the wisest might err.”

~Gandhi

“The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy.”

~ Martin Luther King

“Strength does not come from physical capacity. It comes from an indomitable will.”

~ Gandhi

“Like an unchecked cancer, hate corrodes the personality and eats away its vital unity. Hate destroys a man’s sense of values and his objectivity. It causes him to describe the beautiful as ugly and the ugly as beautiful, and to confuse the true with the false and the false with the true.”

~ Martin Luther King

“When I despair, I remember that all through history the ways of truth and love have always won. There have been tyrants, and murderers, and for a time they can seem invincible, but in the end they always fall. Think of it–always.”

~ Gandhi

“Man must evolve for all human conflict a method which rejects revenge, aggression and retaliation. The foundation of such a method is love.”

~ Martin Luther King

“You must be the change you want to see in the world.”

~ Gandhi

“Returning violence for violence multiplies violence, adding deeper darkness to a night already devoid of stars… Hate cannot drive out hate: only love can do that.”

~ Martin Luther King

“You must not lose faith in humanity. Humanity is an ocean; if a few drops of the ocean are dirty, the ocean does not become dirty.”

~ Gandhi

“Segregation is the adultery of an illicit intercourse between injustice and immorality.”

~ Martin Luther King

“What difference does it make to the dead, the orphans and the homeless, whether the mad destruction is wrought under the name of totalitarianism or the holy name of liberty or democracy?”

~ Gandhi

“Ten thousand fools proclaim themselves into obscurity, while one wise man forgets himself into immortality.”

~ Martin Luther King

“Victory attained by violence is tantamount to a defeat, for it is momentary.”

~ Gandhi

“Nonviolence is the answer to the crucial political and moral questions of our time; the need for mankind to overcome oppression and violence without resorting to oppression and violence. Mankind must evolve for all human conflict a method which rejects revenge, aggression, and retaliation. The foundation of such a method is love.”

~ Martin Luther King

“An eye for an eye makes the whole world blind.”

~ Gandhi

“Nothing in all the world is more dangerous than sincere ignorance and conscientious stupidity.”

~ Martin Luther King

Quotes of Wisdom from the Stoics of Antiquity

Jason Cooper — Thu, 25 Feb 2010 09:27:17 +0000

Here I bring you once again 3 of the greatest Stoic philosophers of ancient times.

Watch the following video of wise quotations from my personal favourites, Marcus Aurelius, Epictetus and Seneca:

Inspirational Quotes of Wisdom from the Minds of Wise Men

Jason Cooper — Sun, 10 Jan 2010 11:45:21 +0000

The following video contains some inspirational wisdom to reflect upon, so that with application you can change your life for the better.

I would just like to warn you men out there to restrain your lust and try not to get too distracted by the rather attractive female reciting the quotes, or you will miss something of greater value than just satisfying your desires.

If you are a man who is easily distracted by the opposite sex I recommend you to close your eyes and let your ears absorb the enlightening words for your mind and soul…just don’t fall in love with her seductive voice like I did.

A Quote of Wisdom to Orchestrate Your Life By

Jason Cooper — Mon, 04 Jan 2010 10:16:09 +0000

“To live content with small means; to seek elegance rather than luxury, and refinement rather than fashion; to be worthy, not respectable, and wealthy, not, rich; to listen to stars and birds, babes and sages, with open heart; to study hard; to think quietly, act frankly, talk gently, await occasions, hurry never; in a word, to let the spiritual, unbidden and unconscious, grow up through the common – this is my symphony.”

~ William Henry Channing

What more can be said after that wise advice to living except for it’s like listening to beautiful music which moves both the mind and soul.

Truly wonderful quote to begin the new year!

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