I think there’s a modern misconception with what it takes to being a Stoic.

And who can blame them? There’s so many self-help gurus and books that explain Stoicism as a type of ‘emotionless’ trait that allows you to never be scared, worried, or anxious.

Frankly, I was in that same boat when I first discovered Stoicism. I thought it was the coolest thing to be stone cold and never feel your emotions. It wasn’t until I read Stoicism And The Art Of Happiness that I realized Stoicism isn’t about becoming numb to your feelings, rather, becoming more aware of them.

In it, Donald Robertson talks about how the Stoics aren’t insensitive. Rather, they experience emotions just like any other person. They get anxious, they feel afraid, they love and cry. But it’s the philosophy of Stoicism that teaches them to control it within moderation. To notice when a negative emotion is welling up inside of you and how to trap it before it traps you.

Because of that, they were taught to always be aware of how they were feeling. To not just sense their emotions, but to appreciate and accept it.

I think a lot of this misconception came from the philosophy of Epicureanism. Back before Stoicism made its debut nearly 2,000 years ago, Epicureanism was the hot philosophy at the time. It taught people how to live on simple pleasures and achieve tranquility by eliminating anxiety and fear.

The difference was that when the Zeno of Citium founded Stoicism, he wanted to create a philosophy that was for the common people. To teach something that anyone and everyone could practice. And this included not just throwing away your emotions and everything you hold dear, but accepting the life you have and acknowledging the emotions you feel. To not throw them away, but be bigger than them.

As Seneca said in his letters, “This is the difference between us Stoics and Epicureans; our wise man overcame every discomfort but felt it, theirs didn’t even feel it.”

So remember that the Stoics are not without feeling. That it doesn’t take a stone-cold heart to live a life free of anxiety or stress. It’s a philosophy that you can learn today and start using now. And not because it’ll make your life meaningless, rather, it’ll make you appreciate the meaning in everything.

Until next time,
Isaiah Taylor

Dive Deeper

What I’m Currently Reading - I just finished reading Money For Couples by Ramit Sethi and am now looking to read a fiction book as a temporary break from non-fiction.

Quote Of The Week - “Far better it is to dare mighty things, to win glorious triumphs, even though checkered by failure, than to take rank with those poor spirits who neither enjoy much nor suffer much, because they live in the gray twilight that knows neither victory nor defeat.” — Theodore Roosevelt