Stoicism and how to adapt this philosophy in modern life

In a world full of chaos, we continuously look for happiness & security outside to fill the hole of emptiness inside us and to cover our vulnerabilities. For our whole life we strive towards acquiring wealth, working for success, gaining power and fame only in the hope that one day we will find the answers to this endless pursuit. But what if I told you that answer that we are looking for in these external attributes can be found within by understanding the ancient principles of Stoicism and adapting it’s philosophy in our life.

What is Stoicism

Stoicism was a school of philosophy founded in Athens by Zeno of Citium in the early third century BC. The philosophy asserts that virtue is happiness, and it is our perceptions of things—rather than the things themselves that cause most of our trouble.

In this philosophy we accept that we can’t remove all the chaos around us. We learn that we can’t change the situation which is external but we can change our judgement towards it which is internal.

What are the basic 4 virtue of Stoicism

1. Wisdom : The ability to navigate complex situations in a logical, informed and calm manner
2. Courage : Facing daily challenges with clarity and integrity
3. Temperance : The exercise of moderation and self-restraint in all aspects of life
4. Justice : Treating others with fairness even when they have done wrong

What Stoicism is not

• Even though the focus is on self-improvement, it is not a self-centered philosophy
• Stoicism does not mean being passive. The idea is that only those who have gained virtue and self-discipline can bring change in others

3 disciplines of Stoicism

1. The Discipline of Perception: It trains us to see how we perceive the world around us. It help us to find mental clarity
2. The Discipline of Action: It help us to take effective and just decisions
3. The Discipline of Will: It stresses on how we deal with inevitable and ultimately realize our purpose and place in this world

My journey with Stoicism

I wanted to read some book about to understand the basic principles of Stoicism. So, while researching for it I can across this book The Daily Stoic: 366 Meditations on Wisdom, Perseverance, and the Art of Living by Ryan Holiday. This book covers 366 principles, one for each day of the year, to read, to meditate and to adapt in our life. I plan to go through these principles, 1 each day and share my thoughts over here. I would love to have an active discussions in the comment and to grow together.

Edit: I mentioned in the post that I will post one principle a day but some of the principles are so deep that I need more time to internalize the philosophy and to find out ways to adapt it in our life. I don’t want to share half-baked ideas, so hold on with me. We might take longer than a year to finish this book but we will do it together.