Hey everyone! I've had an interest in philosophy - and more specifically Stoic philosophy - for several years now. My first exposure to Stoic philosophy was through the Tim Ferriss Podcast (he mentions it regularly and is a big proponent of it!).
As many of you know, I took a trip to California recently. Traveling isn't something that I do regularly (though I definitely want need to do it more often!) and I had a lot of different experiences and time to think while I was embarking on this "mini-journey".
One of the insights I had was that I ought to get back to reading, listening and thinking about Stoicism. There are many misconceptions about Stoicism and many people think that those who practice Stoicism are emotion-less drones who hate life. That's entirely untrue and - in my opinion - the reality is the exact opposite. As William Irvine will mention in the introduction of the book, Stoics are people who have
“realized that a life plagued with negative emotions—including anger, anxiety, fear, grief, and envy—will not be a good life."
Current Book & Quotes From: A Guide to the Good Life: The Ancient Art of Stoic Joy by William Irvine
"What do you want out of life?"
The book begins with a seemingly ordinary question, but how much thought have you really given to your "grand goal in living?" William Irvine makes it clear that he's not just asking you to talk about your goals that are formed from your career, finances, or daily activities. He's asking about the bigger picture - what will you strive to achieve throughout your entire life, that you hold most dear?
I love the way that he rephrases the question, take a stab at this (note: it's also the QOTD, so don't forget to leave your answer in the comments!):
“In other words, of the things in life you might pursue, which is the thing you believe to be most valuable?”
What Stoicism is Really About:
As I mentioned earlier, there are a lot of misconceptions about Stoicism and William Irvine does a brilliant job of dispelling those criticisms while also providing a beginner's path to learning about Stoicism.
Something that I've been working on since learning about Stoicism is the practice of controlling my emotions. I'm confident that 99% of people in this world have a tough time controlling their emotions - especially when it comes to feeling negative emotions such as anger, fear, anxiety or grief.
I believe that it's important to feel and understand these emotions because if you don't know what it's like to feel sad, then you won't know what it's like to feel happy. Stoicism can give us the tools to not completely rid our lives of negative emotions, but rather, take control over how we feel about the things that happen to us and for us on a daily basis.
“They went on to develop techniques for preventing the onset of negative emotions and for extinguishing them when attempts at prevention failed. Even those readers who are leery of philosophical speculation should take an interest in these techniques. Who among us, after all, would not like to reduce the number of negative emotions experienced in daily living?”
Stoicism is Practical
In the introduction, Irvine also talks about philosophy departments at various schools and how the "practice" of philosophy has become less of a practice and more of a theoretical "in the clouds" type endeavor. Stoicism differs greatly because it gives us practical tools and techniques for living a better life.
I'd like to also note that "practicing Stoicism" can happen at so many different levels. Don't be turned off by the idea of practicing a philosophy - just take it 1 step at a time and learn the fundamentals. Knowing more about Stoicism won't hurt you and it won't affect your life (unless you want it to). Some people may want to be Stoic for 10 minutes a day - when something bad happens and they need to flip that switch. Some people may want to be Stoic when it comes to their diet and health. Some may want to just learn about it out of curiosity, but never put these tools into practice.
All of these approaches are ok and I think the world would just be a much better place if everyone was educated about these ideas for living a good life. Over the next week or so I'll be bringing you along as I read through this phenomenal book, I hope you enjoy it as much as I do!
Here's the Question of The Day, don't forget to post your answers in the comments!
What is your grand goal in living? - "Of the things in life you might pursue, which is the thing you believe to be most valuable?"
Thanks for reading! Don't forget to leave your thoughts below and I look forward to seeing you in the comments!
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