Stoicism gives importance to 4 cardinal virtues and that every person should possess those qualities. They are
- Wisdom
- Tolerance
- Justice
- Courage
1) Wisdom: It is the ability to make the right or logical decision at any point of time or at any situation. Wisdom refers not just to knowledge but the practical application of knowledge on real life situation. Knowledge is knowing the principles of stoicism and wisdom is applying stoicism in real life situation.
2) Tolerance:A person should not be swayed too much by his emotions. But we shouldn't suppress our emotions either. We are human, it's natural to have emotions. But we should make sure we are not blinded by anger or grief. There are moments where we feel like shouting at our friends or parents; but what good is it. It will only escalate the problem into new levels. What you can do is not to loose cool and use logic and try to resolve the issue. Then be kind enough to forgive. Having the heart to forgive your loved ones is also a devine quality.
3) Justice: It's more of a social quality. We should be just to the people around us. We should support the people who are less fortunate. We shouldn't harm the poor and the needy. There are thousands of people dying of hunger; that is not just. Meanwhile we are wasting food in large quantities.
4) Courage: We should be brave to face what fate throws at us. Adversities will come but we should have the strength to overcome all those. We all know that the world is not perfect and then it's for sure that bad things can happen. That's is just how the world works. But we should cultivate the courage to face them and we should improve ourselves to have the qualities to solve all the problems that may arise. Once we resolve the issues, surely we will have a peaceful time.