The ancient Stoics themselves were no slouches. Each read, studied, quoted, or admired the Stoics. Certainly, many of history’s great minds not only understood Stoicism for what it truly is, they sought it out: George Washington, Walt Whitman, Frederick the Great, Eugène Delacroix, Adam Smith, Immanuel Kant, Thomas Jefferson, Matthew Arnold, Ambrose Bierce, Theodore Roosevelt, William Alexander Percy, Ralph Waldo Emerson. It would be hard to find a word that dealt a greater injustice at the hands of the English language than “Stoic.” In its rightful place, Stoicism is a tool in the pursuit of self-mastery, perseverance, and wisdom: something one uses to live a great life, rather than some esoteric field of academic inquiry. To the average person, this vibrant, action-oriented, and paradigm-shifting way of living has become shorthand for “emotionlessness.” Given the fact that the mere mention of philosophy makes most nervous or bored, “Stoic philosophy” on the surface sounds like the last thing anyone would want to learn about, let alone urgently need in the course of daily life. They contain some of the greatest wisdom in the history of the world and together, they constitute the bedrock of what is known as Stoicism-an ancient philosophy that was once one of the most popular civic disciplines in the West, practiced by the rich and the impoverished, the powerful and the struggling alike in the pursuit of the Good Life.Įxcept to the most avid seekers of wisdom, Stoicism is either unknown or misunderstood. Against all odds, some two millennia later, these incredible documents survive. The private diaries of one of Rome’s greatest emperors, the personal letters of one of Rome’s best playwrights and wisest power brokers, the lectures of a former slave and exile, turned influential teacher. All the harvest of the past is added to their store. Not satisfied to merely keep good watch over their own days, they annex every age to their own. “Of all people only those are at leisure who make time for philosophy, only they truly live. Memento Mori: Meditate On Your Mortality.How To Be A Stoic: 9 Stoic Exercises To Get You Started The Obstacle Is The Way by Ryan Holiday.The Daily Stoic by Ryan Holiday and Stephen Hanselman.Click the links below to navigate to a specific section or scroll and read the entirety of the page: So what is Stoicism? Who were the Stoics? How can you be a Stoic? We answer all your questions and more below. Frederick the Great, Montaigne, George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Adam Smith, John Stuart Mill, Theodore Roosevelt, General James Mattis, -just to name a few-were all influenced by Stoic philosophy. It has been practiced by Kings, presidents, artists, writers and entrepreneurs. Stoicism has been a common thread though some of history’s great leaders. It’s a philosophy designed to make us more resilient, happier, more virtuous and more wise–and as a result, better people, better parents and better professionals. For those of us who live our lives in the real world, there is one branch of philosophy created just for us: Stoicism.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |