The Stoic Way of life

Stoicism is a philosophy that has its roots in Ancient Greece and Rome. Famous Stoic Philosophers like Seneca, Epictetus and Marcus Aurelius have contributed in the formation of stoic philosophy. This is a Guide on how we can integrate this philosophy in our daily life.

Teachings of The Stoics-

1.       Dichotomy of Control – Most of the suffering is caused when a person tries to control the uncontrollable. You cannot force someone to like or love you. You cannot control the external events. Once you get this concept life becomes easy. The only thing that you can control is your own mind. Your perceptions of the events.

2.       Memento Mori – ‘You could leave life right now. Let  that determine what you do and say and think’ – Marcus Aurelius 

Remember you must die. Stoics urge us to remember our mortality.  We must not get sad by this but to live a life of purpose and meaning.

3.       Amor Fati translates to  ‘Love of Fate’ stoics wants you to accept and embrace everything that happens and is going to happen. Change is the only constant. We should not fear change. We have to change how we perceive what happens to us. Either we can cry about it and go into a negative spiral of death or we can make something positive and great out of it.

4.       ‘He who fears death will never do anything worth of a man who is alive’ – Seneca

In this time where people are motivated by excessive greed and desire. Stoics advocate moderation and temperance. Free yourself from excessive attachment to material possessions and things out of your control.