Core Beliefs and Principles of Stoicism

Stoicism is a practical philosophy that originated in ancient Greece and Rome that focuses on how to live a virtuous life, maximize happiness, and reduce negative emotions [1]. It emphasizes focusing on what is truly important, living in accordance with nature, and practicing self-control and discipline [1].

The Stoics believe people should focus on what they can control, such as their thoughts, opinions, decisions, actions, and duties [1, 2]. People should accept what they cannot control, such as their body, property, reputation, and office [1, 3]. Only the value ascribed to things, and how people exercise their reason and choices around them, makes anything good or bad [4]. The Stoics believe people are born with the resources they need to thrive, such as their senses, reason, power of choice, and moral preconceptions [5, 6].

The following are some core Stoic beliefs:

Live in accordance with nature: The Stoics believed a smooth flow of life comes from "living in agreement with nature," meaning living in harmony with the universe and the natural order of things [7, 8]. This includes acting appropriately in one's given roles in family and society and participating in public life [8].

Happiness is found in virtue alone: This involves tempering desires, aversions, and impulses to align with the four cardinal virtues: temperance, courage, justice, and practical wisdom [9].

Eliminate toxic emotions: The Stoics aim to replace toxic emotions such as hope, fear, and anger with good emotions such as rational wishing, rational caution, gratitude, joy, and love for others [10]. Hope and fear are toxic because they are projections onto future events that we do not control [11]. Anger is toxic because it usually creates more trouble than the circumstances that triggered it [12].

We are a unified self: The Stoics believe in a unified rational self and that people should take responsibility for their own actions, thoughts, and beliefs [13].

No man is an island: The Stoics believed that each person is part of a larger community and that people should treat others as they would like to be treated [14]. This includes treating family like yourself, a friend like family, a fellow citizen like a friend, a countryman like a fellow citizen, and a foreigner like a countryman [14].

Personal development is bound up in cooperation with others: Because people are "made for cooperation," the Stoics encourage working towards the common good in both personal and public life [15].

It's all about progress, not perfection: Stoicism emphasizes continuous self-improvement through thinking things through better, learning to anticipate trouble, choosing to act virtuously, and eliminating toxic emotions [16].

Stoicism is not about being emotionless. Stoicism is about sculpting one's character through reason, courage, justice, wisdom, and temperance, in order to live a life worthy of being lived [17].

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