The Beginner's Guide to Stoicism: Tools for Emotional Resilience and Positivity

by Matthew Van Natta

Stoicism helped me choose who I wanted to be and gave me the means to become that person.

Marcus Aurelius quotes, “Here is the rule to remember in the future, When anything tempts you to be bitter: not, ‘This is a misfortune’ but ‘To bear this worthily is good fortune.’”

The Stoic philosophy trains you in virtue: It sculpts your moral character into someone who is content, joyful, resilient, and able to take actions that make the world a better place.

Dichotomy of Control

Some things are in your control, and some things are outside of your control.

•The Discipline of Desire entails a radical realignment of your values as you work to desire only what is within your complete control. Redirecting your attention in this way will free you from chasing after things that do not contribute to your happiness. •The Discipline of Action relates to your interactions with other people. The aim is to seek healthy, positive relationships with everyone you meet, even knowing others may not reciprocate. •The Discipline of Assent concerns your thoughts about life. You learn to separate your initial reactions to the world from your final judgments about the world. You refuse to walk down mental paths that lead to negativity, instead evaluating your thoughts in order to align with wisdom.

The ancient Stoics tended to use four primary virtues as guides for thoughts and actions, which I refer to as: •Wisdom •Courage •Justice •Moderation

Wisdom is virtue applied to your thought process. Courage is virtue applied to your emotional life. Justice is virtue in relationship with other people. Moderation is virtue as applied to our choices.