Stoicism essay

Stoicism essay

Stoicism is a philosophy focusing on positive emotions and maximizing joy and gratitude in every day’s life. It is a tool supporting mindfulness and value-based practices in life by amplifying the positivity of human experiences on issues such as resilience in challenges and joy in daily duties. The primary focus of Stoicism is mindfulness. It encourages people to recognize life events that might be controlled, and those that cannot. I could live as a stoic because of various reasons. Firstly, stoics have power over their minds. Secondly, they take personal responsibility for their values and actions. Thirdly, they are genuinely happy throughout their interactions with other people. The choice of Stoicism is inspired by philosophers such as Epictetus, Marcus Aurelius, and Seneca, who assert that judgment and happiness are derived from human behavior, and not word of mouth. Therefore, as a stoic, the outside events cannot control my life because I am genuinely contented with my personal possessions and responsibility for my values and actions.

Stoics have power over their minds because it is difficult to have control over the outside world. A significant aspect of Stoicism is to practice mindfulness by recognizing all the events that can be controlled, and the ones that bring negative emotions (Wolf 196). The practice of protecting the mind from circumstances beyond human control is demonstrated by the Buddhist story where Mara, an antagonist, sought to destroy the powers of Buddha (Nichols 1). Mara failed in her mission because Buddha had mastery and ability to control his happiness from distractors and outside events. As a stoic, I draw inspiration from the Buddhist story whose teachings are against a negative thought about external events; these circumstances cannot be changed. However, a positive attitude towards negative occurrences positions a human mind to become impenetrable. Therefore, stoics can control their reactions to events and viewpoints that might have a negative influence on their minds.

Stoics take full responsibility for their values by practicing them on a daily basis. The teachings of Epictetus do not stop at explaining the philosophy, but practicing the values thought. Daily decisions not only determine the outcomes in our lives but also contain moral dimensions. Philosophers, who positively influenced the world, practiced Stoicism by making choices that reflect their values. The lessons from Stoicism increase the quality of life when practiced regularly. Therefore, identifying life values and making the right choices is an aspect of Stoicism that enables them to take responsibility for personal actions.

Perceptions from interacting with society determine happiness. According to Seneca philosophy, joy and cheerfulness are determined by issues found in someone’s mind. Stoics find happiness from personal resources and do not rely on cheerfulness greater than inner joy. The mindset of a stoic focuses on issues that bring happiness, independent of outside factors, because the human experience is more important than other aspects of life. A mind that desires a lot is prone to disappointment. It does not mean that a stoic cannot enjoy the best things in life; it only means that more beautiful things that might not be affordable should not determine our happiness. Stoics also find joy from helping less fortunate people in society, because taking care of such people advances society.

Moreover, the need for more possessions results in dissatisfaction. Stoics believe that gratitude is the key to happiness. They appreciate their present conditions and material properties. Losing material things in the current word might be depressing to anyone; however, a mindset that considers this as an opportunity to gain more possessions determines future happiness. Stoics should seek happiness regardless of their losses in life. If priority is placed on material possessions, mostly external factors, their losses should not be a source of sorrow but rather a point of gratefulness. Therefore, stoics believe that life possessions are borrowed or acquired from the universe, and happiness is derived from giving back to society, an act they perceive to be fulfilling on a daily basis.

In general, the philosophy of Stoicism teaches people how to be rational and calm regardless of life events. It is useful in determining the factors within human control, level of happiness, and gratitude from material possessions. As a stoic, the outside activities cannot control my life because I am genuinely contented with my personal possessions and responsibility for my values and actions. The argument in this paper is inspired by the teachings of great philosophers such as Marcus Aurelius, Epictetus, Seneca. They advocate for not getting caught up in material possessions, having a happy life despite the nature of interactions, and taking responsibility for life values. Based on these teachings, a stoic should also work diligently for society’s greater good, and acknowledge that personal joy and satisfaction lies in embodying the goodness and appreciating the possessions within our reach.