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Stoicism for beginners

Stoicism is a school of philosophy founded in Athens around 300 BCE and best known today through three writers of the Roman era: Seneca, Epictetus and Marcus Aurelius. Its core idea is to separate what is up to you from what isn't, and put your effort into the first.

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Lesson 1 of 3

Stoicism: Control What You Can

The Stoics divided the world into two categories: things within your control (your thoughts, judgments, actions) and things outside it (other people, outcomes, the weather). Anxiety comes from trying to control the uncontrollable. Freedom comes from focusing exclusively on your own response. Epictetus was a slave who found perfect freedom through this idea.

Source Epictetus. (c. 108 CE). The Enchiridion.

Quick quiz

According to the Stoics, what is the primary source of anxiety?

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Lesson 2 of 3

Memento Mori: Remember You Will Die

Roman generals returning from victory had a slave ride beside them whispering 'memento mori', remember you will die. Not as a curse but as a gift: perspective. Death gives life urgency. Steve Jobs read a poem every morning asking: 'If today were my last day, would I want to do what I'm about to do?' That question drove Apple.

Source Holiday, R. (2014). The Obstacle Is the Way.

Quick quiz

What was the original purpose of 'memento mori' for Roman generals?

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Lesson 3 of 3

Virtue and Character in Stoicism

The Stoics believed that virtue, wisdom, courage, justice, moderation, is the only true good. External things (wealth, reputation, pleasure, even health) are 'preferred indifferents', nice to have but irrelevant to genuine wellbeing. A person of character can be happy in chains; a person of poor character can be miserable in luxury. This makes Stoicism a philosophy of extraordinary psychological resilience: your wellbeing depends on nothing outside your control.

Source Marcus Aurelius. (c. 170 CE). Meditations.

Quick quiz

What do the Stoics consider the only true good?

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  1. Stoic Cosmopolitanism
  2. The Examined Death: Philosophy of Mortality
  3. On Living Well: The Examined Life Today
  4. Philosophy as a Way of Life
  5. The Four Cardinal Virtues
  6. Preferred Indifferents
  7. The Logos: Universal Reason
  8. The Stoic Sage
  9. Apatheia: Freedom from Passion
  10. Fate and Providence
  11. The Eternal Present
  12. Prohairesis: Your Moral Will
  13. Impressions and Assent
  14. The Reserve Clause
  15. The Three Disciplines of Epictetus
  16. Oikeiosis: Natural Affinity
  17. Sympatheia: Universal Connection
  18. Kathekon: Appropriate Action
  19. Stoic Physics: The Living Universe
  20. The Ruling Faculty
  21. Logos Spermatikos: Seeds of Reason
  22. Ekpyrosis: The Great Conflagration
  23. Stoicism and Social Engagement
  24. Why Stoicism Endures
  25. Marcus Aurelius: The Philosopher King
  26. Meditations: Notes to Himself
  27. The View from Above
  28. Marcus Aurelius on Anger
  29. Marcus Aurelius on Impermanence
  30. Marcus Aurelius on Other People
Show all 170 titles
  1. The Obstacle Becomes the Way
  2. Marcus's Morning Ritual
  3. Marcus Aurelius on Fame
  4. Returning to Virtue
  5. Marcus Aurelius as Military Commander
  6. What Marcus Learned from His Teachers
  7. The Death of Marcus Aurelius
  8. Epictetus: From Slave to Teacher
  9. The Enchiridion: Pocket Philosophy
  10. Epictetus on Education
  11. Epictetus on What to Desire
  12. Epictetus on the Body
  13. Epictetus on Insults
  14. Epictetus on Blame
  15. How Epictetus Taught
  16. Epictetus on Exile
  17. Epictetus on Friendship
  18. Epictetus on Loss
  19. The Lamp of Epictetus
  20. Seneca: The Controversial Stoic
  21. On the Shortness of Life
  22. Seneca on Procrastination
  23. On the Tranquility of Mind
  24. Seneca on Anger
  25. Seneca on Benefits
  26. Seneca on Friendship
  27. Seneca on Consolation
  28. Seneca on Travel
  29. Seneca on Leisure
  30. Seneca on Books
  31. Letters to Lucilius
  32. Seneca on Providence
  33. The Death of Seneca
  34. Zeno of Citium: Where It Started
  35. Chrysippus: The Stoic Architect
  36. Musonius Rufus: The Roman Socrates
  37. Cato the Younger: Stoic in Politics
  38. Cleanthes: The Boxer-Philosopher
  39. The Stoa Poikile
  40. Panaetius and Roman Stoicism
  41. Posidonius: Stoic Scientist
  42. Aristo of Chios: The Radical
  43. Stoicism in the Roman Army
  44. Negative Visualization
  45. Amor Fati: Love Your Fate
  46. The Evening Review
  47. Voluntary Discomfort
  48. Journaling Like Marcus
  49. Fasting as Stoic Practice
  50. Cold Exposure and the Stoic Body
  51. Watching Your Language
  52. The Stoic Approach to Gossip
  53. Simplicity as Stoic Practice
  54. Building a Stoic Community
  55. Viktor Frankl and Modern Stoicism
  56. Stoicism in Special Forces Training
  57. CBT's Stoic Roots
  58. Ryan Holiday and the Stoic Revival
  59. Building a Stoic Life Today
  60. Eudaimonia: The Stoic Version
  61. The Unity of Virtue
  62. Stoic Justice in Practice
  63. Stoicism and Slavery
  64. Stoic Courage
  65. Temperance as Stoic Discipline
  66. Stoic Wisdom: Practical Intelligence
  67. The Stoic on Ambition
  68. Stoic Perfectionism vs. Progress
  69. Stoicism and Emotion: The Full Picture
  70. The Role of Sleep in Stoic Ethics
  71. Stoicism on Wealth and Poverty
  72. Stoic Parenting
  73. How Stoics Thought About the Past
  74. Stoicism and the Natural World
  75. Stoicism on Reputation
  76. Competing Duties: Stoic Decision-Making
  77. The Stoic Approach to Privilege
  78. Stoicism on Pleasure
  79. On Being Alone
  80. Dealing with Uncertainty
  81. The Logos Within
  82. Attention as the Core Practice
  83. Cognitive Reappraisal: Ancient and Modern
  84. The Stoic View of Suicide
  85. The Stoic Relationship with Food
  86. Stoicism on Insomnia
  87. Seeing Things As They Are
  88. Stoicism on Political Power
  89. The Stoic Work Ethic
  90. Stoicism and Anxiety
  91. The Socratic Roots of Stoicism
  92. Stoicism vs. Epicureanism
  93. Stoicism vs. Cynicism
  94. Stoicism and Platonism
  95. Stoicism and Christianity
  96. Stoicism in the Renaissance
  97. Montaigne's Stoic Inheritance
  98. Stoicism and Descartes
  99. Immanuel Kant's Stoic Debt
  100. Stoicism and William James
  101. Stoicism in Modern Psychotherapy
  102. Stoic Logic
  103. Stoicism in Legal History
  104. Stoic Physics and Modern Science
  105. Stoicism at Work
  106. Stoicism in Conflict
  107. Stoicism Under Illness
  108. Stoicism and Leadership
  109. Stoicism in Recovery
  110. The Stoic Athlete
  111. Seneca on Time and Memory
  112. Stoicism and Forgiveness
  113. Stoicism and Envy
  114. Stoic Generosity
  115. Stoicism on Self-Discipline
  116. Stoicism and the Fear of Failure
  117. Stoic Listening
  118. The Stoic Teacher
  119. Stoic Detachment and Full Engagement
  120. What Stoics Read
  121. The Stoic and Technology
  122. Stoicism and Social Media
  123. Acceptance Without Passivity
  124. The Good Life Needs No Defense
  125. Practicing Philosophy in Public
  126. Stoicism and Cognitive Distortions
  127. Stoicism and Resilience Research
  128. Transcending Circumstances
  129. Stoicism and Mindfulness: Similarities
  130. Stoicism and Mindfulness: Differences
  131. Stoicism and Positive Psychology
  132. Stoic Cosmology and Meaning
  133. Stoic Humor
  134. Stoicism and Gratitude Science
  135. Stoicism and the Immune System
  136. What Stoicism Cannot Do
  137. How to Disagree: The Stoic Way
  138. Stoicism and Political Protest
  139. Stoic Wisdom on Relationships
  140. Stoicism's Single Sentence

About stoicism

What are the main ideas of Stoicism?

Separate what you control (your judgments and actions) from what you don't (outcomes, other people, the past). Treat virtue as the only real good. Remember that life is short. Practise all three daily, not only in theory.

Who were the main Stoic philosophers?

Zeno of Citium founded the school in Athens around 300 BCE. The best-known writings come from the Roman era: Seneca, Epictetus (a former slave) and the emperor Marcus Aurelius, whose Meditations were private notes to himself.

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