Key Messages
How Stoicism Can Help Us Stay Calm and Unruffled in Difficult Situations
Discovering what the ancient philosophical school of Stoicism has to teach us about living a better life can be a challenge.
But in A Guide to the Good Life: The Ancient Art of Stoic Joy by William B.
Irvine, you’ll learn how we can reign in our emotions and examine them before they lead to frustration and pain.
Irvine delves into the ideas of the philosophers known as Stoics, who long argued for moderation and greater self-control so as to achieve peace of mind.
Through his explanations and examples, he helps us understand why being stuck in traffic doesn’t have to be so bad or how taking a cold shower can lead to a more fulfilling life.
He even provides advice on how to deal with losing a tennis match!
Explore this book if you’re looking for meaningful wisdom on how to live better – understanding what ancient Greece had to teach us about self-mastery can provide insight into setting yourself up for success and living each day with joyous attitude.
How Stoicism Can Help Us Find Lasting Happiness by Living the Path of Moderation
Stoicism is a philosophy that dates back to Ancient Greece, focusing on the art of living a good life.
This school of thought was taught to pupils of philosophy in the area during 300 BC and is still recognised today.
Its teachings revolve around mastering rhetoric, logic and an inspiring lifestyle – allowing its followers to define their goals and live a life free from regret.
Today’s world is full of distractions which often take attention away from reflecting on daily life, so Stoicism comes as a breath of fresh air in helping achieve focus.
The Stoics believe in moderation as a way to bring contentment without burning through all material possessions or going without them completely.
For them, joy can be achieved simply by enjoying the moment without being dependent on fleeting pleasures that may not last long.
By following this precept, modern individuals can find purpose while avoiding the pitfalls of fleeting happiness brought by expendable goods that promise only short-term fulfillment.
The Stoics’ Goals of Virtue and Tranquility: Harnessing Our Mental Powers to Achieve a Good Life
The Stoics believed that there were two fundamental goals in life worth pursuing: Virtue and tranquility.
Rather than simply living like ‘a saint’, to the Stoics virtuous living meant embracing the role we have been created to play in our lives – taking responsibility for ourselves and having respect for those around us.
Achieving a tranquil state means being able to control our emotions, instead of allowing them to take over.
To be tranquil a person must be able to reason and use mental faculties to choose between positive and negative options when facing circumstances or events.
The Stoic doctrine is closely connected with Virtue, as both require one’s powers of reasoning to stay on track.
Hence, they both lead us closer to achieving the good life overall.
Appreciate the Things and People You Already Have with Negative Visualization
There is a tendency among all of us to always want more – even though we know that it won’t make us happier.
Psychologists Shane Frederick and George Loewenstein call this hedonic adaption, where we take something for granted once it is ours and start pursuing something new, followed by the same vicious cycle.
In order to break out of this trap and fight our consumerist insatiability, we must learn to appreciate what we already have instead of yearning for more.
The Stoics provide methodology on how to do just that.
Through exercises such as negative visualization they teach us how lucky we are with what and who surrounds us, if only we can be grateful for it.
By taking a moment to acknowledge what you have, you will open yourself up to so much joy and appreciating the world in a truly profound way.
You will never be able to have enough possessions or experiences – but learning that contentment starts with gratitude is an enlightening exercise in itself.
We Can Strengthen Our Willpower and Enjoy Life More Through Voluntary Discomfort
Voluntary discomfort is one way to reflect on the things and people you have in your life.
It teaches us that we can live without certain luxuries, and encourages us to be grateful for them when we return to them.
Stoics saw this type of self-discipline as a means of developing an inner strength that would make us more resilient in difficult situations.
Natures Nutrition’s “A Guide to the Good Life” provides insight into how deliberately refraining from certain pleasures, such as driving instead of taking a bike or choosing to abstain from sugary treats, can help control urges and be beneficial for our overall well being.
As a result, we better appreciate small comforts when we do experience them.
This practice also helps cultivate strong will power by teaching us not only the importance of avoiding immediate gratification but also that voluntary discomfort can lead us closer on the path towards true happiness.
Embrace What’s Within Your Control, Let Go Of The Rest: A Stoic Approach to Life
When it comes to the things in life that are beyond our control, such as whether or not it rains all day, Stoics advise us to change our attitude.
We shouldn’t let changes in the weather perturb us – instead we should embrace them and accept them, because getting upset will only make everything feel worse.
We also have control over ourselves and the values and goals we live by.
Nobody can prevent you from becoming a virtuous, happy, reliable and forgiving person.
You don’t have absolute control over certain things like winning a tennis match, however.
Instead of aiming for an uncontrollable result such as winning the game, Stoics suggest redefining your goal as something within your control – playing your best so that you won’t be disappointed if you lose.
Not only will this result in less disappointment if you do lose – it might also improve your chances of actually winning!
Internalizing your goal allows you to focus on what is within your power, leading to better performance and improved results.
Embrace Tolerance and Indifference to Reduce Conflict with Others
It’s pointless to get angry with other people or try to obtain their approval.
After all, we have no control over what they say or think – and even if we do, it can be difficult to keep our cool.
As the Stoics would say, when others bother us, we are essentially allowing them to ruin our tranquility.
Fortunately, there’s a better way than getting mad: increasing our tolerance towards others’ flaws.
We should remember that we all have faults and can easily fall into negative behaviors – and that some of those behaviors might even be out of our control.
Practicing understanding and kindness is the best way to handle difficult people in our lives.
We also need to come to terms with the fact that there will always be people who don’t appreciate us or agree with us – no matter how hard we try.
So instead of trying to gain the admiration of others or adapt ourselves according to society‘s standards of success, it pays off more in the long run if we just become indifferent towards them and focus on what really matters for us personally.
That way, nobody can take away the things that make us truly happy!
The Stoics’ View on Money: Simple Pleasures Are Key to Achieving Happiness
The Stoics taught that money and a luxurious lifestyle won’t make us happy, and Musonius took it a step further by arguing that wealth can even make us miserable.
It may seem counterintuitive, but the truth is that we should not let wealth corrupt us.
Living in excess can create an unnatural desire for more than what is necessary, leading to feelings of unhappiness and always wanting more.
This goes against the Stoic ideal of finding contentment with simple things – if you are too indulged in luxury, you start to lose appreciation for things like a good meal or enjoyable activity.
This phenomenon is called hedonic adaptation, which means our wants and desires keep shifting as they become habituated.
When it comes to money, this means we become slaves to the unending cravings of more opulent possessions and experiences.
Picture instead a Stoic who maintains a humble
lifestyle – when hungry, they will take pleasure in enjoying something as simple as an apple!
How Stoics Deal with Death and the Contemplation of Our Own Mortality
The Stoics offer powerful techniques for dealing with the grief of losing someone we love, and for facing old age ourselves.
Negative visualization is an important tool for preparing us to handle the sudden shock of death.
When we have mentally prepared ourselves for a loved one’s passing, we can better appreciate our time with them and come out without regretting how we treated them.
It also helps make us more grateful for those who are still living in our lives.
Reason provides another approach; Stoics say that rather than allowing grief to consume us, we should honor the wishes of the person who passed away and remember all of the pleasant memories they left us – instead choosing gratitude over sorrow.
How to Develop a Stoic Temperament for a Meaningful and Joyful Life
Becoming a Stoic can be life-altering – but don’t rush into it!
It’s important to take time and effort in developing a Stoic temperament.
A good place to start is by practicing negative visualization; this will help you get accustomed to the idea of being without things and people that are dear to you.
Then you should focus on the things in your life that are beyond your control, and work on accepting them.
You should also make an effort to be aware of those things which you have some form of control over, and think about how best to internalize any goals related to them.
For example, rather than aiming for winning a tennis match, your goal could be giving it your best shot.
Most importantly, remind yourself that everyone has their faults!
As you practice these steps, you will start recognizing all the ways Stoicism is helping improve your quality of life.
This journey isn’t one you have to take overnight – take all the time you need and enjoy becoming a Stoic at a comfortable pace!
Wrap Up
The Good Life, as proposed by Stoic philosophy, is one of tranquility and virtue.
It provides us with the lessons to live a life free of negative emotion and excessive desires.
To achieve such a life, we can look to the actionable advice that the book has to offer: Rank tranquility over negative emotions and find time each day, however small, to reflect on our actions and thought processes.
With this practice in place, we can enjoy the moments around us with joy and self-appreciation.
