Stoicism 101

Question 1

The Cast of Characters

Answer 1

Zeno, Seneca, Epictetus, Marcus Aurelius

Question 2

Zeno

Answer 2

Founder of Stoic philosophy ~300 BC

Question 3

Seneca

Answer 3

Tutor to Nero. Letters from a stoic, on the shortness of life

Question 4

Epictetus

Answer 4

Former slave turned leading philosopher
Leading teacher of ancient Rome
Taught with intensity
Discourses
The Enchiridion
Influenced Marcus Aurelius

Question 5

Marcus Aurelius

Answer 5

Roman emperor-philosopher

Meditations (to himself)

Question 6

Eudaimonia

Answer 6

Well-being, mental health, flourishing
Best friend with your inner Daimon
        The inner you
	The other part of you that is watching you
	Your conscience
	Your soul
Your relationship with your inner Daimon is your most important relationship
Influenced Christianity
Must live with virtue

Question 7

Daimon

Answer 7

The inner you
The other part of you that is watching
Your conscience
Your soul

Question 8

4 Virtues

Answer 8

Wisdom
Justice
Fortitude
Temperance

Question 9

Wisdom

Answer 9

Knowledge of life
Knowing how to live
Enlightened living

Question 10

Justice

Answer 10

Sense of integrity
Sense of righteousness
Living in integrity with your highest ideas

Question 11

Fortitude

Answer 11

Courage
Heart
Vitalizes all other virtues

Question 12

Temperance

Answer 12

Self-mastery
On great terms with inner Daimon
Self-restraint
Able to do what you need to do, what you want to do, what you must do

Question 13

Oratey

Answer 13

Meta-virtue

Expressing the highest version of yourself

Question 14

Philosopher = Warrior of the Mind

Answer 14

Are you a librarian of the mind or a warrior of the mind?
From theory to practice; build muscle tone in your mind
Lean into the battle
What can you do to get yourself into action?
How could you train your mind to apply the wisdom?
Lover of wisdom
Wisdom = the knowledge of life
Basis of modern cognitive therapy
Stoics despised rhetoric
Live your ideas
Despise rhetoric
Move from theory to practice
Don’t be so nice. Be authentic
Intense, hard-driving wisdom
Emotional stability – a trained mind
Proper emotion. No irrational emotion

Question 15

No. 1 Rule of Stoicism

Answer 15

Something’s are in your control
Other things are not in your control
Purpose of stoicism is to identify each
Care exclusively about what is in your control
The only thing in your control
o Living with virtue
o Controlling your thoughts and behaviors
Focus – identify what is in your control
Indifference – identify what is not in your control
If something happens to you, you can always choose how to think, react and feel about it
How do you choose to show up and think about your relationships and how you react/behave
This happened, you chose to think about it a certain way, therefore you felt a certain way
o This is cognitive behavior thereby
Dispute your irrational or inaccurate thoughts
Stimulus and response.
o Choose the most empowered response
Practice this all the time!
Indifferent to everything else

Question 16

Euthymia

Answer 16

Tranquility

Question 17

Energized Tranquility

Answer 17

Know your way and walk it
Be clear on this
Don’t second guess your self
Don’t compare yourself to others
Tranquility: Know your path
o Play it well
Energized: Know your fundamentals
o Eating, moving, sleeping
Play your given role well
Fate – we’ve all been assigned a role. We’re here to discover our role
Live in integrity with our higher self
Play that role well
I’m going to embrace this role and play it as well as I can
Look at the role that you have been asked to be at this time – parent, manager, leader, etc.
Be that. Walk that path. Play as powerful and fully as you can with a sense of inner tranquility
Grounded
Calm, confidence
Do the basic things that keep you energized (eat, move, sleep)

Question 18

Reserve Clause

Answer 18

If fate will have it
God willing
Gives confidence and calmness
Focus on the process
o Where do you find it hard to let go and at which point should you let go – because it is out of your control?
A way to discipline yourself, ground yourself
We will do this but it will be hard
Absolute certainty – absolute terror
Nothing is certain
Apollo
o An archer
o Responsible for shooting the arrow straight
Not responsible for hitting the target
o Wind, etc. could impact the flight of the arrow
Have goals but focus on process
Do your best, forget the rest
Letting go of our attachment to the outcomes

Question 19

The Art of Acquiescence

Answer 19

Thy will be done
Acceptance
Love what is
It’s not a good idea to argue with God, the universe or reality
You will lose
Before you act, you have a reserve clause – God willing
After you act, you have the art of acquiescence. Acceptance of the outcome
Combine “God willing” with “thy will be done” and your bullet proof
The stoic idea to be energized, yet tranquil and not attached
The opposite is “god dammit”
Loving what is
You can only control your thoughts and behavior and thereby influence the next moment but you cannot control it
You have influence, you do not have control over others

Question 20

Equanimity Game

Answer 20

When life hits you, how fast can you get up again?
What knocks you down?
How long does it take you to get up again?
What helps you find your balance?
Practice this
Glitches
o You’re not always at your highest point
o Absolute perfection, absolute terror
o How fast can you recover?
o How fact can you get back up?
o That is the most creative act
OMMS – obstacles make me stronger
Mantras
o Phrases are a way to change our minds
Heroic warrior of the mind
Our body’s, our minds, adapt with pressure – within reason
The wind fuels a fire and extinguishes a candle

Question 21

I Don’t Care

Answer 21

We care so deeply about living our virtuous self that we don’t care about trivial things
I don’t know and I don’t care
What do you want to care less about?
How do you want to do that?
Don’t be distracted
If your attention is on the world around you, you will not be in touch with your inner Daimon
Why care what people think of you?
The worse a person is, the less he feels it
Why care what someone thinks of you if they don’t like themselves
I don’t care what other people think
I’m prepared to be iconoclastic
o Smashing icons

Question 22

The Ideal Sage

Answer 22

Who is your ideal heroic sage?
o	What makes him/her special?
Who inspires you?
What would my favorite hero do?
 Socrates was an ancient hero
What would the highest version of you do right now?