Summary

Stoicism, often misunderstood as a philosophy of deprivation, is presented as a practical approach to life that involves embracing discomfort, practicing negative visualization, and contemplating mortality to enhance gratitude, resilience, and appreciation for life.

Abstract

The article challenges the common misconception that Stoicism is about living a life of self-deprivation, arguing instead that it is a transformative philosophy that teaches one to embrace life's challenges and discomforts. It suggests that by voluntarily facing hardships, one can develop a greater capacity for endurance and gratitude. The practice of negative visualization is recommended as a means to mentally prepare for potential adversities, thereby reducing the impact of future struggles and fostering a deeper appreciation for the present moment. Additionally, the article emphasizes the importance of acknowledging one's mortality, as doing so can lead to a more profound sense of aliveness and thankfulness for the life one currently has.

Opinions

The author initially misunderstood Stoicism as a philosophy of extreme restraint, but later realized its true essence after facing personal challenges.
Modern society's tendency to avoid discomfort is seen as unnatural and counterproductive to personal growth.
Embracing discomfort is advocated as a method to build character and better handle life's inevitable downturns.
Negative visualization is presented as a counterintuitive yet effective technique to emotionally prepare for and appreciate the full spectrum of life experiences, including pain and suffering.
The author believes that reflecting on one's mortality can lead to a more intense appreciation of life and a sense of excitement about the present.
Stoicism is portrayed as a philosophy that can revolutionize one's perspective on life by focusing on personal development through adversity, gratitude, and the acceptance of life's impermanence.

Photo by Vinicius "amnx" Amano on Unsplash

3 Counter-Intuitive Techniques on How You Can Implement Stoicism in Your Life

Stoicism isn’t only about restraints — it can be a revolutionary force.

That’s what most people get wrong. Two years ago, I was one of them, thinking Stoicism was all about living in a cave with next to nothing, instead of enjoying modern-day life. It took me a year of hardships, failures, and misunderstandings to realize: it never was.

Instead, Stoicism is all about doing things differently than before, here’s how:

Embrace discomfort

Nowadays, we’re all too comfortable.

Stoicism embraces the idea of discomfort.

First, I thought that’s nonsense.

But after declining revenue, missing a connection flight, losing my baggage, and getting dengue fever, it suddenly made sense to me.

Life’s full of ups and downs. But in our modern age, we have become great in telling ourselves there are only ups. Pornography, movies, TV shows, food, and even hookups — everything is on demand.

But that isn’t natural.

What makes downs way more difficult to endure than they should be.

Embracing discomfort is the solution.

When you learn to embrace discomfort, you can overcome any problem. Because you know that this exact challenge is only part of becoming a better human being.

Embracing discomfort humbles and prepares you for becoming this better human being.

Practice negative visualization

Isn’t that the opposite of what you’re supposed to do?

Most people tell you to visualize your success to become the big player you think you want to become.

But sometimes, negative visualization is even more effective.

Discomfort is a normal part of life. Enduring psychological and physical pain because of a declining business, losing baggage, and getting dengue fever humbles us.

We can start feeling grateful again.

Negative visualization helps with that. Because we prepare ourselves for adversity.

Without pain, life becomes boring. Negative visualization helps us to imagine this pain to emotionally prepare ourselves for it. Because at one point or another, it’ll come, and why shouldn’t we feel grateful before it comes?

Negative visualization prepares us for adversity and makes us enjoy the present more.

Think about your own mortality

Face it: one day you’re dead.

But that doesn’t mean you have to be afraid. Quite on the contrary, it should make you excited about the present.

How? When I was 12, my mother got breast cancer. She had chemo and the whole package, constantly seeing the doctors, checking her chances to survive.

She’s a fighter, she survived.

But only when she looked death in the eye and said: “Sorry, not this time.”, she felt alive again.

Most people take their lives for granted.

Hell, they even think it’s useless.

But thinking about your own mortality makes you grateful for what you have right here and now.

Only because we’re mortal, we can feel alive.

Stoicism is all about seeing things differently than most, here’s a quick recap:

Embrace discomfort to feel grateful again
Practice negative visualization to prepare for adversity
Think about your own mortality to feel alive (again)