Stoicism

3 Reasons Why Self-improvement Gurus Are Obsessed with Stoicism

OK, this madness has got to stop!

Have you designed your day according to Stoic beliefs? Are you following its teaching to the T (no pun intended)? Are you reading Marcus Aurelius’s Meditations as a bedtime story? Don’t you know it’s the Holy Grail of success and productivity?

“If not, you don’t know what ya missin’, man! Don’t you want to make real progress in your life, man? Grind is the only way!”

Did you notice that so many people in the self-improvement community are constantly talking about Stoicism and Stoic philosophy? It’s as if they all learned from the same manual and now repeat like parrots: “Polly wants to be a Stoic! Polly wants to be a Stoic!”

My guess is they probably never heard about any other philosophy.

By the way, this is not a rant against Stoicism. But, why not Pythagorean philosophy or Plato’s Idealism or Skepticism? Those are all valid philosophical teachings in ancient Greece, just like Stoicism.

Being a philosopher myself, I don’t see why this teaching is so popularised and valued much more than any other in these circles. Let’s try solving this unusual riddle.

Here are 3 possible reasons for its enormous popularity:

1. It’s a perfect match for the whole “grinding” culture. Work 25 hours a day, be relentless, make your billionaire business, and retire your entire family!

Of course, I’m exaggerating this worldview. Only a bit.

2. Stoicism is perceived as a philosophy for strong people.

“Don’t be a pu**y! You’re a man! Be strong! Tough times create tough people! No pain no gain!”

And other similar platitudes.

3. Discipline and endurance

Stoicism promotes discipline, clear thinking, and enduring the tough times. All desirable qualities for success in life, especially in business. It’s no wonder that so many entrepreneurs see it as their religion.

Except that hard work and grind alone will not make you rich. We all know someone who worked hard all of their life and never became wealthy.

Also, traumas from abuse or hard times won’t make you superhuman by default. They can make you or break you, depending on your personality and beliefs.

The background story

Let us dive a bit deeper into Stoic ideology and how it came to be.

Stoicism appeared at a stage of the slow decay of Greek culture. At this historical moment, Greek culture gave birth to a philosophy that, in a sense, reflects the spirit of its time. The age of Solon, Socrates, Plato, Aristotle, and Pericle has passed and with it the peak of Hellenistic culture.

People were feeling this slow decay and the arrival of tough times and they had to endure it. Eventually came the Romans who conquered the whole of ancient Greece. Logically, Stoicism’s way of thinking has emerged in these conditions.

There are roughly 3 periods of Stoic thought:

• Early Stoa (founded around 300 BCE by Zeno of Citium, Chrysippus)
• Middle Stoa (2nd&1st Centrury BCE) and
• Late Stoa (popularised by the Romans: Seneca, Epictetus, and Marcus Aurelius).

Stoic teachings

We won’t go into too much detail here, but let’s go over some basic teachings.

Stoicism includes Empiricism — sense-based reality. We learn about the outside world with our senses. Only individual exists, there are no Plato’s Ideas. This is a type of materialism. God exists, but it has a materialistic nature.

Their Ethics are very important and it is based on living in accordance with nature. Nature is the measure of all things since it is an expression of universal Reason (logos). It will help us to live a life of virtue.

To lead a good life means living in wisdom and control. That implies controlling our passions. Passions are disturbing our peace of mind and clouding our reason and logic. Ideal for a Stoic would be taking things as they are while being clear-headed. No fears, delights, lust, or distress should move us, but take them as something irrational.

Stoics also believed in Causal determinism; that means, basically there is no freedom. Your life is caused by material factors outside. That is why their ethics is to endure, to take the heat and the pain on your feet — like a Stoic! You can’t change it, there is nothing you can do about it. So, relax, stay strong and calm, and go with the flow. It resembles Zen Buddhism in a sense.

I deeply disagree with any kind of determinism (I do believe in the law of Karma and certain imposed life limitations, but not in a deterministic approach!).

First of all, we can change our life and our destiny. Even if you look at it materialistically, there are a lot of things you can do. Secondly, we are creators of our reality as conscious, spiritual beings, who shape matter according to our desires. So, this aspect of Stoicism is problematic, to say the least.

Does Stoicism have some merit?

Beyond a doubt.

Being strong, and enduring the tough times without being shaken, is a sign of a strong personality.

“The thing that doesn’t kill you only makes you stronger”

This saying is true and can be a very useful motivator for many. Moderate stress is necessary for any improvements in our 3D lives. Without it, we would atrophy on our levels and wouldn’t improve anymore.

But you are free! So if you don’t like your reality, change it. Change your job, surroundings, country, friends, partners. You’re not a tree, for God's sake! Even if you’re a prisoner, in a concentration camp (like Victor Frankle has shown us), you can be free in your mind.

Final word

Enough is enough. If you’re into philosophy, read some other material besides Stoics. There are so many other options, in the West or the East. Don’t just copy/paste the same old, because some online influencers found it useful and inspiring (power to them!). Use discernment and be original at least a little bit. You do you, don’t be someone else’s clone. It won’t do you good, in the long run.

Sources:

Copleston, Frederick — A History of Philosophy, Vol. 1: Greece and Rome, From the Pre-Socratics to Plotinus, New York (1993)

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