There’s a tendency for those new to the philosophy to approach it to take it on as an identity. They have bought the commemorative coins from the Daily Stoic, found a quote they like to put on a T-shirt, or had a memento mori icon inked into their flesh. While this is understandable, the real work of the philosophy, the change to your character, is internal; its effects are seen in your actions. These trappings, like the various regimes of spiritual exercises1 do not make anyone a Stoic. The latter, especially if they are not linked back to the philosophy.
Take the cold showers (favoured by Broics2 )mentioned in the subheading. The Stoics did advocate temporary discomfort as a practice. Here’s Seneca (one of the wealthiest men in Rome) on the practice:
“Set aside a certain number of days, during which you shall be content with the scantiest and cheapest fare, with coarse and rough dress, saying to yourself the while: “Is this the condition that I feared?” It is precisely in times of immunity from care that the soul should toughen itself beforehand for occasions of greater stress, and it is while Fortune is kind that it should fortify itself against her violence. In days of peace the soldier performs maneuvers, throws up earthworks with no enemy in sight, and wearies himself by gratuitous toil, in order that he may be equal to unavoidable toil. If you would not have a man flinch when the crisis comes, train him before it comes.” – Seneca
The point being, of course, not to prove to yourself (nor others) that you are tough. But that you should toughen your soul (mind) and prepare it so that misfortune, and things external to your character won’t be judged as harmful to your character or what is important i.e. living a life of virtue.
Correct Judgement
This brings me to what I think is a central part of the philosophy. Judgement, or correct judgement. We need to make sure that point iii) of the Stoic Elevator Pitch is accurate, that our judgements or inferences about reality are correct.
Arrian, recording Epictetus in the Handbook or Enchiridion, lists the following quote as the first point. It’s often used as the basis for the modern conception for the Dichotomy of Control, but Epictetus isn’t talking about control. He’s talking about what’s in our power, what flows from us. And what’s in our power, what are we responsible for? Our judgments or opinions on when or if we should act, and what we should want or avoid.
Some things are within our power, while others are not. Within our power are opinion, motivation, desire, aversion, and, in a word, whatever is of our own doing; not within our power are our body, our property, reputation, office, and, in a word, whatever is not of our own doing.
- Epictetus, Enchiridion (R. Hard translation)
So fundamental to practising Stoicism is practicing correct judgment. To judge ourselves, events, others and situations correctly (with reason). A simple idea perhaps but one that takes a lifetime to refine.
What I’d like to outline in the upcoming posts, are tools or techniques, ancient and modern, that seek to refine our faculty of judgement. So for those of you who have stuck with me through the theory, there’s some practical suggestions coming along.
Spiritual Exercises refers to exercises, mental and physical aimed at developing character in line with the philosophy
Broics, an offshoot or misinterpretation of Stoicism that can range from crafting a tough guy persona on the one end of the continuum to Men’s Rights Activism on the other.