How to Understand Stoicism

Step-by-Step Guide

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   Step 1: Read about the origin of Stoicism.

   Stoicism is a philosophy from the Graeco-Roman period of classical history.
   
   Founded by Zeno of Citium, whose works have now been lost.
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   Step 2: Take to heart the teachings of Zeno that all suffering comes from certain destructive emotions

   , The primary passions are distress, fear, lust and delight.
   
   These are described as follows by Zeno:
   Distress is an irrational contraction, or a fresh opinion that something bad is present, at which people think it right to be depressed.
   
   Fear is an irrational aversion, or avoidance of an expected danger Lust is an irrational desire, or pursuit of an expected good.
   
   Delight is an irrational swelling, or a fresh opinion that something good is present, at which people think it right to be elated. ,, Most Stoic works have been lost, to learn more about stoic thought read these:
   Marcus Aurelius' Meditations' and "Thoughts to Myself"
   
   Seneca's 'Letters from a stoic' and his 'On the shortness of life'.
   
   John Sellars' 'Stoicism' gives a good history of stoicism, that is easy to read, while comprehensive.
   
   Bertrand Russell's 'A history of western philosophy' also discusses Stoicism, both of these will give you outside opinion of Stoicism. , Stoic calm has come into the English language from stoicism.
   
   Stoic calm is a famously advocated principle by Stoics. ,,,, Stoicism doesn't mean you can't be rich, Seneca was a senator and Marcus Aurelius was an emperor, they merely advocated non-materialism. ,, Stoic's advocated the idea that no matter what happens to you, you are still happy; a stoic saying goes something like this; Full of belly and happy, hungry and happy, well rested and happy, tired and happy, etc. ,,
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   Step 3: known as the stoic passions.

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   Step 4: To achieve true happiness you must control your passions.

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   Step 5: All these are then sub-divided with different destructive emotions for each primary passion.

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   Step 6: Read and understand Stoic writings based on the time period that they were written in.

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   Step 7: Control your emotions at all time through the right assent of external and internal impressions- this is the Stoic's famous principle.

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   Step 8: Lead a plain and simple life

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   Step 9: disdain anything added by the way of decoration.

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    Step 10: Have a few Laconic tendencies

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    Step 11: like Laconic brevity in speech and eating sparingly.

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    Step 12: Wear simple but comfortable clothes.

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    Step 13: You should always be familiar with poverty

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    Step 14: just in case you became poor.

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    Step 15: Like the Buddhist idea of the universe

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    Step 16: believe everything is constantly changing and humans were unimportant; just tiny parts of nature

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    Step 17: it is therefore necessary for you to accept fate without fuss.

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    Step 18: Be happy in all circumstances.

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    Step 19: Prepare and be familiar with death for your life is short

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    Step 20: however you must not be fearful

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    Step 21: as fear is unbecoming to the stoic.

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    Step 22: Courage of the soul as well as humility and honesty is at the heart of the stoic philosophy

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    Step 23: also compassion and solidarity between men

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