PART 4
Ancient philosophy is not just about talking or lecturing, or even reading long, dense books. In
fact, it is something people have used throughout history - to solve their problems and to
achieve their greatest triumphs.
Specifically, I am referring to Stoicism, which, in my opinion, is the most practical of all
philosophies and therefore the most appealing. Stoicism was founded in Ancient Greece by
Zeno of Citium in the early 3rd century BC, but was practised by the likes of Epictetus, Cato,
Seneca and Marcus Aurelius. Amazingly, we still have access to these ideas, despite the fact
that the most famous Stoics never wrote anything down for publication. Cato definitely didn’t.
Marcus Aurelius never intended his meditations to be anything but personal. Seneca’s letters
were, well, letters and Epictetus’ thoughts come to us by way of a note-taking student.
Stoic principles were based on the idea that its followers could have an unshakable happiness in
this life and the key to achieving this was virtue. The road to virtue, In turn, lay in understanding
that destructive emotions, like anger and jealousy, are under our conscious control - they don’t
have to control us, because we can learn to control them. In the words of Epictetus: “external
events I cannot control, but the choices I make with regard to them. I do control”.
The modern day philosopher and writer Nassim Nicholas Taleb defines a stoic as someone who
has a different perspective on experiences which most of us would see as wholly negative; a
Stoic “transforms fear into caution, pain into transformation, mistakes into initiation and desire
into undertaking”. Using this definition as a model, we can see that throughout the centuries
Stoicism has been practised in more recent history by kings, presidents, artists, writers and
entrepreneurs.
The founding fathers of the United States were inspired by the philosophy. George Washington
was introduced to Stoicism by his neighbours at age seventeen, and later, put on a play based
on the life of Cato to inspire his men. Thomas Jefferson kept a copy of Seneca beside his bed.
Writers and artists have also been inspired by the stoics. Eugene Delacroix, the renowned
French Romantic artist (known best for his painting Liberty Leading the People) was an ardent
stoic, referring to it as his “consoling religion”.
The economist Adam Smith’s theories on capitalism were significantly influenced by the
Stoicism that he studied as a schoolboy, under a teacher who had translated Marcus Aurelius'
works.
Today’s political leaders are no different, with many finding their inspiration from the ancient
texts. Former US president Bill Clinton rereads Marcus Aurelius every single year, and many
have compared former President Obama's calm leadership style to that of Cato. Wen Jiabao,
the former prime minister of China, claims that Meditations is one of two books he travels with
and that he has read it more than one hundred times over the course of his life.
Stoicism had a profound influence on Albert Ellis, who invented Cognitive Behaviour Therapy,
which is used to help people manage their problems by changing the way that they think and
behave. It’s most commonly used to treat depression. The idea is that we can take control of
our Iives by challenging the irrational beliefs that create our faulty thinking, symptoms and
behaviours by using logic instead.
Stoicism has also become popular in the world of business. Stoic principles can build the
resilience and state of mind required to overcome setbacks because Stoics teach turning Q39
obstacles into opportunity. A lesson every business entrepreneur needs to learn.
I would argue that studying Stoicism is as relevant today as it was 2,000 years ago, thanks to its
brilliant insights into howto lead a good life. At the very root of the thinking, there is a very Q40
simple way of living — control what you can and accept what you can’t. This is not as easy as it
sounds and will require considerable practice — it can take a lifetime to master. The Stoics also
believed the most important foundation for a good and happy life is not money, fame, power or
pleasure, but having a disciplined and principled character - something which seems to
resonate with many people today.
