What is Stoicism and how can this ancient philosophy be useful today

Hand on heart, we must admit that for most of us philosophy is an abstract and completely incomprehensible science. It is very difficult to find a use for it in everyday life, but it turns out that it is possible. We will not talk in general, but will talk about the benefits of such a philosophical trend as Stoicism. It appeared in the ancient era, but it can be useful in today's harsh realities.

Stoicism appeared in ancient Greece 2500 years ago. Nowadays he is popular again and the works of the pillars of this philosophy, Seneca, Epictetus and Marcus Aurelius, are read all over the world. What is the essence of stoicism and how does it help people in difficult times?

Stoicism appeared around 300 BC in Athens. The name of this philosophical school is consonant with the word "fortitude". Although this is just a lucky coincidence, it very accurately reflects the spirit of the teaching. The name "stoicism" came from the Greek word "stoa", that is, "portico" or "porch".

This happened because the creator of stoicism, Zeno of Kition, expounded the basics of his teachings from the porch, near the Athenian Agora. Stoicism was popular until the very end of the ancient era. He was favorably received not only by the Greeks, but also by the Romans. The decline in interest in Stoic philosophy began in the 4th century, when Christianity was made the state religion in Rome.

Stoicism had many followers with big names, but three are considered the most important. These are the Roman Lucius Annaeus Seneca, the Roman Emperor Marcus Aurelius and the Greek Epictetus.

You can talk a lot about stoicism. But the essence of this philosophical school is to use your mind to be happy in any circumstances. The teaching says that a person cannot control his life. We are surrounded by forces and circumstances that we cannot overcome.

Therefore, there is no need to fight with external forces. It is enough to learn to control your thoughts and emotions that need to be directed for your own good. This can give us inner balance and satisfaction with life, no matter how difficult it may be. In extreme cases, you can ask Google about the meaning of life.

To achieve this, you need to train continuously and use special practices. Repeated repetition of these exercises will help to get rid of doubts and fears. Anxiety will be defeated, and the stoic will be able to control himself completely. Lucius Annaeus Seneca briefly described it this way:

Today is the time to study stoicism and start using its rules. There are so many problems and sorrows in the modern world that they would puzzle the most selfless stoic. Use a few rules to control yourself and enjoy life no matter what. Here are the rules of stoicism, suitable for everyone

All our lives we are torn between memories of the past and doubts about the future. It is important to live in the present day and realize that only the current moment is valuable. It's easy to learn. It is necessary to abstract from external stimuli once a day and enjoy the moment. You can do this both during rest and during work.

If an accident has happened, then there is no need to wring your hands. We need to calm down and try to figure out if something can be fixed right now and later. You can even make two lists of "Dependent on me" and "Independent of me". What turned out to be dependent, you can try to change. And what is in the other column, you need to accept as it is.

You should know not only your strengths, which you strive to tell everyone around you. Find weaknesses in yourself — they will help you "get down to earth" and begin to adequately assess your capabilities. If you don't have time for something at work, you always want to blame everyone around you.

But we must honestly admit that your laziness or love of social networks is to blame for everything. It will be a shame, but it's fair. And you will also understand what you need to work on to become the best.

We must remember that no matter how bad things look, life does not stand still. Moreover, the most unpleasant experience almost always turns out to be the most useful. If a business has failed, then it is hard and expensive. But at the same time, invaluable experience has been gained, which will not allow repeating old mistakes.

It is impossible to predict all the unpleasant situations that occur in life. Yes, it is not necessary. You can just prepare yourself in advance for the most negative moments. To do this, you need to ask yourself as often as possible: "What if everything goes wrong?". If something happens, you will already be ready for it.

Thoughts, emotions and impulses are born inside us. They become answers to a particular situation, and our task is to choose the most appropriate one. It seems to us that a small salary is a source of stress. But this is not so - only our thoughts make stress out of it. Do not curse the authorities and the government. It will be much more productive to think about changing jobs.

To help yourself in a difficult situation, try to come up with a wise mentor. He will give you valuable advice in various difficult life situations. This way you will get away from emotions and be able to find solutions to your questions.