The Practicing Stoic
The Practicing Stoic
The Practicing Stoic
PhilosophersNotes
TM
Virtue
The good life vs. the good mood.
The teachings of the Stoics are as interesting and valuable now as when first
written—maybe more so, since the passage of two millennia has confirmed so
much of what they said. The idiocies, miseries, and other discouragements of our
era tend to seem novel or modern; hearing them described in a classical dialogue
reminds us that they are nothing new. That itself was a claim of the Stoics: that
the stories and problems of humanity don’t change, but just put on new masks.
The same can be said for the remedies. The most productive advice anyone offers
nowadays, casually or in a bestseller, often amounts to a restatement of something
the Stoics said with more economy, intelligence, and wit long ago. The reader does
better by going straight to the sages.”
In fact, my love of ceaselessly immersing myself in Stoic (and all) wisdom makes me think of
Back to Ward Farnsworth. He’s the Dean of the University of Texas School of Law. As you can
imagine, he brings a logical precision to his discussion of Stoicism that is distinct and powerful.
(Seriously. It’s actually ASTONISHINGLY powerful.) I really enjoyed the book and I highly
“If Stoics are distinguished
recommend it for the aspiring Practicing Stoic. (Get a copy here.)
by one policy as an everyday
matter, it is a refusal to Of course, it’s PACKED with Big Ideas and ancient Stoic wisdom we can apply to our modern
worry about things beyond lives. I’m excited to share some of my favorites, so let’s jump straight in.
their control or to otherwise
get worked up about them.” JUDGMENT: THE FIRST PRINCIPLE OF PRACTICAL STOICISM
~ Ward Farnsworth “The first principle of practical Stoicism is this: we don’t react to events; we react to our
judgments about them, and the judgments are up to us. We will see the Stoics develop that idea
in the pages to come, but this expression of it is typical:
If any external thing causes you distress, it is not the thing itself that troubles you, but
your own judgment about it. And this you have the power to eliminate right now. - Marcus
Aurelius, Meditations
The Stoic claim, in other words, is that our pleasures, griefs, desires and fears all involve three
stages rather than two: not just an event and a reaction, but an event, then a judgment or
opinion about it, and then a reaction (to the judgment or opinion). Our task is to notice the
middle step, to understand its frequent irrationality, and to control it through the patient use of
reason. This chapter starts with noticing. Later chapters will talk about the irrationality and offer
advice about control. We begin here because the point is foundational. Most of the rest of what
the Stoics say depends on it. Soon we will hear from them about ‘externals,’ desires, virtues, and
much else. But it all begins with the idea that we construct our experience of the world through
our beliefs, opinions, and thinking about it—in a word, through our judgments—and they are up
to us.”
We need to know (!) that our reactions to life are not determined by events. Influenced, yes.
Determined? No.
by fearing them. Why suffer As he would say, it’s not: STIMULUS —> RESPONSE.
twice?”
It’s STIMULUS ( — GAP — ) RESPONSE.
~ Ward Farnsworth
Really getting this idea (via thinking about it AND practicing it!) is essential to getting Stoicism
and applying its wisdom to our lives. In fact, this is why Ryan Holiday kicks off his year’s worth
of meditations in The Daily Stoic with EXACTLY the same distinction.
The same is true for us today. If we can focus on making clear what parts of our day are
within our control and what parts are not, we will not only be happier, we will have a distinct
advantage over other people who fail to realize they are fighting an unwinnable battle.”
Here’s to stepping in between stimulus and response. And choosing our Optimal response.
Moment to moment to moment. TODAY.
(Note: I might have started here after scanning the table of contents. :)
Each of the first twelve chapters deals with a different facet of Stoicism.
These include: Judgment, Externals, Perspective, Death, Desire, Wealth and Pleasure, Valuation,
Emotion, Adversity, Virtue and Learning.
Ward provides his insightful introduction to the theme then brings his I’m-the-Dean-of-a-Law-
School logically precise (and concise!) commentary on a collection of excerpts on the chapter’s
themes from various ancient Stoics (along with some thoughts from “Stoic descendents” like
Montaigne and Schopenhauer).
It’s INCREDIBLY DENSELY PACKED with wisdom. As in, insert emoji of your brain exploding
in the best possible way. This chapter is particularly good. A couple of the ways Ward tells us
Stoics dealt with criticism is via humility and humor. Here are a couple fun examples:
Epictetus: “If you hear that someone has spoken ill of you, do not make excuses about what was
said, but answer: ‘Evidently he didn’t know about my other faults, or he wouldn’t have spoken
only of the ones he did.’”
Seneca: “And this thing we call an insult—what is it? They make jokes about my bald head, my
weak eyes, my thin legs, my height. How is it an insult to be told what is obvious?” (Hah.)
On a higher level, we are encouraged to disregard both the applause and the criticism of the
masses. AND... To be mindful of when we’re mindlessly following the herd and conforming.
My dear friend Pilar Gerasimo wrote a whole book on this theme. Check out our Notes on
Healthy Deviant: A Rule Breaker’s Guide to Being Healthy in an Unhealthy World. Pilar tells
us that a mere 1% of us are truly healthy and defines a “Healthy Deviant” as “any person who
“It is the mark of a great willingly defies unhealthy norms and conventions in order to achieve a high level of vitality,
mind to rise above insults; resilience, and autonomy.”
the most humiliating kind She also tells us: “In Let Us Now Praise Famous Men, James Agee wrote: “‘Adjustment’ to a sick
of revenge is to treat your and insane environment is of itself not ‘health’ but sickness and insanity.” That is so true, and it
adversary as not worth taking sounds a lot like that Jiddu Krishnamurti quote I shared at this book’s outset: It is no measure
revenge upon. Many have taken of health to be well-adjusted to a profoundly sick society.”
slight injuries too deeply 150 years ago, my dear philosophical great-great+++ grandfather Ralph Waldo Emerson wrote
to heart in the course of an essay on this theme called Self-Reliance. Check out those Notes and remember: “What I must
punishing them. The great and do is all that concerns me, not what the people think. This rule, equally arduous in actual and
noble are those who, like a in intellectual life, may serve for the whole distinction between greatness and meanness. It is
lordly beast, listen unmoved the harder, because you will always find those who think they know what your duty is better
to the barking of little dogs.” than you know it. It is easy in the world to live after the world’s opinion; it is easy in solitude
to live after our own; but the great man is he who in the midst of the crowd keeps with perfect
~ Seneca
sweetness the independence of solitude.”
Then there’s Mark Twain’s playful wisdom. Recall: “Whenever you find yourself on the side of
the majority, it is time to pause and reflect.”
~ Marcus Aurelius Welcome to the chapter on “Wealth and Pleasure.” As we just discussed, the only thing the Stoic
who is aspiring to be an “Ideal Sage” or “Wise Person” ULTIMATELY cares about is VIRTUE.
They are “indifferent” to anything outside that.
And... We can have what they describe as “preferred indifferents.” Of course, we’d prefer to have
wealth and health rather than poverty and sickness. BUT... We’d be wise to make sure we don’t
get too attached to those things as we remember our ULTIMATE aim and game—which (echo!)
is to live with virtue. RIGHT NOW.
Ward quotes Seneca to make the point: “As a favorable wind, sweeping him on, gladdens the
sailor, as a bright day and a sunny spot in the midst of winter and cold give cheer, just so
riches have their influence on the wise man and bring him joy. And besides, who among wise
men—I mean those of our school—deny that even those things we call ‘indifferent’ do have some
inherent value, and that some are more desirable than others? To some of them we accord a
little honor, to others much. So make no mistake—riches are among the ones more desirable.”
“Whatever is implanted and
(Important note: Ward also tells us: “Stoics view wealth not as an absolute state, but as
inborn can be reduced with
a favorable relationship between what one has and what one wants. Most people devote
practice but not overcome.
themselves to enlarging the first when they would do better to reduce the second.”)
Some of those who appear in
public most often will break We also talk about this in our Notes on How to Think Like a Roman Emperor. Here’s how
into a sweat, just as if they Donald Robertson puts it: “Marcus makes it clear that his internal goal is to live with virtue,
particularly wisdom and justice, but his external aim, his preferred outcome, is the common
were tired and overheated;
welfare of mankind (not just of Roman subjects, incidentally). Although the outcome is
some tremble in the knees
ultimately indifferent to Stoics, it’s precisely the action of pursuing the common good that
when they are about to give a
constitutes the virtue of justice.”
speech; in some cases teeth
chatter, tongues falter, lips P.S. My Yoda Phil Stutz and I have discussed this basic idea of being engaged yet not attached
quiver. Neither training nor many times. I think he provides a nice frame to the challenge.
experience will ever get rid of In short, he tells us that we want to be ALL IN committed as we go after whatever we’ve wisely
these things. Rather, Nature decided is a noble goal. Yet, at the same time, we want to remain completely NOT attached to the
is exerting its strength to outcome of actually getting it. Obviously, easier said than done.
admonish even the strongest
He says we need to be “Committed to BEING committed.” We’re committed to being in the game
among us—each through his and doing our best RIGHT. THIS. SECOND.
particular flaws.”
Stepping back to our ultimate game, that means we’re committed to flipping the switch and
~ Seneca
showing up as the Optimize = Optimus = Best = Eudaimon = Hero version of ourselves while
remembering the #1 rule for creating heroic emotional stamina: The worse we feel, the more
committed we are to our protocol.
Immediately after that passage, Ward shares the Marcus Aurelius wisdom that Ryan Holiday
used as the inspiration for his book The Obstacle Is the Way: “The mind turns around every
hindrance to its activity and converts it to further its purpose. The impediment to action
becomes part of the action; the obstacle in our way becomes the way forward.”
As I read that passage and reflected on the fact that some adversity is NECESSARY for our
growth, I thought of this wisdom from Robert Emmons and his great book Thanks!: “Not only
does the experience of tragedy give us an exceptional opportunity for growth, but some sort
of suffering is also necessary for a person to achieve maximal psychological growth. In his
study of self-actualizers, the paragons of mental wellness, the famed humanistic psychologist
Abraham Maslow noted that ‘the most important learning lessons... were tragedies, deaths,
and trauma... which forced change in the life-outlook of the person and consequently in
everything that he did.’”
So... Facing any adversity, my beloved Hero? Let’s wave Hermes’ wand, alchemize it into another
opportunity to practice our philosophy as we give ourselves most fully to the world. TODAY.
Brian Johnson,
Philosopher in Residence
If you liked this Note, About the Author of “The Practicing Stoic”
you’ll probably like… WARD FARNSWORTH
How to Be a Stoic
Ward Farnsworth is Dean of the University of Texas School of Law. His prior
How to Think Like a books include the highly regarded Farnsworth’s Classical English Metaphor and
Roman Emperor
Farnsworth’s Classical English Rhetoric, both published by Godine.
The Daily Stoic
The Stoic Challenge
About the Author of This Note
BRIAN JOHNSON
Brian Johnson loves helping people optimize their lives so they can actualize
their potential as he studies, embodies and teaches the fundamentals of optimal
living—integrating ancient wisdom + modern science + practical tools. Learn
more and optimize your life at optimize.me.