How many problems does the modern human face today? So many that this entire text could be spent simply listing them. It’s enough to say — there are many, too many. To begin with, there are the existential problems. It’s well known what a person needs just to survive — food, water, a roof over their head… Unfortunately, we live in a world where many people don’t even have these most basic needs met. And among those who do, peace and calm are often lacking, primarily due to a constant fear — conscious or unconscious — that even the bare essentials we have today could be gone tomorrow. We live in a time dominated by uncertainty, which in turn causes vast amounts of stress, suffering, and worry.
Furthermore, we live in a world bombarded by information of all kinds, often negative, depressing, and frustrating. On top of that, the world we live in doesn’t really have a clear idea of “how to live.” Individualism has largely triumphed, and while it can offer certain advantages and personal freedoms, something has been lost in the process. That “something” is described differently by everyone, but many would agree it resembles a “compass” — a set of values by which one could live — and that compass is missing.
This is especially evident among younger people, particularly the generation that came of age during or after the major technological boom. The technological revolution placed emphasis on exact facts, on the triumph of reason and rationality over emotional or spiritual frameworks. And while there are certainly many benefits in that, for many — perhaps even all — this transformation has also led to a strange kind of emptiness.
New generations can no longer “retreat” into the refuge of religion as their parents, and especially their grandparents, once could. One could even argue that the spread of the absence of “traditional belief” feels, to many, like an unwanted side effect — not a conclusion they reached by contemplating the nature of man, God, Earth, and the universe. These are people who realize that with the loss of religion, they’ve also lost a kind of useful shelter, inner peace, calm… not only when facing life’s challenges, but also regarding the very finiteness of life itself.
Of course, returning to religion isn’t really an option, as religion — apart from often undermining itself with political entanglements — fails to offer what drove people away in the first place: concrete facts. Does this mean that the growing number of people are doomed to live “at the mercy of fate,” making do as best they can?
In truth — yes, and many don’t manage. We shouldn’t shy away from the fact that people today are deeply psychologically affected — there is a sharp rise in the number of people suffering from depression, anxiety, fear, and the feeling that everything around them has become too big, too heavy to carry on their shoulders. Sadly, such mental suffering can sometimes lead to the worst outcome: suicide — which is also on the rise. Society addresses these issues in its own way — psychotherapy and medicine recognize the problem and offer their solutions. Additionally, there are numerous other groups and individuals offering their own “fixes.” We’re witnessing a flood of so-called “self-help” books, self-proclaimed gurus, new religious sects hunting down “lost sheep”… Some people may find solutions in that sea of choices, but often these approaches work like a crash diet — the weight comes back, and in this case, so do the psychological problems.
Why? Because the solutions are incomplete or poorly structured. In psychology, for example, there are many schools of thought — some advocate only looking toward the future, others endlessly dig into the past, etc. One might argue that a certain school offers better results for a specific person than another, but even then it’s not a complete solution — not a comprehensive life philosophy.
So what is a “complete life philosophy”? Many sages throughout history would say: it’s what an individual ultimately creates and defines for themselves. And they would be right. But building something that comprehensive without first finding a solid foundation can be a complicated — even futile — process. That’s why we’ll turn our attention today to one such philosophy — one that is all-encompassing and has proven its “effectiveness” through two millennia of existence: Stoicism.
You’ve surely encountered the term — when someone says “he endured that stoically”? It means he bore something — often something hard — firmly, without being shaken, disturbed, or broken… Yes, in the briefest terms, that is Stoicism, and that “something hard” is actually life itself. Stoicism is a guide to living — how to live and how to face life well, regardless of the situation, hardship, problem, or challenge. To be clear: Stoicism is definitely not a “masochistic” approach to life, nor does it seek out suffering — quite the opposite. Stoicism advocates for a life filled with happiness, peace, joy, and freedom. On the other hand, Stoicism is an incredibly powerful “weapon” for defense against even the gravest of life’s problems. You could even say it’s a kind of “superpower” that makes the individual — the follower of this philosophy — indestructible, unbreakable.
Importantly, the core principles of Stoicism are not something complex that would require lifelong study (although that certainly wouldn’t hurt). The basic ideas are, in essence, very simple, practical, and accessible to all.
As you might have guessed, Stoicism is a school of philosophy from ancient Greece. Its founder is Zeno of Citium, and its notable representatives include Chrysippus, Seneca the Younger, Epictetus (a former slave), and, of course, the most powerful Stoic of all — in fact, the most powerful man in the world at that time — Emperor Marcus Aurelius.
Naturally, we could write extensively about Stoicism and its history, but it’s more engaging to jump straight into the core of the idea. Stoicism teaches us that we must accept the moment exactly as it presents itself. The moment happens outside of us — say, we’re facing job loss, going through a painful divorce, fearing the state of the world amid pandemics and climate extremes, or we’re just angry at someone in traffic — any of these can be the moment, the situation. But — and here’s the key — we are the ones who process it mentally and decide how to respond. We decide, in our own mind, whether something will affect us, leave us indifferent, inspire positive change, or break us.
Perhaps the most famous Stoic, Seneca, once said:
“We suffer more often in imagination than in reality.”
And this quote, more than any other, perhaps most beautifully captures what Stoicism truly is. The messages are short, very clear — and they can change a person’s life forever. Let’s pause for a moment. What exactly does it mean to suffer more in imagination than in reality? It means we often interpret situations more negatively than necessary. We’re overtaken by fear, anger, or helplessness — sometimes over completely trivial things. Why? Perhaps it’s a habit we’ve formed ourselves, perhaps we simply haven’t devoted enough time to our own mental hygiene, but the statement remains undeniably true — we create scenarios of catastrophe, panic, and hopelessness in our own minds.
The Stoics would suggest a different approach—instead of giving in to those sufferings, ask yourself this: what’s the worst that can happen? Let’s say you’ve seriously messed up at work. The worst might be that you lose your job. So what? Will you lose your life in the process? What are the chances that you’ll manage and find a new job? Maybe even a worse one? Why assume it would be worse? And if it is, gather your strength to seek out a better one again. On top of that, your fear of possibly losing your job because of that mistake might be completely unfounded.
But you’re still afraid? Your boss is making a decision tomorrow and that’s keeping you up at night? Stoicism would again say—that makes no sense. First of all, you’re not your boss—he’ll make the decision regardless of whether you sleep tonight or not. Moreover, if you must worry about his reaction, then worry about it tomorrow, when it’s actually relevant—not tonight, before anything has even happened.
As you’ve probably noticed by now, Stoicism is profoundly focused on the present. Doesn’t that make perfect sense? Everything that happened in the past, whether yesterday or ten years ago, is now something you cannot change no matter how hard you try. Does that mean we should practice some kind of self-induced amnesia? No, Stoicism doesn’t advocate that—its stance on the past is very clear: regarding everything that has happened to you, good or bad, take a position, extract a lesson (preferably one that will bring something positive in the future), and that’s it—there’s no point in going back, because you don’t live in the past, but in the present that surrounds you.
And how should we approach the present? Accept it fully, no matter what it looks like. But not in a way that makes you resign to it as something permanent. Instead, realistically assess everything you don’t like in your current life and move forward with the idea of changing it, day by day.
Keep in mind that you will almost certainly not achieve all your goals—that would be unrealistic. Live primarily for today, as if each day were a new life, in harmony with nature and the world around you. Stoicism teaches us not to let any extreme rule over us—neither the desire for pleasure nor the fear of pain. Moderation is the key, along with justice, honesty, and courage. These are all “pillars” of the Stoic way of life.
Let’s look at a few quotes, staying with Seneca for now:
“True happiness is to enjoy the present, without anxious dependence upon the future, not to amuse ourselves with either hopes or fears but to rest satisfied with what we have, which is sufficient, for he that is so wants nothing.”
“Life is like a story; it’s not how long it is, but how good it is that matters.”
“Every night before going to sleep, we must ask ourselves this: what weakness did I overcome today? What virtue did I acquire?”
“Difficulties strengthen the mind, just as labor strengthens the body.”
“Associate with people who will make you better.”
“A man is not affected by events, but by the view he takes of them.”
“You wish to live—but you do not know how to live? You fear death—but tell me, is such a life any different from death?”
“It is not that we have a short time to live, but that we waste much of it… Life is long enough, but we squander it.”
“If you really want to escape the things that are bothering you, the solution isn’t to be in a different place but to be a different person.”
“He suffers more than is necessary, who suffers before it is necessary.”
Let us conclude this small overview of Stoic wisdom with a beautiful quote from Emperor Marcus Aurelius:
“When you arise in the morning, think of what a precious privilege it is to be alive—to breathe, to think, to enjoy, to love.”
And truly, that is a mindset that both emperor and pauper can adopt—then and now. Clearly, adopting a Stoic lifestyle doesn’t come from reading a few wise quotes from sages who lived two thousand years ago—it comes through practice and learning, both of which are quite simple. One of the core principles is this—why turn this into something? “This” refers to some annoyance or obstacle. You arrive at a store on a hot day only to find the doors closed because the shopkeeper is on vacation. Will you turn “this” into “something”? Will you really let something so trivial ruin your mood? It may sound trivial, but you’d be surprised how many people lose their temper over even smaller things.
Being a Stoic doesn’t mean being devoid of emotion—just read the above quote from Marcus Aurelius. Does he sound like a cold, emotionless man moving through life “like a robot”? Absolutely not! Stoicism celebrates life and the enjoyment of life. Because life can truly be a glorification of the present. At the same time, Stoicism teaches total emotional resilience to any of life’s hardships. The emphasis is on emotional resilience, not emotional suppression.
One “trick” a Stoic can use is to imagine various scenarios ahead of time. What kind? Death of loved ones, illness, poverty, loss… Unfortunately, many difficult situations will inevitably occur at some point. We cannot avoid tragedy and pain, but we can be more prepared by accepting that these are inevitable episodes of life. The goal of this “exercise” is not to obsess over losing loved ones—on the contrary—it’s to feel grateful that they are still here, just as you are.
Or imagine that you were in a traffic accident and became disabled. A grim thought, yes, but it happens to people every day. If you survived, you’ll continue to live—life isn’t over until it’s over, and fear and false hope only detract from life. It may sound bizarre or even radical—but a Stoic who ends up in a wheelchair might live a better and more fulfilled life than someone who is completely physically able but “doesn’t know how to live.”
And to live… to live is above all else, so unique, and yet so fragile. Seneca once said: “You do not know where death awaits you, so be ready for it everywhere.”
It’s fascinating how some core thoughts and life philosophies have remained unchanged for two thousand years. Stoicism was born as a teaching on the indestructibility of the individual in the face of life’s problems, and it’s still fully applicable to today’s human being, who faces so much. Stoicism is a philosophy that works directly and sharply, without much pretense. Life is something to be lived now, not after reading fifty books about it. Most problems are imaginary—we worry about what has been or what will be and harm ourselves. If we adopted only this one idea from all of Stoic teaching—that suffering almost always exists more in our minds than in reality—our lives would be different.
From big to small problems, Stoicism offers itself as a pillar of resistance and strength. We can apply its teachings to minor daily annoyances and to the major ones that weigh heavily on us. Think of how much you’ve worried about something that is now in the past and actually turned out fine. What did you gain from all that worrying? Nothing—maybe a new wrinkle on your forehead or a stomach ulcer. Not to mention the time lost.
The past is gone, and the future will come. Do what you can, and accept that you are not a miracle-worker. Things will go wrong sometimes, and that shouldn’t “crush” us, because no matter how hard we try, something may go awry despite our best efforts. The world around us is huge and unfolds independently of our desires—and we must be aware of that. Stoicism includes an interesting analogy of the archer… Imagine a master archer. He has a perfect bow and arrow, has trained hard for years, and now he aims at the target… He pulls back the bowstring, gets into position, does everything right, down to the millimeter. But the moment he releases the arrow, his effort ends—“fate” takes over, and we no longer have influence. A gust of wind may blow, or the target may shift. Yet, even if he misses, our archer can be satisfied because he gave his best.
That too is what Stoicism teaches us. Give your best—the goal of life is certainly not to lie on the couch contemplating how wonderful it is to be alive (although a little of that now and then doesn’t hurt!). Whatever will be, will be—but today, you are still here, and that fact is more important than anything currently bothering you. Around us is a world that is far from perfect, unstable, and unpredictable—a world that, with these characteristics (many of which we as a species created), will unfortunately consume the mental health of many, and countless people will live without ever truly “living.”
On the other hand, a person can become unbreakable to external influences by first becoming the master of their own mind, of their own thoughts. And in doing so, one must be careful about what kind of images and thoughts are even allowed into the mind.
To be a Stoic doesn’t mean being unfeeling—it means being at ease with your emotions, all of them. A Stoic also understands that as such, they neither can nor should be part of the crowd. Marcus Aurelius put it this way: “The goal of life is not to be on the side of the majority but to escape finding oneself in the ranks of the insane.”
Stoicism doesn’t require expensive courses, “secret mantras,” or new editions… In fact, when you look closely at most self-help books, you quickly realize they are just rehashing fundamental ideas—often polluted with nonsense and “new age” fluff. Why seek out some self-proclaimed “guru” when we already have the titans of the past—Seneca, Marcus Aurelius, Epictetus—whose words have been confirmed by centuries of wisdom and relevance?
A Stoic is always focused on what can be changed and improved but does not waste energy on what they know cannot be changed. A Stoic sees every problem as an opportunity. The German philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche (who surely deserves a full discussion of his own in the future) wrote about the concept of amor fati, or “love of fate.” The idea is that a person should not only accept everything that happens to them in life—including (especially) the bad—but embrace it and be grateful that it happened. This is not just a continuation of the idea that “what doesn’t kill us makes us stronger,” but it also opens new perspectives and ways of seeing life—it makes life more real, and us more alive.
Above all, the Stoic does not fear death. They are immune to the fear of death and use its inevitability to give life both value and joy. Seneca says: “Greet each coming day as the best day that has ever come—make it your possession.”
Marcus Aurelius always advocated seeing “the bigger picture” and viewing every situation “from above.” It’s a useful technique for putting problems into perspective. “Imagine how vast the universe is, and how tiny the space you occupy,” the famous Roman emperor would say.
And finally—a Stoic always learns something new; their mind does not rest. And it’s never too late, no matter your age, to start learning something new today. Being open to new knowledge is essential, even if we think we already know a lot—because as Epictetus reminds us: “A man cannot learn what he thinks he already knows.”
Is Stoicism for you? Of course, at the end of the day, everyone chooses their own path. But in times like these, it wouldn’t hurt to give Stoicism a chance—or at least incorporate parts of this philosophy into what should ultimately become each person’s personal life philosophy.
One more quote from Seneca seems like a fitting conclusion, don’t you agree?
“What prevents us from saying that a happy life is one with a mind that is free, elevated, fearless, and unwavering—a mind placed beyond reach of fear, beyond reach of desire, a mind that recognizes virtue as the only good, baseness as the only evil, and all else as indifferent, things that come and go without adding or taking away from what is good or from the happiness of life? A person so grounded must, whether they want to or not, be accompanied by constant serenity and deep joy—for they take pleasure in what they are, and do not crave greater joys than their own inner peace.”
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