Tools of the Trade: Stoicism

Welcome to Tools of the Trade, a semi-regular column dedicated to providing our business-minded readers with a range of tools, whether it be software, frameworks, philosophies, or even literal tools, that provide some measure of value to any profession.

This week’s tool is Stoicism, a particularly apt tool for these trying times. A school of Hellenistic philosophy, Stoicism has been around since the 3rd century B.C. While typically attributed to Zeno of Citium, its greatest proponents were Epictetus, Seneca, and the Roman Emperor Marcus Aurelius.

At the core of Stoicism is the tenet that virtue is the only good for human beings- the path to happiness exists in the present, accepting the current moment while remaining uninhibited from the shackles of fear and pleasure. The purpose of Stoicism as a philosophy is to provide a framework for living well, to provide a path towards eudaimonia or happiness. Now this doesn’t mean that to become a Stoic, one must first become a philosopher- Stoicism was meant to be practical, actionable, and applicable to every situation at any point in one’s life.

How does one become a Stoic? Marcus Aurelius put it best:

Waste no more time arguing what a good man should be. Be One.

The Stoic is actionable and puts to immediate use the faculties he possesses. To be as good of a person as you can possibly be is to live a good, and happy life. Well and good, but how do you apply and practice this on a day to day basis?

The chief task in life is simply this: to identify and separate matters so that I can say clearly to myself which are externals not under my control, and which have to do with the choices I actually control. Where then do I look for good and evil? Not to uncontrollable externals, but within myself to the choices that are my own.

– Epictetus

A lot of our lives (especially amidst Covid-19) is spent worrying on things that are out of our personal control- to the Stoic, this is time wasted. The Stoic mind reminds itself constantly to not waste this energy, and instead put it to good use towards efforts that we CAN control. This is especially important now. To worry and stress over an uncertain and unknowable future can compromise daily actionable goals. Take the advice of those who lived in similarly difficult times; put your mind to ease, and set it towards solutions that are within your reach.

For more on Stoicism, look into the following:

Meditations by Marcus Aurelius

Letters from a Stoic by Seneca

The discourses of Epictetus with the Encheiridion

Discussions on Stoicism from Maria Popova’s blog, Brain Pickings