{"id":31895,"date":"2021-04-06T10:42:23","date_gmt":"2021-04-06T14:42:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/?p=31895"},"modified":"2021-04-18T13:10:09","modified_gmt":"2021-04-18T17:10:09","slug":"stoic-mindset","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/stoic-mindset\/","title":{"rendered":"Stoic Mindset: The Power of Dispassionate Perception"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

How do Stoics view the world? Can anyone cultivate the Stoic mindset<\/a>?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The key characteristic of the Stoic mindset is dispassionate perception\u2014taking a rather neutral and detached view of life events. Seeing things in this way, as Stoics see them, doesn\u2019t come naturally; it’s a skill you need to develop and hone.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here are some lessons to keep in mind if you want to cultivate the Stoic mindset.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

To Cultivate the Stoic Mindset, <\/strong>Practice Objectivity<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Often, instead of seeing things as they are, we create problems for ourselves by expecting or believing things should be a certain way, or by seeing things that aren\u2019t there. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Stoics use mental exercises to help them see obstacles objectively and learn not to be intimidated\u2014an example is \u201ccontemptuous expression,\u201d in which they describe a situation or object in the most contemptuous terms possible. The idea is to see it without any enhancement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For instance, Marcus Aurelius described things without euphemisms: Roasted meat was a dead animal and expensive wine was simply rotted grapes. Another Stoic, Epictetus, advised students to envision great leaders having sex (to see that they\u2019re just like anyone else).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You can use this technique to downplay or minimize things that intimidate you or stand in your way: \u201cWho\u2019s going to remember this sales pitch a month from now? What\u2019s this sales pitch really going to change in the long run?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There\u2019s another mental trick that sometimes helps if you\u2019re having trouble being objective about a situation you\u2019re involved in. Pretend the situation is happening, not to you, but to someone you know<\/strong>. Think of what you\u2019d advise them to do<\/strong>: What are the different ways they could handle it? It\u2019s always easier to solve someone else\u2019s problems than your own, because you can see their problems more objectively (without the self-pity and excuses that get in your own way).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Remember that your mindset, or how you view things, is a matter of choice. You have the ability to introduce a new perspective into any situation\u2014that is, to view it differently<\/strong>. Your perspective and what you tell yourself about an obstacle affect how easy or difficult it is to overcome.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Power of Stoic Mindset: John D. Rockefeller<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

John D. Rockefeller\u2019s response to the Panic of 1857 is an example of the power of the Stoic mindset.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

(Shortform note: The Panic of 1857 was a national depression triggered when Europe cut back on buying U.S. agricultural products.) The crisis began in Ohio, where Rockefeller was a neophyte investor in Cleveland. As businesses failed, and stock and grain prices plunged, a depression took hold. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Rather than panicking as others did, Rockefeller viewed the financial crisis as a learning opportunity. He closely watched how others behaved; he learned from others\u2019 mistakes and took advantage of them. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Because of what he learned in the Panic of 1857, Rockefeller made a fortune by seizing opportunities to profit during the subsequent financial swings of 1873, 1907, and 1929.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Later in life, he commented that his road to success had begun in the Panic of 1857, in what he termed \u201cthe school of adversity and stress.\u201d He was grateful for the challenges in his life because he learned from them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Additional truths about the Stoic mindset:<\/p>\n\n\n\n