What\u2019s a good life? How can you live one?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
According to William B. Irvine, those are the basic questions at the heart of Stoic philosophy, an ancient Greek and Roman school of thought whose answers, he says, are just as relevant today as they were almost 2,000 years ago. In his book A Guide to the Good Life: The Ancient Art of Stoic Joy<\/em>, he shares those answers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Keep reading for an overview of the book, including a brief history of Stoicism, a description of its philosophical tenets, and a step-by-step guide to Stoic techniques designed to help you live well.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n A Guide to the Good Life: The Ancient Art of Stoic Joy<\/a><\/em> was published in 2008 and predates other contemporary reinterpretations of Stoicism such as Ryan Holiday\u2019s The Obstacle Is the Way<\/em><\/a> (2014), Ego Is the Enemy<\/em><\/a> (2016), and The Daily Stoic<\/em><\/a> (2016). The book aims to explain and promote Stoic thought to a modern audience while answering the skepticism some readers might have about Stoicism. Irvine, a philosophy professor and a practicing Stoic, combines analyses of classical Stoic texts with insights gleaned from his life experience in order to create a practical how-to guide to Stoic practice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n We\u2019ve organized this overview into two parts. In Part 1, we\u2019ll explain what Stoicism is, how it promises to deliver a good life, and why its ideas still matter today. In Part 2, we\u2019ll outline six practices you can follow to become a practicing Stoic and build a good life of your own.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Before we get into specific techniques for practicing Stoicism<\/a>, it\u2019s worth unpacking just what we mean when we say that Stoicism is a guide for living well.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Irvine\u2019s version of Stoicism involves developing joy and minimizing unhappiness by controlling your desires and finding internal\u2014rather than external\u2014sources of fulfillment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Stoicism began in Greece around 300 BC and spread to Rome around 140 BC. Irvine describes it as a \u201cphilosophy of life.\u201d In other words, Stoicism isn\u2019t interested in abstract theoretical questions\u2014it\u2019s interested in how to live well<\/a>. Irvine argues that ancient Stoic philosophers were concerned with dispensing practical advice about how you should think and behave in order to achieve a good life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n But what is<\/em> a good life? For the Greek Stoics, Irvine says, having a good life meant living virtuously<\/em>\u2014that is, living as humans were designed to live. The Greek Stoics prized logic and rationality, so for them, to live virtuously meant to exercise reason as fully as possible.<\/p>\n\n\n\n By contrast, Irvine says, the Roman Stoics <\/strong>dropped the emphasis on logic and physics and instead focused on tranquility<\/em>\u2014the lack of negative emotions such as anger and anxiety and the presence of joy\u2014as the basis of a good life. Irvine bases his version of Stoicism entirely on the Roman Stoics because he thinks this emphasis on tranquility is more likely to appeal to modern audiences than the Greeks\u2019 focus on logical virtue.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Irvine says that, when people talk about \u201cbeing stoic\u201d today, they often mean suppressing your emotions<\/a> or managing not to feel anything in the first place. Irvine explains that the truth is just the opposite: The ancient Stoics weren\u2019t opposed to emotions in general\u2014they were only interested in minimizing negative<\/em> emotions, and they looked for ways to actively cultivate joy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Similarly, Irvine says, the ancient Stoics believed you could enjoy pleasures and luxuries as long as you related to them correctly, which meant neither craving them nor getting attached to them. Consequently, several of Irvine\u2019s Stoic practices are designed to help you tame your desires by appreciating what you already have and ignoring things that don\u2019t really matter.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Moreover, Irvine argues, the ancient Stoics emphasized life\u2019s temporary nature. They warned that if you rely on external things<\/a> to make you happy, you\u2019ll be unhappy<\/em> when you inevitably lose those things.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Irvine argues that Stoicism is valuable because most people today don\u2019t actually know what they want out of life. As a result, they pursue things that society says they should value. Irvine argues that external rewards like these can\u2019t<\/em> make you happy and that, if you spend your life pursuing them, you run the risk of regretting your choices later on. Moreover, Irvine points out that, even if you do <\/em>know what you want out of life<\/a>, you might not know how to get it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Irvine says that Stoicism answers both of these concerns. It tells you what<\/em> to pursue\u2014tranquility\u2014and how<\/em> you can achieve it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n We\u2019ll take a look at how you can actually develop a Stoic practice by following six basic techniques Irvine derives from ancient Stoic philosophy. Irvine recommends practicing one technique at a time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Because one of the main goals of Stoicism is to tame desire, one key skill to learn is how not to want things you don\u2019t have. According to Irvine, one of the best ways to do so is to learn to want the things you already<\/em> have by taking time each day to imagine losing them. Irvine says that this practice, known as negative visualization<\/a><\/em>, teaches you to appreciate what you already have and helps you deal with actual loss when it happens.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Negative visualization makes you happier in several ways. First, negative visualization makes you appreciate what you have instead of wanting something more. Second, anticipating calamities prepares you to deal with them when they do<\/em> occur. Third, Irvine argues that you can ease your grief after a loss with a variation on this technique\u2014think about what your life would have been like if you\u2019d never had the person or thing that you\u2019ve lost.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Irvine points out that one of the reasons to get rid of desire is that, often, we lack the power to actually get<\/em> the things we want. Therefore, he says, <\/strong>the ancient Stoics recommended that you worry about only the things that you can actually control. Irvine explains that the key is to recognize that you have degrees <\/em>of control over different aspects of your life:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Irvine says the important lesson is that it\u2019s fine to care about and work toward things you have partial control over, but he suggests that as you do so, you should be careful to set goals based only on things that are fully under your control.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Similarly, Irvine recommends keeping in mind that the past and the present are beyond your control: You can\u2019t do anything to change what\u2019s already happened, and because the present itself is determined by the past, you can\u2019t change it<\/em> either. He recommends that you accept the past and present as they are, and instead worry about the future, which you can<\/em> still influence.<\/p>\n\n\n\n As you learn to focus on only the things you can control, you\u2019ll gradually realize that one thing you can\u2019t<\/em> control is other people. For that reason, Irvine suggests being careful about how you relate to others. According to Irvine, the ancient Stoics argued that you should avoid people who put an unnecessary strain on your Stoic practices, such as overly negative people and people who value the wrong things in life. At the same time, Irvine explains, the ancient Stoics believed that you have a duty to other people, so you should be patient and forgiving.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Irvine cautions that, as a Stoic, you must learn to shrug off insults. Irvine suggests that you consider your opinion of the other person\u2014do you even care what she thinks? Remember that you can only control your own thoughts and that you can only be hurt if you let yourself be. Instead of fighting back against the insult, Irvine recommends that you disarm the situation by responding either with humor or not at all.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Above all, Irvine points out, the ancient Stoics recommended that you avoid anger at all costs\u2014speaking or acting in anger ultimately gives other people<\/em> control over you and your behavior. The ancient Stoics suggested remembering that life is short and that most things don\u2019t matter as much as we think they do in the moment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n As you practice focusing on only what you can control<\/a> and ignoring what other people think of you, you\u2019ll eventually realize that many of the things we think<\/em> are important\u2014such as fame, luxury, and wealth\u2014actually aren\u2019t. In fact, Irvine says that pursuing these things tends to make us unhappy<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n For instance, the ancient Stoics argued that you shouldn\u2019t seek fame or approval. Likewise, Irvine says, the ancient Stoics suggested that you should avoid luxury (meaning unnecessarily fine, expensive, or high-quality things). Irvine explains that the ancient Stoics weren\u2019t opposed to pleasure in and of itself, but they were cautious about luxury because they feared it would destroy their capacity to enjoy simple things.<\/p>\n\n\n\n That said, according to Irvine, if you happen to achieve fame or wealth, enjoy them\u2014just don\u2019t cling to them. Be prepared to lose them at any time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n One way to avoid clinging to wealth and status is to deliberately seek out discomfort<\/strong>. Doing so builds up your tolerance for unpleasant experiences and makes them less of a big deal for you. Irvine notes that this voluntary discomfort<\/a> can be physical or emotional.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If you follow this practice regularly, Irvine says, you\u2019ll worry less about bad things that might befall you in the future because you\u2019ll already know you can handle any situation.<\/p>\n\n\n\nA Guide to the Good Life: The Ancient Art of Stoic Joy<\/em><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Part 1: Why Stoicism Matters Today<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
What Stoicism Is\u2014and Isn\u2019t<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
The Pursuit of the Good Life<\/h5>\n\n\n\n
Stoic Beliefs vs. Contemporary Misconceptions<\/h5>\n\n\n\n
Why Practice Stoicism?<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
Part 2: How to Practice Stoicism<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Practice #1: Learn to Want What You Have Using Negative Visualization<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
Practice #2: Focus on What You Can Control<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
Practice #3: Don\u2019t Let Other People Bring You Down<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
Practice #4: Ignore Things That Don\u2019t Matter<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
Practice #5: Seek Out Discomfort<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
Practice #6: Monitor Your Progress<\/h4>\n\n\n\n