Book SummaryA Guide to the Good Life, by William B. Irvine

1-Page Summary1-Page Book Summary of A Guide to the Good Life

What’s a good life—and how can you live one? 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 A Guide to the Good Life, Irvine offers a brief history of Stoicism, an overview of its philosophical tenets, and a step-by-step guide to Stoic techniques designed to help you live well—which means being happier, calmer, and more fulfilled.

A Guide to the Good Life was published in 2008 and predates other contemporary...

A Guide to the Good Life Summary What Stoicism Is—and Isn’t

To better understand Stoic thought—and to avoid some contemporary misconceptions about what it means to be “stoic”—we’ll briefly consider the historical context and basic tenets of Stoicism. As we’ll see, Irvine’s version of Stoicism involves developing joy and minimizing unhappiness by controlling your desires and finding internal—rather than external—sources of fulfillment.

The Pursuit of the Good Life

Stoicism began in Greece around 300 BC and spread to Rome around 140 BC. Irvine describes it as a “philosophy of life.” In other words, Stoicism isn’t interested in abstract theoretical questions—it’s interested in how to live well. 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. (Shortform note: In solving everyday problems with straightforward advice, Stoicism is very different from most forms of contemporary philosophy, which have been criticized for focusing on abstract thought puzzles, sociopolitical arguments, or the history of philosophy itself.)

But what is a good life? For...

A Guide to the Good Life Summary Why Practice Stoicism?

Irvine argues that Stoicism is valuable because most people today don’t actually know what they want out of life. As a result, they pursue things that society says they should value (such as wealth, fame, success, and material possessions), assuming these things will make them happy. Irvine argues that external rewards like these can’t 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 know what you want out of life, you might not know how to get it. For example, you might want to care less about what other people think of you, but still find yourself craving popularity and approval.

(Shortform note: In [The Subtle Art of Not Giving a Fck](https://shortform.com/app/book/the-subtle-art-of-not-giving-a-f-ck)*, Mark Manson agrees that contemporary society pushes us to value the wrong things, and he adds that one of the problems is that we wrongly believe that we should be happy all the time. In fact, Manson argues, unhappiness is a normal and necessary part...

A Guide to the Good Life Summary Practice #1: Learn to Want What You Have Using Negative Visualization

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’t have. According to Irvine, one of the best ways to do so is to learn to want the things you already have by taking time each day to imagine losing them. Irvine says that this practice, known as negative visualization, teaches you to appreciate what you already have and helps you deal with actual loss when it happens. The point isn’t to dwell on negative thoughts or generate anxiety about what could go wrong—it’s to remind yourself to pay attention to and enjoy the life you already have.

(Shortform note: “Negative visualization” is a contemporary term for a practice that doesn’t seem to have had a specific label among the ancient Stoics. In fact, the practice didn’t originate with the Stoics—scholars believe it may date back to the Cyrenaic school of philosophy, one of the precursors to Stoicism, from whom [it was adopted by...

A Guide to the Good Life Summary Practice #2: Focus on What You Can Control

Irvine points out that one of the reasons to get rid of desire is that often, we lack the power to actually get the things we want. Therefore, he says, the ancient Stoics recommended that you only worry about the things that you can actually control. Otherwise, if you base your happiness on factors or outcomes that you don’t fully control, you effectively give up control of your happiness. For example, if you think you’ll only be happy if you get a promotion at work—an outcome you can’t actually control—you’re setting yourself up for disappointment and unhappiness if you don’t get it.

(Shortform note: Similarly, in The Happiness Hypothesis, Jonathan Haidt argues that you can’t directly create happiness—instead, you can only create the conditions for it, wait patiently, and allow (not force) it to arise when the time is right. Likewise, in advising you to focus only on what you can control, the Stoics suggest that you can create the conditions for success, but not success itself.)

This recommendation might seem...

A Guide to the Good Life Summary Practice #3: Don’t Let Other People Bring You Down

As you learn to focus only on the things you can control, you’ll gradually realize that one thing you can’t control is other people. For that reason, Irvine suggests being careful about how you relate to others—specifically, he says you should be careful about the company you keep and learn how to handle negative interactions productively.

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. For example, if you’re trying to follow the Stoic practice of making the best of bad situations, you’ll find it harder to do so if you associate with someone who always sees the worst side of things and seems to seek out misfortune. Similarly, if you’re trying to adopt a Stoic disregard for material goods, you may find it harder to do so if your friends are constantly concerned with things like the latest fashions and electronics.

(Shortform note: In The Success Principles, Jack Canfield suggests that it’s not enough just to cut out people who are negative influences—he...

A Guide to the Good Life Summary Practice #4: Ignore Things That Don’t Matter

As you practice focusing only on what you can control and ignoring what other people think of you, you’ll eventually realize that many of the things we think are important—such as fame, luxury, and wealth—actually aren’t. In fact, Irvine says that pursuing these things tends to make us unhappy.

For instance, the ancient Stoics argued that you shouldn’t seek fame or approval. To begin with, both of these depend on how other people react to you, which means you have at best limited control over them (and as we saw earlier, you should avoid setting goals for things you can’t control). Besides, people’s opinions are fickle, so even if you gain esteem, you’ll likely lose it again anyway. Therefore, if you find yourself craving approval, Irvine suggests asking yourself the same question you might ask when insulted: Why do you care what anyone else thinks—why give them that power over you?

(Shortform note: In The Courage to Be Disliked, Ichiro Kishimi and Fumitake Koga agree that seeking approval only leads to unhappiness. They add that when you inevitably fail to gain the universal approval you seek, you...

A Guide to the Good Life Summary Practice #5: Seek Out Discomfort

One way to avoid clinging to wealth and status is to deliberately seek out discomfort. 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 can be physical or emotional. For example, you could choose not to use your car’s air conditioner on a hot summer day, or you could volunteer to give a presentation even though you fear public speaking. If you follow this practice regularly, Irvine says, you’ll worry less about bad things that might befall you in the future because you’ll already know you can handle any situation.

(Shortform note: This practice is similar to what modern psychology calls exposure therapy—a technique whereby a therapist helps a patient confront a feared object (such...

A Guide to the Good Life Summary Practice #6: Monitor Your Progress

Finally, as you gradually incorporate the other practices, Irvine recommends that you keep track of your growth as a Stoic by analyzing your day-to-day progress and noting ongoing changes in your emotions and behaviors. To do so, Irvine recommends that you take time each night to reflect on the day’s events and evaluate your responses to challenges you faced. Did you let other people upset you? Did you give in to a temptation? Did you successfully let go of your worry about something you couldn’t control?

The answers to questions like these give you immediate feedback about what you’re doing well and where you might improve your efforts. You can also use this reflection to check whether you’re actually using the Stoic techniques you’ve learned. Irvine explains that some techniques—especially negative visualization—are easy to forget about when life is going well, but your nightly reflection can remind you to apply them.

(Shortform note: Irvine describes this practice as a “bedtime meditation,” but it bears little resemblance to the sort of meditation that involves [stilling the mind and...

Shortform Exercise: Plan Your Own Stoic Practice

Irvine describes Stoicism as a hands-on, practical philosophy. In this exercise, reflect on what it would be like to develop your own Stoic practice.

How might a Stoic practice benefit you? What specific problems or challenges do you think Stoicism could help you with?