I think I’ve misunderstood what It means to be stoic. When someone is described as stoic, it’s implied that they are able to cope well with a difficult situation, which they can. But it’s much more than that. The media use of the the word sells it short: a person who can endure pain or hardship without showing their feelings or complaining. It’s not about hiding behind an impassive face. Maybe the best way to think about it is to remember Spock from Star Trek. It wasn’t that he didn’t show emotion. His reaction to a situation was to apply logic. Which was gently ridiculed in the show, especially by Bones. 

I suspect he asked himself some questions before deciding a course of action: 

- could he control it, 

- could he solve the problem, 

- did he need to react, 

- was the answer his to provide.

This was familiar to me.

Key tenets

Virtue: The practice of virtue is enough to achieve a well-lived life

Equanimity: React to outside stimuli with equanimity, or without complaint

Self-control: Marshal the virtues of courage, temperance, justice, and wisdom to achieve self-control

Simplicity: Put aside passions and strong emotions in favor of a simple life

How to apply Stoicism

Acknowledge your emotions

Reflect on what causes your emotions

Redirect your emotions for your own good

Write down thoughts that feel centering, inspiring, or helpful

Make an active to-do list

If you are are a regular reader of my blogs you will have seen my path to where I am now.

Achieving a stoic life can be charted by some of my blog posts.

Thinking about this now; I can attribute some of my mental health improvement to this new outlook.