This is what happens when people lazily base their opinions solely on secondary sources, especially ones that aren’t focused, without bothering to study history or philosophy properly — they come away with a very superficial and misguided understanding of the subject. Go and study the history of the era and the primary sources if you want a more accurate and balanced version of events. For example, not only progressives fought oppressive political-economic structures, for goodness’ sakes. Cato of Utica was an arch conservative but he was also the most stringent opponent of the populist Julius Caesar’s dictatorship. Famous Roman progressives like the Gracchi were influenced by Stoicism. You might also want to look up the Stoic Martyrs, and other members of the Stoic Opposition, who faced death and exile in order to oppose tyrannical emperors, contrary to what you’ve just written. Stoicism was also not entirely confined to the upper classes — Cleanthes, the second head of the school, was an ex boxer who watered gardens for a living, and Epictetus, the most famous Roman teacher of Stoicism, as you should know, was a former slave.
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How to Think Like Marcus Aurelius
Three Simple Ways that Stoicism can Change your Mindset
Three Simple Ways that Stoicism can Change your Mindset
The Meditations of the Roman emperor Marcus Aurelius is one of the most cherished and widely-read self-help classics of all time. His personal reflections contain a lot of good advice based on the ancient Stoic philosophy that he followed.
Below, I’ve outlined three of the most simple and practical Stoic exercises that you’ll find within the pages of The Meditations.
I’ve been researching Stoicism for nearly a quarter of a century, from my early days as a student of academic philosophy to my later career as a cognitive-behavioural psychotherapist deeply engaged with psychological-resilience training. I’m the author of several books on Stoicism, including a recent one on Marcus Aurelius called How to Think Like a Roman Emperor. Over the years, I’ve observed that although people love The Meditations they often struggle to know how to put Marcus’ psychological wisdom into practice. Below, I’ve outlined three of the most simple and practical Stoic exercises that you’ll find within the pages of The Meditations.
1. Living in Accord with Virtue
This is arguably the single most important strategy used by Marcus. Stoic philosophy was based on the premise that the fundamental goal (telos in Greek) of life is “living in agreement with Nature”. That doesn’t mean hugging trees, though. The Stoics believed that our ability to think is what really defines human nature. So the goal of their philosophy is living consistently in accord with reason. The word “philosophy”, φιλοσοφία in Greek, means “love of wisdom”. Stoicism therefore, as a philosophy of life, means actually putting this into practice by trying to live wisely. Reason, for the Stoics, is the foundation of all the other virtues.
Easier said than done, right? What matters most, though, is the intention to be guided consistently by your better wisdom. Marcus appears to have regularly checked whether his actions were in alignment with reason and his core values, perhaps several times per day. He frequently asked himself whether individual acts, or even thoughts, are actually necessary for a creature living in accord with reason. Much of what we think to ourselves and do outwardly, he said, is totally superfluous on closer inspection, and merely diverts us from our true purpose.
There are interesting variations of this technique in The Meditations. We’re to pause and ask ourselves of any action how it reflects on our character — “Am I acting like a wise Sage right now,” for example, “or like a childish, foolish or vicious person?” We’re to ask ourselves what the likely consequences of our actions are and whether we might regret them later.
Perhaps the most dramatic version advises us to radically question the importance of what we’re seeking:
On the occasion of every individual thing that you do, pause and ask yourself if death is a dreadful thing because it deprives you of this. — Marcus Aurelius
Are you afraid of dying because you’ll miss an episode of your favourite soap opera or because you’ll not be able to go on Facebook any more? Presumably not, right? It’s a roundabout way of asking: “This thing I’m doing right now — does it really add value to my life?” How important, ultimately, is it to you? This is a profound type of self-discipline and it requires sacrifice: letting go of things that you desire but which aren’t really important in the grand scheme. Cutting away the dead wood by quitting all those activities that feel attractive but aren’t really doing you any good in the long-run.
2. Suspending Judgment
Living consistently in accord with wisdom and our core values, and fulfilling our fundamental goal in life, is a tall order, isn’t it? The two biggest obstacles, arguably, are fear and craving. Replacing these with more rational and healthy emotions was the basis of what’s sometimes called the ancient Stoic “therapy of the passions”.
Cognitive-behavioural therapy (CBT), the leading evidence-based form of modern psychotherapy was originally inspired by Stoicism. Albert Ellis, the New York psychotherapist who developed the earliest form of CBT, in the 1950s, used to teach a quote from the Stoic philosopher Epictetus to most of his students and therapy clients:
Men are disturbed not by things, but by the views which they take of them. — Epictetus
Marcus Aurelius, who was heavily influenced himself by Epictetus, paraphrases this saying several times:
If thou are pained by any external thing, it is not the thing that disturbs thee, but thine own judgment about it. And it is in thy power to wipe out this judgment now. — Marcus Aurelius
Indeed, those very words from The Meditations were quoted by Aaron T. Beck, the other main founder of CBT, in his first book on the subject Cognitive Therapy and the Emotional Disorders (1976). So although our first strategy above was arguably more fundamental to the philosophy, this concept has become the most influential aspect of ancient Stoicism’s legacy.
We call this “cognitive distancing” today, meaning the ability to separate your thoughts from the external events to which they refer. The basis of Stoic therapy is the ability to suspend our value judgements, by realizing that “there’s nothing good or bad but thinking makes it so”, as Shakespeare put it in Hamlet. At least, that’s true with regard to external events, for Stoics what’s truly good or bad isn’t what happens to us but how we decide to respond. Marcus frequently reminded himself of this in order to maintain a healthy sense of cognitive distance from and flexibility toward external events.
3. The View from Above
Lastly, we come to one of the most striking contemplative exercises found in The Meditations, dubbed “The View from Above” by modern scholars. Marcus refers to this several times, especially toward the end of the book.
He who is discoursing about men should look also at earthly things as if he viewed them from some higher place. He should look at them in their assemblies, armies, agricultural labors, marriages, treaties, births, deaths, noise of the courts of justice, desert places, various nations of barbarians, feasts, lamentations, markets, a mixture of all things and an orderly combination of contraries.
This exercise involves visualizing your life as though seen from high above. The obvious analogy, from Greek mythology, would the perspective of Zeus looking down on mortals from atop Mount Olympus.
More fundamentally, though, the Stoics believed that the truth consists in the whole picture. When we forget this, and view events more selectively, we take them out of context, and inflate their significance in a way that causes all sorts of emotional upset and confusion. We could even call this a “lie of omission” that we commit, toward ourselves. In contrast to this, broadening our perspective, in terms both of time and space, allows us to see things more objectively.
Psychologists know today that strong emotions such as fear and anger cause people to narrow their field of attention, and to focus more selectively on the things that are upsetting them. In anxiety, that’s called “threat monitoring”. It probably served some evolutionary purpose but it comes at a hefty price. If we’re not careful, we lose perspective by entering into a form of tunnel-vision about the problems we’re facing in life. The Stoics, on the other hand, realized that wisdom consists in seeing the bigger picture.
What else?
Many more psychological strategies and techniques, such as these, are clearly described in the ancient Stoic texts. In my first book on Stoicism, The Philosophy of CBT, eighteen altogether were identified. However, I think living in agreement with virtue, suspending judgment, and the view from above, are three of the most fundamental and important ones. Doing these regularly, maybe every day, would provide anyone with a solid foundation for training themselves in Stoicism as a philosophy of life.
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The Loeb edition by CR Haines.
The Loeb edition by CR Haines.
Great questions. Thanks Kasey! And please, everyone check out her new course.
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How Stoicism Can Help You Get Unstuck
Interview with author and CBT therapist, Donald Robertson
Sometimes we all feel a bit stuck. Perhaps you’re making no headway with an important project or task. Perhaps you’re just feeling stuck in general, when you think about your life as a whole.
Some people get stuck and remain stuck for a long time. That can be the cause of a lot of suffering for them. It can also lead to other problems, such as through the wider and longer-term impact on their confidence, mental or physical health, work, studies, or their relationships with other people.
Some of us really struggle to get unstuck. However, there are others who cope well, and manage to get through periods of stuckness, and break free from them, relatively quickly or easily. So what are the crucial differences between those of us who cope badly with stuckness and those lucky souls who cope better?
Donald got straight into a discussion of practical hints and tips, based on his clinical experience, and knowledge of practical philosophy.
I asked author and cognitive-behavioural psychotherapist, Donald Robertson, for his advice. Donald has been helping therapy clients and coaching all sorts of high-functioning professionals, helping them to get unstuck, for over two decades now. He’s the author of six books on philosophy and psychotherapy, including the recent best seller on Stoicism and cognitive-behavioural therapy (CBT), How to Think Like a Roman Emperor: The Stoic Philosophy of Marcus Aurelius, published by St Martin’s Press. Donald got straight into a discussion of practical hints and tips, based on his clinical experience, and knowledge of practical philosophy. He focused on some of the techniques that have proven most helpful to his clients in the past. Here’s what he said…
Q: What are your favourite ways of helping people get unstuck?
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Well done, great article!
Well done, great article!
Hi everyone,
Hi everyone,
Just a quick reminder that the Marcus Aurelius anniversary event organized by Modern Stoicism will take place on Sunday. See the EventBrite listing for details or to book your ticket, free of charge. There’s still time to register if you’re interested in joining us, and over 1,200 other participants. Can’t make it on time? Book now and, for a small donation, you’ll be granted access to videos of the presentations afterwards.
Please help spread the word by sharing the link below with anyone you think may be interested in learning more about Stoic philosophy. Thanks!
Marcus Aurelius Anniversary Event
Program
NB: Approximate times, schedule may vary slightly.
12pm EST. Welcome, Donald Robertson (5 min)
12.5pm, Introduction, Christopher Gill, emeritus professor of Ancient Thought, Exeter University, editor of Marcus Aurelius: Meditations, Books 1–6 (OUP) (45 min)
12.50pm, Core Ideas of Marcus’ Stoicism, John Sellars, author of Marcus Aurelius (Routledge) (30 min)
1.20pm Break (10 min.)
1.30pm, The Meditations of Marcus Aurelius, Robin Waterfield, editor of Meditations: The Annotated Edition (Basic Books) (30 min)
2pm, Marcus Aurelius, the Man, Donald Robertson, author of How to Think Like a Roman Emperor: The Stoic Philosophy of Marcus Aurelius (St Martins) (30 min)
2.30pm, Perspective: The Modern Relevance of Marcus Aurelius and the Meditations for Professional Women, Sukhraj Gill and Lori Huica discussion with Justin Stead, founder of the Aurelius Foundation (30 min)
Looking forward to seeing you there,
Donald Robertson
Well spotted. Maybe I’ll add some quotes from the Big Book to the article. Thanks.
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Stoic Methods of Journaling
Self-improvement through moral self-examination
Moral self-examination can lead to self-improvement
Journaling for self-improvement is nothing new. Daily reflection as moral self-examination goes all the back to ancient Greece and Rome. It was first described in a poem called The Golden Verses of Pythagoras, based on the doctrines of the famous sixth century BCE philosopher. The famous Stoic thinker Seneca wrote:
I make use of this privilege, and daily plead my cause before myself. When the lamp is taken out of my sight, and my wife, who knows my habit, has ceased to talk, I pass the whole day in review before myself, and repeat all that I have said and done. I conceal nothing from myself, and omit nothing. — From On Anger
And then there’s the most famous Stoic text of all, The Meditations of Marcus Aurelius, in which we have the philosopher-emperor’s own personal notebook — the product of similar reflections on his own character and actions. This is the great-grandaddy of most subsequent self-help and psychotherapy literature.
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Galen, the famous court physician of Marcus Aurelius, also describes this technique in a little-known book about philosophical therapeutics called On the Diagnosis and Cure of the Soul’s Passions. Galen recommends that each morning, we should prepare for the day ahead by imagining the contrast between acting in accord with wisdom and self-discipline on the one hand and being led by our irrational passions and desires on the other. What difference would it make if we followed the wiser path rather than simply going down the easier one? Planning our day ahead in this way can help us review how we’ve done later, before retiring to sleep.
The most famous Stoic teacher of all, Epictetus, wrote nothing. His words were transcribed and edited by a Roman citizen called Arrian of Nicomedia, who attended Epictetus’ lectures in Greece around 120 CE. Arrian was later appointed governor of Cappadocia (in modern-day Turkey) and assumed command of a provincial army. Arrian was, in other words, a highly accomplished Roman statesman and general, an expert on cavalry training and tactics. Perhaps his success in life was helped by the use of Stoic philosophical exercises.
Arrian was also a prolific, erudite, and talented writer who was clearly very interested in Epictetus’ philosophy. Having transcribed eight volumes of the master’s discourses — only half of which survive — he acquired a very thorough understanding of Stoic teachings. In the Discourses, Arrian portrays Epictetus teaching a specific daily routine that clearly lends itself to journaling (Discourses, 4.6). It’s a Stoic version of the method described in The Golden Verses of Pythagoras.
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Each morning Epictetus’ students, including Arrian, were to prepare for the day ahead by asking themselves what they need to do in order to further master their own fears and unruly desires and free themselves from any traces of unwarranted distress. They were asked to consider what steps they must take to fulfill their potential for living wisely and in accord with virtues such as justice, courage, and temperance.
Each evening they were supposed to review their progress by asking themselves three questions, which I paraphrase as follows:
What have I done well today, with regard to self-improvement and fulfilling my potential in life?
Where did I go wrong, in this regard?
What did I omit that I could do next time?
The Big Book of Alcoholics Anonymous contains a remarkably similar daily strategy. Step 11 of the 12-Step Program describes the following retrospective meditation technique:
When we retire at night, we constructively review our day. Were we resentful, selfish, dishonest or afraid? Do we owe an apology? Have we kept something to ourselves which should be discussed with another person at once? Were we kind and loving toward all? What could we have done better? Were we thinking of ourselves most of the time? Or were we thinking of what we could do for others, of what we could pack into the stream of life? But we must be careful not to drift into worry, remorse or morbid reflection, for that would diminish our usefulness to others.
The authors add that after making this review they ask God for forgiveness before contemplating “what corrective measures should be taken.”
The next morning, they continue with the following prospective meditation:
On awakening let us think about the twenty-four hours ahead. We consider our plans for the day. Before we begin, we ask God to direct our thinking, especially asking that it be divorced from self-pity, dishonest or self-seeking motives. Under these conditions we can employ our mental faculties with assurance, for after all God gave us brains to use. Our thought-life will be placed on a much higher plane when our thinking is cleared of wrong motives.
This method obviously resembles that of Galen and the Stoics, though couched in somewhat more religious language.
I described how this technique could be combined with modern cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) in my recent book on the life and philosophy of Marcus Aurelius, How to Think Like a Roman Emperor, providing a simple framework for Stoic practice. In this way, you can enter into a daily cycle of learning with a beginning, middle, and end.
In the morning you prepare for the day ahead; throughout the day you try to live consistently in accord with your values; and in the evening you review your progress and prepare to repeat the cycle again the next day. … Having a daily routine like this makes it much easier to be consistent in your practice.
When we journal in the morning and again at night, we are walking in the footsteps of Arrian, who doubtless discussed similar ideas with his officers on the battlefields of Asia Minor during his campaign against the Alani. We know Emperor Marcus Aurelius was keeping notes of a similar kind while stationed with the Roman army on the Danube frontier during the Marcomannic Wars.
The personal challenges you face today may seem quite different from these, but deep down, there are probably a lot of similarities: We all have to make decisions every day and think both about our own lives and priorities and the larger picture. The same capacity for careful reflection and moral or psychological self-examination will, fate willing, serve you just as well as it did Arrian and Marcus Aurelius.
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Stoicism and Journaling
Journaling for self-improvement is popular today but it builds on a tradition of moral self-examination that goes all the back to ancient Greece and Rome. This article describes a simple method of daily reflection, which was well-known in antiquity. It was first described in a poem called The Golden Verses of Pythagoras, based upon the doctrines of the famous 6th century BC philosopher. However, it was later assimilated into Stoicism, as we’ll see.
Arrian and Stoicism
The most famous Stoic teacher of all, Epictetus, wrote nothing. His words were transcribed and edited by a Roman citizen, called Arrian of Nicomedia, the capital city of Bithynia (in the northwest of modern-day Turkey). Arrian attended Epictetus’ lectures at Nicopolis in Greece, around 120 AD. He was later appointed senator, and reached the rank of consul, under the Emperor Hadrian, with whom he was most likely good friends.
Perhaps his success in life was helped by the use of Stoic philosophical exercises.
Later, around 131 AD, Hadrian appointed Arrian the governor of Cappadocia (in the northeast of modern-day Turkey). As such, he assumed command of a provincial army, consisting of two legions, Legio XII Fulminata and Legio XV Apollinaris, numbering approximately 20,000 men in total, including auxiliaries. Arrian was, indeed, a highly-accomplished Roman statesman and general, an expert on cavalry training and tactics. Perhaps his success in life was helped by the use of Stoic philosophical exercises.
Arrian became known as the second “Xenophon”, after a famous Athenian general and author who lived five centuries earlier. Xenophon was part of Socrates’ circle of friends and students, and left a collection of Socrates’ dialogues known as the Memorabilia Socratis. Arrian was also a prolific, erudite, and talented writer, who was clearly very interested in Epictetus’ philosophy. The relationship between him and Epictetus was like that between Xenophon and Socrates. Having transcribed eight volumes of the master’s discourses — only half of which survive — he acquired a very thorough understanding of Stoic teachings. Arrian also reputedly wrote twelve volumes of conversations with Epictetus and possibly even a biography of the philosopher, which are lost today.
In the Discourses, Arrian portrays Epictetus teaching a specific daily routine, which clearly lends itself to journaling (Discourses, 4.6). It’s a Stoic version of the method described in The Golden Verses of Pythagoras.