In preparation for, and in anticipation of, Stoic Week each year, there is an event - Stoicon - which gets participants in the frame of mind to make a practice of living like a Stoic.
The topic for Stoicon, this year, was Stoic Cosmopolitanism. In what ways can we act more in line with the view that we are members of an extended family, not only of humans, but also including other parts of the biosphere, of which we form a part?
Stoic week
To my Stoic toolkit, which I reflected on on Sunday, I added two new tools:
The advice ‘To Himself’ recorded by Marcus Aurelius in Meditations 2.1 (this was a key quote throughout the week, as we referred to how we could apply it each day):
Say to thyself at daybreak:
I shall come across the busy-body, the thankless, the bully, the treacherous, the envious, the unneighbourly. All this has befallen them because they know not good from evil. But I, in that I have comprehended the nature of the Good that it is beautiful, and the nature of Evil that it is ugly, and the nature of the wrong-doer himself that it is akin to me, not as partaker of the same blood and seed but of intelligence and a morsel of the Divine, can neither be injured by any of them—for no one can involve me in what is debasing—nor can I be wroth with my kinsman and hate him. for we have come into being for co-operation, as have the feet, the hands, the eyelids, the rows of upper and lower teeth. Therefore to thwart one another is against Nature and we do thwart one another by shewing resentment and aversion.
(C. R. Haines translation)
The concept of the beauty of goodness, and the justification of this point of view, is addressed in Aiste Celkyte’s Stoic Theory of Beauty.
The STOIC framework, which is an approach to facing and dealing with challenges (such as that described by Marcus Aurelius).
A week prior to Stoic Week, I was very much looking forward to it. My intention was to see, more clearly, how I could use Stoic principles to be a positive force in my community, and to strengthen others.
I was recalling pleasant memories from the first Stoicon and Stoic Week I attended in 2023. I was keen to see how the upcoming Stoic Week was going to make me even better at growing and becoming a better person.
The material for Stoic Week is presented on a platform - Learn Modern Stoicism - which provides ample opportunity for interaction with other participants.
It is recommended that participants keep a journal for reflection on the quotes, meditations, exercises, and other resources provided each day. The following summary is based on my journal entries from last year.
From my journal, 19 October (Stoicon 2024)
What is well-being for me?
The Stoic view of well-being as a result of living according to universal as well as human nature makes sense to me.Because human beings are social by nature, exercising the virtues causes one to flourish by excelling in their role as a member of the cosmopolis (that is to say, the global human family).
As opposed to referring to a mere lack of disturbance, I consider an individual to be experiencing well-being when they actively pursue what is good for their own self, and then expand this concern to include the well-being of others.
On Monday - as was the case during Stoic Week 2023 - the theme was Control.
By being mindful about what I allowed my mind to dwell on, I learnt that I needed to be more present in the hic & nunc (the here and now).
I listened to audio versions of Aurelius’ Meditations and Epictetus’ Discourses (the George Long translations). Doing so daily helped to keep Stoic principles in my mind throughout each day.
The following occurred to me:
‘By handling well what is in my control, I leave little room for worrying about what isn’t in my control’.
The combination of Stoic cosmopolitanism and concentrating on what depends upon oneself seems, to me, to be the best way to gain and maintain solid, peaceful, mutually beneficial relationships with others.
Projecting one’s current views, thoughts, and actions into the future: asking, ‘Is my way of looking at things today serving my future self well?’ is an excellent way to keep one’s activity in line with one’s goals and hopes.
I thought the best way to express my experience of Stoic Week would be to share extracts from my journal.
Monday: Control
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Morning Meditation
Pythagorean ‘Big Picture’
When facing challenges: approach them with virtue, ‘as a Stoic Sage or Hero would do’
Have in mind Stoic ideal to imitate; in practice, have role-models that show how one can exercise virtue in practice
Dichotomy of Control:
There is a marked difference between the things that up to us and those that are not Discourses 1; Encheiridion 1
What is in my control: ‘opinion, motivation, desire, and aversion’ (Massimo Pigliucci)
My own thoughts and actions
The present
What is internal to me (Greg Sadler)
What is not in my control: wealth, reputation, body, office, anything else
Other people’s thoughts and actions
The past, the future
What is external to me
We can influence other people by exhibiting good character traits and exercising virtue: the outcome of these efforts, their effect on the other person, are not up to us
I need to concentrate on keeping what is up to me in check, while not expending efforts and emotional energy on what is not in my control.
Questions to answer:
Why is understanding this distinction useful?
Always to ask, in the event of an unexpected occurrence:
What aspects of this lie within my purview of influence?
What aspects lie beyond it?
Then to take action, doing what I can to improve matters
Not letting what I cannot do detract from my joy
Learning from the past:
Reduce - try to eliminate - rumination
For the inner critic, replace negative comments and harsh criticism with positive comments and upbuilding advice
Improve emotional health
A negative occurrence - for instance, the resurfacing of a negative memory:
What’s not in my control:
The fact of its memory having surfaced
The past
What’s in my control:
My response
My inner dialogue (thoughts and judgement) about the memory
What I can do
Reframe the event
Consider my motivation, opinion, desire, aversion rationally and apply the STOIC framework
STOIC Framework:
Stop, in order to prevent acting impulsively
Time-out to calm down
Observe present thoughts and feelings
Identify a useful Stoic perspective
Choose what to do to mitigate situation
How can keeping the dichotomy in mind help me and others to increase (both my sense of and my actual) well-being?
Journaling on progress, pitfalls, and laying a template or pattern for future action, for the sake of self-improvement
When reviewing the day: speak to self as a kindly friend or advisor (Soundtracks, John Acuff)
Modifying thoughts - replacing negative ones with positive; faulty judgements with more accurate ones
Tuesday: Emotions
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Morning meditation
Consider meeting many people to be like attending a festival
Consider impermanent nature of human existence
Focusing on appreciating the here and now
‘How can you excel in your character, and best face whatever befalls you?’
Important approaches:
1. Cognitive distancing
2. View from above
3. Avoid threat-monitoring
4. Depression is a result of a negative cognitive bias; selective thinking; confirmation bias
To mitigate: consider what may happen in the future, visualise it, looking beyond apparent catastrophe to overcome negative bias
Coping and control
Don’t let things disturb peace
Encheiridion 5
Meditations 4.4
Evening meditation:
Observing oneself ‘from the outside’
What was admirable about my thoughts, feelings, actions?
In what ways could I improve?
Wednesday: Character and virtue
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Morning meditation
Sun rising, start of day, new beginning, measure of time
Consider cycles, repetition, rhythm
Consider this finite dance, and enjoy experiencing it while it lasts
Courage as emotional resilience (Donald Robertson)
Meditations 5.1
When people are passionate about a certain pursuit
Zest for life (Greg Sadler)
As humans, we have certain duties in keeping with nature
From Stoic Week booklet: ‘see every storm as an opportunity to put a virtue into action’
Stoicism provides the tools by means of which to face any situation that may arise, and respond virtuously
CHARACTER is built by repeated exercise of the virtues (form a habit. Aristotle)
STOIC framework:
When identifying the Stoic perspective, ask which virtue can be put into practice in a given situation
Meditations 5.31
Not to do wrong against anyone. Link to the Eulogy virtues
What is good fortune?
Meditations 5.37
When experiencing slow progress, or a lack of progress, remember:
‘No great thing is created suddenly…’
Discourse 1.15.7
Thursday: Caring for Ourselves and Others
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Morning meditation (examples of Sages, as mentioned on Monday):
How would Socrates, or Zeno of Citium, have approached what I'm facing?
Caring for ourselves and others - living as a citizen of the world - Cosmopolitanism
‘Oxygen mask’ analogy: look out for your own needs first, before attending to those of others
Makes you better to be able to attend to others’ needs, since you’ll be refreshed and invigorated, rejuvenated
Ask: how do I care for myself?
How do I care for others?
It is to live according to nature for humans to:
Increase their wellbeing
Improve their character
Instead of just ‘getting by’ through doing the bare minimum in life, we need to exert ourselves, applying our efforts toward facing challenges with fortitude, using them as opportunities to develop, and strengthen our exercise of the virtues, cultivating and embedding them more deeply into our character.
Improve in our grasp of wisdom, and apply its understanding to how we live.
The natural, biological tendency of parents to care for their offspring: extended into care and concern for the whole cosmopolis - first in immediate vicinity, then further out, as spatially represented in hierocles’ circle of concern/ care
Concept of Kinning (Brittany Polat)
Caring for one’s community;
Caring for one’s self
Living virtuously
Expanding circles of concern, caring for people in general
All are closely related
Being part of nature, and being social organisms, caring for ourselves - this involves
Improving our relationships with others
Increasing our degree of appreciation of and immersion in nature
One should extend one’s care to others, in a sustainable way, considering reason and longevity
Consider equation:
‘Caring = kindness + wisdom’
Meditations 10.15
During premeditatio malorum:
Place disagreeable occurrences in larger context
Consider:
How am I armed to face difficulty?
How can I use the experience to improve my character?
How can I use it as an opportunity to exercise virtue, thereby improving in my exercise thereof?
In prep for future: consider role models
Friday: Seeing the Bigger Picture
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Having a sense of humour can help one to gain and maintain perspective
What helps me to gain a different perspective - a better one?
How, or why, is it effective?
Saturday: Stoic it up!
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Meditation: the view from above
‘Waste no more time arguing about what a good person is - be one!’
Meditations 10.6
Meditations 6.51
Indifferents are preferred only if used well, in the exercise of virtue, and not to its detriment
Sunday: creating my Stoic toolkit
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New tool - STOIC framework
Morning quote:
‘Today I escaped from anxiety, …’
Meditations 9.13
Take nothing for granted
Plan to do things with reservation, to maintain equanimity - even in the case that things don’t go according to plan
If ‘falling off the Stoic horse’ - struggling to carry out action in line with good character , in line with the development of virtuous habits, occurs frequently: develop an action plan
Failure to apply Stoic principles may occur due to
Exhaustion
Hunger
Surprise or shock
Fear
Action-plan requires self-awareness. For accurate assessment, as friends/ family for their view
Both keep and reread journal (though rereading may not be for everyone).