Stoicism was founded around 300 BCE by a philosopher and wealthy merchant, Zeno of Citium. One of stoicism’s most famous adherents came hundreds of years later and hundreds of miles away. This was Marcus Aurelius, Roman emperor, philosopher, and all-around interesting human. He’s considered one of the Roman Empire’s five greatest emperors. Aurelius was also a fervent writer and, for ten years, wrote daily in what eventually would become arguably the first self-improvement book – Meditations. Meditations was never intended to be publicized. Aurelius used it as a form of journaling, contemplation, and external hard-drive.

What does all of this ancient history and boring Greek and Roman philosophy have to do with college? Before I answer that, let’s review what the basics of stoicism are and how they are considered today. Stoicism, at its most basic, is secular. Though plenty have attempted to attach it to a religion, stoicism was not created to pull people towards mono- or poly-theistic thoughts or behaviors. It was developed as an instruction manual for how to live the good life – a life that acknowledges challenges but moves through with dignity. Stoicism focuses on four fundamental assumptions:

• Value. A healthy mental state, identified with virtue and reason is the only good thing. This is the only thing that can guarantee the good life. External things such as money, success, fame, and the like can never bring us happiness. Though there is nothing inherently wrong with these things the pursuit of them actually corrupts our mental state.
• Emotions. Many of our negative feelings are based on mistaken perception, but because they are due to our judgments it means they are (sort-of…) within our control. Change the judgments and you change the emotions. A Stoic does not repress her emotions; instead, she practices not have them in the first place. As a therapist, this is one stoic idea I disagree with in large part since we actually have very little control over our thoughts and feelings. Instead, I like to update this stoic idea by considering detaching our emotions from behaviors – not avoiding emotions.
• Nature. These Stoics were ahead of their time recognizing the importance of nature on our mental health. They suggested we live in harmony with Nature. They believed we ought to acknowledge that we’re a small part of a larger system shaped by larger processes that are ultimately out of our control. The weather impacts us but we don’t have control over it. There is nothing to be gained from trying to resist these larger processes. Anger, frustration, and disappointment come from the gap between expectations (a sunny day!) and reality (it’s starting to get cloudy and rainy).
• Control. There are some things we have control over (our opinions, our own mental state, our behavior) and some things that we do not (again, like the weather). Much of our suffering is caused by mushing these two categories together: expecting to have control over something we don’t.

Now from our four ideas, let’s look at the eight principles:

1. Nature: Nature is rational.

   

2. Law of Reason: The universe is governed by the law of reason. Humans can’t actually escape its force, but they can follow the law deliberately.
3. Virtue: A life led according to rational nature is virtuous.
4. Wisdom: Wisdom is the root virtue. From it springs the most important virtues – insight, bravery, self-control, and justice.
5. Apathea: Since passion is irrational, life should be waged as a battle against it. The intense feeling should be avoided.
6. Pleasure: Pleasure is neither good nor bad. It is only acceptable if it doesn’t interfere with the quest for virtue.
7. Evil: Poverty, illness, and death are not evil. They are inevitable.
8. Duty: Virtue should be sought, not for the sake of pleasure, but for duty.

With our remaining space, let’s see how all this ancient wisdom can be applied. For starters, just being curious about how to lead a good life is, in and of itself, a step towards the good life. If we’re not self-aware and are not considering what we’re thinking, feeling and what options are in front of us, we’ll be led through college by impulse (or compulsion). Here’s the

quick list of things college students can do to incorporate a more stoic approach to their life:

• Internal Locus. Acknowledge that all emotions come from within. Stop blaming others for why you feel bad (or good).
• External Locus. Find someone you respect and use them to stay honest. Sometimes we need a fence to make sure we don’t stray from the pasture.
• Move Forward. Recognize there is life after failure. It’s not that we must forget the past and just suck it up. It’s more that we need to acknowledge our thoughts and feelings (good, bad, sad, etc.) but also recognize we have things to get done today. Attend to thoughts, feelings, AND behaviors.
• Active Learning. Read purposefully, and apply your knowledge. Rather than relying on professors to fill your head, consider consuming other interesting and valuable content that makes you feel good but also moves your life forward.
• Authenticity. Challenge yourself to be radically honest. Have you ever asked yourself what would happen if you told the 100% truth to everyone all the time? The truth is not the same as honesty or facts. Consider stretching yourself to be more honest.
• Accounting. Reflect on what you spend the most time on. Most students believe they spend way more time on schoolwork than they actually do. This is not good or bad, just inconsistent with the facts. Consider being more honest with how you use your time.
• Un-Tech. Put the damn phone away and really connect with others and the world around you. The phone is amazing but it’s also toxic. It’s DESIGNED to be sticky and addictive. It’s not your friend, it’s a vacuum for your soul.
• Time. Time is the most precious resource. There are no ordinary moments. We can always make more money, find new friends, buy more stuff, but we don’t get this hour again and we can’t buy more time. Use it well.