Over the last few years of my adult life, I have adopted
some of the practices of Stoicism, but is it a beneficial way to live my life?
Stoicism is “a philosophy that
counsels self-control, detachment, and acceptance of one’s fate as identified
by the objective use of reason… Rather than pursue pleasure and trying to avoid
pain, the stoic seeks serenity (peace of mind) through self-discipline…Stoics
believe that nothing can make you happy or unhappy without your consent”
(Chapter 7 Introduction). “Stoicism is a ‘mature’ philosophy in that its
appeal seems to increase with experience—that is, with frustration and
disappointment. Growing up emotionally and philosophically involves adopting
realistic expectations and accepting one’s limits.” (Section 7-8f). “The Stoics
learned, as many of us do, that our lives are not entirely our own… Rather than
complain about what they could not control, the Stoics chose to master what
they could: their own minds. By mastering their thoughts, they believed, they
could master their feelings. Stoics believed that serenity comes to that
individual whose will is in accord with the World Reason, the Logos,
for right thinking leads to a reduction of frustration and anxiety” (Section 7-7).
Yes, practicing Stoicism is a
beneficial way to live my life because it brings me more happiness and less
anxiety.
I am the sole administrative assistant for a growing tax and
accounting office. We are in the middle of our busy season due to income taxes.
The days only get longer and the work load only gets heavier until we get past
the deadline. It is an extremely stressful time of year for everyone in the
office and I have relied on Stoic practices to remain happy even through these
intensely strenuous few months. I get yelled at over the phone by clients at my
job, I get pressure from co-workers and clients to complete tasks as quickly as
possible, and I have to work overtime for about a month before the tax deadline.
Even under these circumstances, I do not get upset or unhappy thanks to
practicing Stoicism.
I practice self-control and do not allow yelling, attitude,
heavy work load, or mandatory overtime to change my behavior or make me
unhappy. I realize and accept the fact that I have no control over the
situation and only have control over myself and how to handle the situation
going forward. I think that no amount of anxiety, anger, or sadness can change
the past, it can only make a person unhappy in the present and/or future. Practicing
detachment allows me to leave work at work and not bring any of the stress home
with me, which also brings me more happiness and less anxiety.
I think that this is a much happier approach to dealing with
confrontation because I have handled it differently in the past. As a teenager
I worked as a server in a restaurant. I would find myself being treated poorly
by angry customers, often with no provocation. I allowed this to have a
negative effect on me. I would get stressed out, worried, and upset when
someone would yell at me. I would allow it affect me for the rest of me shift
and even for the rest of the day. I think that if I was to have that stressful
job now, I could be perfectly happy even in those negative confrontations due
to the practices of Stoicism. I think having control over your mind and
practicing detachment allows you to be happy and have less anxiety even in
trying situations.
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