Some Reflections on The Philosophy of Stoicism

The moment I discovered Mark Tuitert’s book, Drive: Train Je Stoïcijnse Mindset (Drive: Train Your Stoic Mindset), was the moment I was introduced to this ancient philosophy called Stoicism. And as someone who writes almost obsessively, I immediately felt at home with this philosophy. In my previous post, The (Stoic) Philosophy of Writing, I demonstrated how writing is closely linked with Stoicism.

But of course, Stoicism is more than being able to assess your thoughts and life through writing alone. It also differs significantly from how we use the word stoic (with a lowercase s) today. In a nutshell, the philosophy of Stoicism is about remaining calm and maintaining perspective in times of setbacks, adversity, and chaos by focusing your time and energy on the things that lie within your sphere of control.

Thanks to Mark Tuitert’s book, this way of thinking and living was introduced to me. This philosophy has helped me greatly in regulating stress and anxiety, and in reshaping how I relate to setbacks.

The (Stoic) Philosophy of Writing

In his article The Stoic Art of Journaling, modern Stoic Ryan Holiday states that “journaling is Stoicism” — the two are intertwined. One cannot truly be Stoic without writing. From this point of view, the act of writing itself becomes philosophy in practice, which is not surprising, given that writing demands retrospection.

Stoicism is a philosophy emerged in ancient Griece around 300 B.C.. The three prominent ancient Stoics we know today are Epictetus, Marcus Aurelius, and Seneca. They all share one common habit: journaling.

Thanks to Marcus Aurelius’ Meditations, we can learn so much about this ancient wisdom and benefit from it even today. Modern Stoics suggest that Marcus Aurelius wrote his meditations religiously in the morning, preparing himself for the day ahead. Writing was his way of setting the tone for the day and maintaining focus on what he could control.

It is therefore not too far-fetched to assume that we were not his intended audience — he wrote for himself. And yet his meditations, originally meant to help him become a calm and content person, now serve as an inspiration for all who wish to follow his example.

And I believe this is what separates Stoic journaling from journaling in general. Stoics write to assess their thoughts and actions, to commit themselves to focusing on what they can control (the central tenet of Stoicism), and to engage in a profound and honest dialogue with their inner self.