Re: Bottling up emotions. Prior to stoicism (<– that sounds dumb, like I’m an expert or something), I kept my composure on the outside, but was merely bottling it up, and on more than one occasion I’ve nearly lost my mind. That’s why stoicism has helped me, because rather than just letting others perceive me as calm while boiling over inside, I usually am (eh, sometimes) more calm.

If I knew I wasn’t, I’d think I was an Italian. I like displaying the whole range of emotions.

Like you, I love my Sunday’s (though I usually only do afternoons) all to myself. Reading a book on my balcony, laying by the pool, getting chores done, cleaning up and reorganizing. It helps me to unplug, but doesn’t help me when confronted with something in the moment. That’s where stoicism helps me retain my composure.

Thanks for sharing Grace!

What does that entail? Whatever you want so long as I’m capable of delivering it for you and it helps you achieve YOUR goals. It’s pretty simple.

It’s also pretty frustrating when you hear a braggart tell you what all they’ve done and achieved and are experts at. I don’t care about ANY of that unless it helps my company make money, right? Maybe this is where stoicism could come into play for those people. The ones who aren’t humble enough to build great relationships (the ones that think they have them, but are clowned behind their back.)

And I don’t disagree with you about stoicism ‘leading to success.’ This was something I toiled with before writing the post. That said, I think you could argue that learning to be more content, humble, and resilient can potentially make you more “successful.” And not necessarily in a fancy suit wearing way, but in a happier, more fulfilled life sort of way.

Thanks for adding your insights.

You have to be careful with it though. Most people at my work also think I’m abrasive and a little scary. As people get to know me better, however, they realize that I’m neither of those things, I just try not to wear any emotions on my sleeve at work. This is partially cause my job frequently pushes me way outside my comfort zone. The demeanor of a calm, cool, laid back spirit is sometimes viewed as blase, cold and uncaring if people don’t know “the real you.”

PS – This one’s my favorite: “It is the gentle who have strength, sinew, and courage – not the indignant and complaining. The closer to control of emotion, the closer to power. Anger is as much a sign of weakness as is pain.”

This is a though-provoking post.

Stoicism is a wonderfully practical construct for meaningful thought-action. I re-read the Discourses of Epictetus for inspiration, and to find solutions to problems that are particularly vexing.

Stoicism has believers and critics. There’s no such thing as a perfect philosophy. We seek answers from different sources and imbibe what helps us lead a better, more meaningful life with relationships that nourish us.

My favourite among the quotes shared:

“Imagine you were now dead, or had not lived before his moment. Now view the rest of your life as a bonus, and live it as nature directs.”

Death is a powerful incentive to live!

Cheers,
Anita

This quote is money. I am going to write it out and post it on my cork board to give me inspiration. It seems that part of stoicism is to accept responsibility for yourself and your actions, despite what is happening around you. I love this idea. I think it is an important trait to be able to accept reality without blaming it on outside circumstances.

As Grace was saying earlier, when Tim, and now you, wrote a post about Stoicism, I was also very skeptical. Now I might need to look into the mindset, if only to pick up a few really good quotes. This is a great mind-opening post.

So in essence – we would all benefit from some of the stoic teachings – think about Kramer’s ‘Serenity Now’ mantra – calm the nerves, take a deep breath, take a step back and realize that everything, in the grand scheme of things, is going to be OK.

Just be careful to not bottle up those emotions. Serenity now, insanity later.

I have to admit that when I first read “stoicism” or even think of the word stoic, it turns me off. I don’t like people that don’t display their emotions or hide them. Stoic is hard to read and I am upfront and Italian ie. opposite of stoic. However, like you, I also have intense emotions but I have since learned to control them and keep them in check. You’re right that displaying those intense emotions in a business or entrepreneurial setting can often be seen as a weakness.

I find that in general, rest and getting enough sleep is one of the easiest (free) ways to eliminate stress. I also like to spend time in nature AWAY from the hustle and bustle, especially when I’m alone. Montras and thoughts like the one you’ve provided from Meditations also help. The power of thought is well, powerful.

Thanks for sharing. Really interesting and relevant!