Simply stoicism - what it is and why it's confronting and liberating at the same time

For such a simple word, 'stoic' sure packs some punch. What it lacks in length, it makes up for in depth. Give the word a quick prod and you'll find that it is positively bursting with history, meaning, impact and relevance - as well as a crisp sense of confrontation and a feeling of liberation.

History and meaning

With its origins embedded in ancient Greece, the word ‘stoic’ has been around for thousands of years. It comes from 'Stoa Poikile' - a painted colonnade in Athens where the founder of 'stoicism', Zeno of Citium, gave lectures and met with philosopher peers as he developed his new strain of moral teachings.

Today, we use the word 'stoic' to describe a person who can endure pain and hardship without complaining or showing their feelings. But, without understanding stoicism itself, this description can be misleading. It's easy to assume that someone who is stoic suppresses their emotions and is unfeeling and, somehow, unnatural in their ability to suffer without complaining. Whereas, it's not that the stoic doesn't 'feel' or 'suffer', more that they have mastered amazing control over their emotions. Stoics can, and do, suffer greatly but they are well-practiced in self-restraint and endurance. They can rise above raw emotion and inner turmoil and present themselves as calm and composed.

Stoicism, as a way of life, is designed to be practiced and lived on a daily basis. It provides guidance across a myriad of topics - from love, sexuality and inter-personal relationships to physics, determinism, free will and, as mentioned, self-control. As such, a stoic 'walks the talk' navigating the lumps and bumps of life by applying a stoical approach to pretty much everything they encounter.

Impact and relevance

Stoicism was very popular in the early 300s BC. In the absence of Christianity back then, stoicism provided a road map for the age-old dilemma of 'how to lead a good life'. With teachings based around the daily practice of four virtues - wisdom, courage, moderation and justice - stoic philosophy flourished in ancient Greece and also Rome (thanks to Roman emperor and stoic philosopher, Marcus Aurelius).

Revered back in the day, stoicism shaped these ancient societies, influencing other philosophies of the time and the christian teachings still to come. Today, the lasting impact of stoic wisdom is thriving in contemporary psychology. Its no-nonsense practicality is evident in cognitive behavioural therapy and self-awareness training. Its tone of common-sense underpins relationship couching as well as many of the modern-day maxims we use - such as 'actions speak louder than words' and 'happiness is a journey not a destination'.

The full-blown emergence of christianity pushed stoicism into the shadows. Yet, the philosophy has had several revivals over the centuries - including currently. There is a definite resurgence of stoicism going on at the moment as swathes of people actively seek non-religious guidance around ‘how to do life’. The popularity of living well, mental health, self-awareness and mindfulness has catapulted the great thinkers (which include all the excellent podcasters and influencers who focus on personal development) of our time into the spotlight - and it's not hard to see how stoicism has influenced them. That Marcus Aurelius' Meditations (a book of personal writings on stoicism for his own self-improvement) is currently one of the top ranking philosophy books is further testimony to stoicism being very much alive and well.

Confrontation and liberation

Stoicism challenges us to take a good hard look at ourselves. It tests our moral virtue. And it pushes us to question our ethics and motives. Importantly, stoicism encourages self-awareness and gratitude, open-mindedness, non-bias and a deep connection with nature. In short, this philosophy oozes the promotion of a healthy attitude to life; one which is so compelling that you can't help but be drawn into self-analysis and, ultimately, self-awakening.

But, it's the stoic's view of death that may just give us the biggest wake up call.

Stoicism contemplates death as part of life by not just accepting its inevitability but by embracing it. According to the stoics, only by being acutely aware of our own mortality can we be free of the fear of dying. Being free from this fear of death will enable us to better consider our lives, the impact we have on others - and allow us to live peacefully.

By facing death and living as if death is imminent, we can ensure that we don't waste time on things that don't matter. Accepting death gives us the means to live with purpose and strive to be and do our best every day. Marcus Aurelius said, “Let each thing you would do, say, or intend, be like that of a dying person". Meaning - if you were on your death bed, would you still squabble with your neighbour over that fence boundary, or feel furious that someone jumped the bus queue? It's highly unlikely.

Confronting death - and carrying it around with you - helps put things into perspective. With death sitting on our shoulder, we can sift through life's challenges and see what really matters. Let's be clear, though, this isn't nihilism. Far from it. Nihilism preaches 'there is no point' whereas stoicism teaches 'there is every point'.

Entertaining the reality that death could happen at any moment, to any one of us, is also a great motivator to get things done. Stoicism doesn't believe in putting something off until tomorrow. It has no tolerance for procrastination."You could be good today but instead you choose tomorrow?," questioned Marcus Aurelius. And when we think that one day there will be no tomorrow for us, we can immediately see the importance of being our best now...this minute...straight away.

The surety of death is pretty hard to swallow at first, but by heightening our awareness of it - and following stoical approaches - we can get used to it sticking close beside us.

Embracing death in a positive way means we can use it as an illuminating guide, and ever-present reminder, to live the life we truly want. And, this is where we can start to feel a sense of liberation. When we realise that death (hovering over us from the minute we are born) is giving us the opportunity - the freedom - to live our best lives, we can feel empowered. It's the confronting presence of death that gives us full permission to reach for the stars, unleash our potential and fulfil our dreams. Death - our guaranteed mortality - is the reason why we must live; and live well. Acceptance of this is like an epiphany charging through our bodies, powering us up to take life by the horns and achieve and learn and love and experience as much as we can.

“It is not death that a man should fear, but rather he should fear never beginning to live.”

- Marcus Aurelius

Matthew Hetherington is an Australia-based tech entrepreneur and occasional blogger. He is a member of the 10 Reasons collective and is currently working on a book about stoicism.