My Stoic Thoughts: Day 2 of Stoic Week 2019

Stoic Week 2019

Tuesday, October 8th, 2019

Theme:  Happiness:  The Goal of Life

Alright, so I really wanted to stay with the format I had on day one of Stoic Week, but with a topic like “happiness” the morning, midday, and evening meditations and exercise all kind of blend together (in my head and in the notebook my Stoic thoughts fall into before I write this blog).  So, I’m going with a general summary today.

The Ancient Greeks and Stoics had a very different idea of what “happiness” meant.  I was first introduced to this concept in my Ancient Greek Philosophy class during my undergrad years (my favorite class, go figure.).  They described happiness and “eudaimonia” which was closer to the idea of fulfillment. The Stoic handbook for this Stoic week also describes it as the goal or purpose of your life, which gives it direction and meaning, shaping it into a whole.  I’ve adopted this new way of understanding happiness (and direction in life) some roughly 10 years ago and its had a significant impact in my life. I feel I am less perturbed by misfortunes that happen in life (and there have been quite a few). I smile and laugh a lot.  I find joy in my work and confidence in who I am (no fear wearing my Spider-Man socks today!). Friends, family, and clients see the same person, feel the same warmth and care, and experience the benefits of my living in accordance with nature (if we wanna get Stoic, which we do, cause its Stoic week).  

According to the Stoics, happiness comes from living according to nature.  Living according to nature is your unique expression of human nature (as rational and sociable) and reflects nature as a whole displaying inner order, structure, and integrity.  What this means is that to “be happy” you will act in line with who you are, what you value, and who you choose to be, no matter what fate befalls you. Living according to nature means being authentic, rational, and caring at all times.

Happiness then, is something you consistently work towards but also maintain at the same time.  It is the path to happiness and the goal. Happiness lies solely within the individual, through consistency in who you are as it reflects the nature of the world.  Because of this, it can never be taken away from you.

When happiness is no longer a feeling/emotion (which only reacts to external stimuli), it is a constant, impacting and improving our mood, emotions, relationships, and actions in a positive way.  I find that pretty hopeful and uplifting.

(This is a summary of my thoughts (which are many) and do not fully encompass everything on Stoic happiness or eudaimonia.  I highly encourage you to learn more, leave comments, and add to this conversation!)