stoicism – Patrick Sherriff

This is just what I’d been looking for: a readable, but intelligent explanation of stoicism with the aim of understanding the movement in its historical context but seeing what was adaptable and useful to adopt as a practical philosophy for living your life now.

The book is split into four parts: the history of stoicism; stoic psychological techniques; stoic advice; and stoicism for modern lives.

Things I really enjoyed in this book:

The author’s playful, self-effacing sense of humour
That it’s OK to jettison the bits of stoicism that make no sense to us now (the idea of being put on earth by Zeus so we could do our job as humans, for instance, isn’t very persuasive these days)
There is no need for mysticism, spirituality or any faith other than the belief in the uses of rationality
That you can be a practising stoic without mastering all elements of it
You can be a stoic without needing to proselytize others to your way
In fact, you can lead a stoic life without the need to tell anyone else
That there’s more to stoicism than just the idea of not worrying about things beyond your control
That negative visiualisation (imagining what’s the worst that can happen) will actually make you a happier, more loving person, because you will appreciate everything more than the “normal” person who just leaves life to happenstance
It’s OK, in fact desireable, to deflect anger and insults with humour
Grief councellors, psychiatrists and no politicians can answer for your wellbeing. Only you can.
There was a further reading list for folk, like me, who want to figure out more from the (translated) primary sources.
I feel like I should end with a bang, but this really is it. And that’s fine.

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No. 11 of 50 books I intend to read and review in 2023. (yeah, I’m a bit behind)

I’m Patrick Sherriff, an Englishman who survived 13 years working for newspapers in the US, UK and Japan. Between teaching English lessons at my conversation school in Abiko, Japan, I write and illustrate textbooks for non-native speakers of English, release Hana Walker mystery novels, short stories, paint, sketch and write essays and Our Man in Abiko, a monthly newsletter highlighting good writing in English, often about about Japan, art, crime fiction and teaching.