When someone is labelled as stoic, it may not be the most flattering description. It may suggest someone being emotionless and with a stony kind of calm. Or someone who suppresses his feelings and endures silently. But is it what stoicism suggest? Stoicism has been around for thousand of years and is an ancient school of philosophy popularised by the Greeks and Romans. Although the contemporary study of it may not be institutionalised like the way it was millennia ago, there is nonetheless a lot of relevance to the way of life in any era. In fact, it deserves even more weight in the modern world given the stress that comes with evolution and advancement. As the Stoic philosopher Seneca succinctly put it, "it does not matter what you bear but how you bear it." In other words, embracing emotions is one thing but building fortitude and self-control in overcoming destructive emotions is another. Adversity is part of being a human, yet we can choose to suffer or not. We can gain our power back by realising that it is our reactions to situations that pain us and not the situations themselves. After all, there are many things in life that are not within our control. Having clarity and unbiased thinking allow us to understand the intricate web of cause and effect and the rational structure of the universe. If we can harness our willpower and courage to fill our lives with meaning, we can rise above our predicament even in the bleakest days.
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