Stoicism

Stoicism is an ancient Greek philosophy that teaches the cultivation of inner peace, virtue, and resilience by focusing only on what we can control and accepting what we cannot. Founded by Zeno of Citium and later advanced by thinkers like Seneca, Epictetus, and Marcus Aurelius, Stoicism emphasizes reason, ethical living, and emotional discipline. Rather than suppressing emotion, Stoicism encourages facing life’s challenges with clarity, courage, and composure—seeing obstacles as opportunities for growth and living in alignment with one’s values regardless of circumstance.

Amor Fati: Love What Happens

July 13, 2025August 5, 2025 B. John 2166 Views 2 Comments Courage, Amor Fati, Hope, Serenity Prayer, Reinhold Niebuhr, Acceptance, Moral Clarit, Stoicism, Fate, Marcus Aurelius, justice, Resilience

This entry is part 15 of 50 in the series Journey Through Stoicism

In a time of political unrest, personal uncertainty, and social fracture, the ancient Stoic idea of Amor Fati — to love one’s fate — offers a powerful challenge. Not to surrender to injustice, but to meet it with clarity, courage, and compassion. This essay reflects on the tension between acceptance and action, drawing on Marcus Aurelius, the Serenity Prayer, and a timely conversation with Rev. Justin LaRosa to explore how we can live fully and faithfully in the world we have, not just the one we wish for.

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The Silence Between Us

July 7, 2025July 14, 2025 B. John 1100 Views 0 Comments Stoicism, Aurelius, Jung, Communications, Loss

This entry is part 14 of 50 in the series Journey Through Stoicism

This piece began with a line from Carl Jung I read, which surfaced something I hadn’t yet put into words: “Loneliness does not come from having no people around you, but from being unable to communicate the things that seem important to you.” Based on my reading in Stoicism, it seemed to fit with the thoughts of some of the Stoics. I’ve been thinking about what it means to remain engaged, to keep doing meaningful work, and still feel a growing distance from close friendships. This is a quiet reflection on that kind of loneliness, not isolation exactly, but a thinning of connection. A longing for the kind of relationships where nothing important has to be explained.

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Getting Back Up

July 4, 2025July 3, 2025 B. John 945 Views 0 Comments Marcus Aurelius, Transition, Routine

This entry is part 13 of 50 in the series Journey Through Stoicism

There’s a kind of quiet that doesn’t feel restful. It doesn’t come with peace, but with the absence of direction, of companionship, of the little structures that give shape to a day. I felt that type of quiet this past Wednesday. Not the calm kind I enjoy on my early morning walks, but something uneasy. An emptiness after the full rush of last week. Last week, I had a purpose. But then came Wednesday: quieter, aimless, still. No appointments. No Teams meetings. No urgent tasks. Just me, in a room that felt too quiet.

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Willing or Dragged: Cleanthes, Fate, and the Way of Alignment

July 1, 2025July 2, 2025 B. John 962 Views 0 Comments Cleanthes, Judaism, Merton, Christianity, deVega, Islam, Stoicism, Pigliucci

This entry is part 12 of 50 in the series Journey Through Stoicism

What if freedom isn’t about control, but about cooperation with the deeper order of things? Inspired by Cleanthes’ timeless Stoic insight, this essay explores how fate doesn’t force us—it invites us. Whether guided or dragged, the choice is ours.

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James Stockdale: Resilience, Reality, and the Courage to Endure

June 25, 2025June 26, 2025 B. John 1165 Views 1 Comment Enchiridion, Shankar Vedantam, Hidden Brain, Epictetus, James Stockdale

This entry is part 11 of 50 in the series Journey Through Stoicism

This past Saturday, June 21, I attended a live performance of Hidden Brain, hosted by Shankar Vedantam. The theme of the show was how perception shapes our choices. It offered seven short insights, each compelling in its own way. But for me, the most powerful came right at the beginning. Vedantam opened with the story of Admiral James Stockdale. Most people remember him as Ross Perot’s running mate in 1992. In the vice-presidential debate, he opened awkwardly with, “Who am I? Why am I here?” That moment became a punchline, though I’m sure he was being his naturally insightful self. What didn’t make the headlines was the life he had already lived. That life included years of study, intense personal discipline, and an unmatched example of inner strength.

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Why We Turn to the Stoics: Wisdom for Troubled Times

June 20, 2025June 25, 2025 B. John 1036 Views 0 Comments Epicetus, Pigliucci, Lasso, Mr. Rogers, Holiday, Stoicism, Aurelius

This entry is part 39 of 50 in the series Journey Through Stoicism

We often imagine philosophy as a distant, academic pursuit that can seem abstract and untethered. But Stoicism has never been like that. From its earliest roots in ancient Greece, Stoicism was always meant to be lived, not just studied. It was forged not in ivory towers but in marketplaces, battlefields, and courtrooms. Its great teachers, Epictetus, Marcus Aurelius, and Seneca, weren’t cloistered scholars. They were slaves, emperors, and advisors. They lived in the thick of things, often in perilous times, as do we. In our current world, shaped by uncertainty, political upheaval, global conflict, and the erosion of trust in institutions, many of us are looking for something steady. Not false reassurance. Not a distraction. But clarity. A framework that doesn’t promise control over the chaos but a way to remain centered within it.

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The Quiet Success of Inner Peace

June 17, 2025 B. John 1102 Views 1 Comment Inner Peace, Fortune Cookie, Success, Stoicism

This entry is part 10 of 50 in the series Journey Through Stoicism

Discover how a simple fortune cookie led to a deeper understanding of Stoic wisdom. Explore the idea that true success lies not in status or wealth but in mastering inner calm. A quiet moment over dinner revealed a profound truth: inner peace, not external achievement, may be the ultimate form of success. This reflection explores the connection between Stoic philosophy and the serenity that comes from within.

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“You Belong Every Place” — Stoic Wisdom and the Freedom of Self-Acceptance

June 13, 2025June 13, 2025 B. John 1824 Views 0 Comments Stoics, Stoicism, Belonging, Comsomopolitanism

This entry is part 9 of 50 in the series Journey Through Stoicism

Every human being craves belonging. It’s why we form communities, join movements, wear team colors, and fly flags. We long for connection. But that longing can also become a trap, especially when our sense of worth is tied to others’ approval. In a time of personal upheaval, when you’ve lost a job or face uncertainty in your role or identity, the question of “Where do I belong?” can feel especially heavy. The layoffs, the narrowed opportunities, and the shifting terrain of social and political support can leave one feeling untethered and drifting. But Stoicism offers a grounding perspective. The Stoic does not belong to a company, a title, or even a particular season of life. The Stoic belongs to reason, to virtue, to nature. And those, as Marcus Aurelius wrote, are always with us, always within reach.

Man overlooking a valley in quiet contemplation

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When the Ground Shifts: A Stoic Response to Loss and Uncertainty

June 11, 2025June 11, 2025 B. John 952 Views 0 Comments Holiday, Lay-off, Job, Epictetus, Fate, Hadot

This entry is part 8 of 50 in the series Journey Through Stoicism

I was warned this day might come—and now it has. The call came. I’ve been laid off. Even this—the disappointment, the uncertainty—can become fuel, not in the sense of revenge or retribution but in the sense of transformation. What has been taken from me can become something I rebuild, redirect, or refine, but only if I stay in motion. “It’s not what happens to you but how you react to it that matters.”

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Listen to Lead

June 8, 2025June 8, 2025 B. John 921 Views 2 Comments Stoicism, Leadership, Management, Listening

This entry is part 7 of 50 in the series Journey Through Stoicism

“Listen to lead.” I saw this phrase this past week while walking through the vendor area at the Florida Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church. Palm Beach Atlantic University had it on stickers and t-shirts. It caused me to pause for a moment. I’ve been on a contemplative journey lately that started with a challenge to consider some lessons from the Stoics. I’d been looking for the next topic; inspiration struck when I saw that sticker.

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Now That You Know: A Stoic Response to Injustice During Pride Month

June 3, 2025 B. John 1000 Views 0 Comments Wilberforce, LGBTQ+. MAGA, Epictetus, Aurelius

This entry is part 6 of 50 in the series Journey Through Stoicism

“You may choose to look away, but you can never again say you did not know.” —William Wilberforce There are moments in life when we are confronted with a clear, morally unambiguous truth that strips away all our comfortable illusions. Wilberforce’s words aren’t just a condemnation of apathy but an indictment of complicity. Once you’ve seen injustice, silence is no longer neutral. It’s a choice. Ancient Stoics would have understood this. For all their restraint and talk of inner calm, the Stoics were not spectators. They believed in moral clarity and civic virtue. To live a good life was not to retreat from the world but to meet it head-on—with courage, justice, and integrity.