Marcus Aurelius, Meditations 4.27

Try how the life of the good man suits you, the life of him who is satisfied with his portion out of the whole, and satisfied with his own just acts and benevolent disposition.

—Marcus Aurelius, Meditations, Book 4 (tr Long)

Stoicism can be full of profound reflection, but it is ultimately a philosophy that is firmly grounded in practice. My happiness will not be measured by the cleverness of my abstract formulations, but by the excellence of my actions.

Many people in this life will tell you why you must embrace a certain creed, or subscribe to a very specific ideology. You may not understand all the mysterious concepts they are offering you, but you are expected to trust their authority, and be impressed with their qualifications for telling you how to live.

Genuine Stoicism will have none of that. I don’t need to take anyone’s word on what a good life is supposed to be, because I can simply try it out for myself. I won’t listen to a philosophy that doesn’t offer concrete results, just as I won’t trust a car salesman who won’t let me take a test drive.

As long as I am acting with complete sincerity, with no second-guessing or any concern for mere display, I can start living in a Stoic manner right now. Only I can know if I am being honest with myself, so I don’t have to worry about anyone telling me that I’m doing it all wrong.

Marcus Aurelius suggests following two simple guidelines. I should practice being content with whatever life sends my way, and I should practice being content with the quality of my own thoughts and deeds. As soon as I resent my circumstances, or as soon as I look to anything someone else does to define my worth, I have strayed from the path.

I often notice how angry I get at the way things have happened, and I complain about all the things other people have done wrong. Neither of these really have anything to do with me. This doesn’t mean I should not care, but it means that my concern for the world or for others doesn’t reduce to having them determine me.

How will I know I am on the right track? When I choose not to worry about what is beyond my power to control, I will have removed anxiety from my attitude. Old habits may die slowly, but the effects of self-reliance can begin showing themselves from the very start. I will begin to find peace and contentment by having redirected my attention from what is outside of me to what is inside of me. This will be quite discernible and measurable in my everyday life, and the results will speak for themselves.

I have often been told that what I don’t know can’t hurt me, but I’ve found that is only true when it comes to knowing about things that aren’t my business. Being ignorant of right and wrong, for example, which is most certainly my business, has hurt me many times.

For Stoic purposes, I rather tell myself that what I don’t worry about can’t hurt me. If I choose not to be concerned with controlling what happens, or what other people think or do, I am not permitting these things to cause me harm. I can respect that everything has its place within the whole, and I only need to concern myself with doing my part as well as I can.

I shouldn’t simply read the books, or listen to the music, or eat at the restaurants recommended by fancy critics. I should read the books, listen to the music, and eat the foods that give me the greatest joy. I suggest that a philosophy of life should be no different. Try it on for size, and don’t let a salesman convince you to buy something that doesn’t fit.

Written in 10/2005