purpose: related to “having a destination,” 86–87
real philosophy vs. academic philosophy, xiii–xiv, 18; involves making progress, 8
reason: possessed by all people, and human equality, 139. See also Logos
Robertson, Donald: on love in Stoicism, 193; his writings on Stoicism and cognitive behavioral therapy, 225n13
Rohn, Jim, 137
Roman Senate, 10
Rumi, Jalaluddin: on generosity, 200
Rushdy, Ashraf, 193
Sagan, Carclass="underline" as a pantheist, 198, 240n23
sage(s). See Stoic sage
Sampson, Tony D.: on online emotional contagions, 134
Sarajevo, xiii, 47, 96, 164, 170
self-development. See character-development; progress
self-knowledge: as essential for progress or character-development, 23–29; Socrates on, 23–24, 25; in Stoic philosophy, 151–53
self-sufficiency: and freedom, 41, 208–10
Sellars, John, 67: on passions or pathē (extreme negative emotions); on okeiōsis, 146
Seneca, Lucius Annaeus (Seneca the Younger): accused of hypocrisy due to his wealth, 127, 128, 231n29; on amor fati (love your fate), 113–14; on anger, 60–64, 68–71, 74–78; on anxiety, 47–48, 49–54; on benefitting others, 161; biographical details, 9–12; on contributing to society, 160–62; criticism of Chrysippus, 157; criticism of Zeno, 157; described unconscious socialization, 135; on complaining, 103, 112–14; on “completing life” to discover lasting happiness, 174–75, 210; his consolations on grief, xii, 182, 237n3; on death, 167, 171–74, 176; death of his infant son, 11, 182; on dichotomy of control, 91–92; elected as consul, 10; exiled to Corsica by Claudius, 11, 118, 182; his deep psychological insight, 15; on the emptiness of hedonism, 14; his failed efforts at educating Nero, 11; his father (Seneca the Elder), 9, 165; felt that he had squandered his time working for Nero, 35, 161; forced to commit suicide by Nero, 11–12; on Fortune, 91–92, 93, 116, 117, 118, 187, 209; on freedom, 40–42, 206–9, 210; on friendship, xiii–iv, 16–23, 137–38; 31–32; on gratitude, 188–89, 192–93, 199, 201, 204; on grief, 181–89; on hedonic adaptation, 98; on human community and the cosmopolis, 142–44; humanized the idea of the Stoic sage, 25; on human kinship, 144; his ill-health, 9, 165; on intellectual freedom, 156–58; on leisure, 85; list of his philosophical writings, 245–46, lived in Alexandria for ten years, 9; on living in the present moment, 53, 56, 58–59, 63, 65, 144, 187; on living with authenticity, 151–62; lost half his wealth overnight, 11, 115; on love, 190–91; on making “progress,” 28; his metaphor of the sun and the clouds, 58–59; his mother (Helvia), 118, 182; on nonattachment to wealth and the gifts of Fortune, 118, 127, 128; on old age, 163–64, 176–79; on persistence, 158–59; as a philosophical mentor, 17–19, 55; on philosophy as therapy, 2, 4; his philosophy of time, 33–45; on poverty, 115, 119, 122, 123, 124–26, 171; on premeditation of future adversity, 95–96, on “real philosophy,” xiii–iv, 8, 18; on retirement, 38–39; as a Roman senator, 10; on scientific knowledge, 157; on self-consistency, 153–55; on self-sufficiency, 208–20; on self-understanding, 151–53; on Stoic joy, 58–59, 211–13; on Stoic sage, 64–65, 181; on his teachings as resembling “medical remedies,” 4, 161; threatened by Caligula with death, 11; on transforming adversity, 100–102; and travel, 80, 85; his unique contributions to Stoic philosophy, 15, 135–36, 157, 222n14; on virtue, 6, 89, 91–92, 211–12; on voluntary simplicity, 123, 124–26; on wealth, 118–28, 204; on work and leisure, 39; on “working for later generations,” 161. See also crowd psychology; natural wealth; progress
setbacks. See adversity
Sextus (teacher of Marcus Aurelius), 191
simple living. See voluntary simplicity
slavery: as a metaphor in Stoic philosophy, 40–42, 224n11; Stoic ideas and the abolition of slavery, 138, 141–42
social conditioning, 67. See also socializaion
socialization: deliberate, 134–35; unconscious, 134–36
social media: and loneliness, 20; and online emotional contagions, 134
social status, 39, 122; Roman obsession with, 13–15; and wealth, 122. See also fame and fortune
society. See contributing to society; human community
Socrates: died without fear, 166–67; identified as a sage by many, 27; on self-knowledge, 23–24; and Stoic philosophy, 3
Socratic questioning: in psychotherapy, 53–54. See also impressions, testing or evaluating
Solomon, Robert: on gratitude as “a philosophical emotion,” 203
Spinoza, Baruch: as a pantheist, 198, 240n23
status. See fame and fortune
Stephens, William O., 192
Stoic Challenge, The (William B. Irvine), 98
Stoic joy: finding Stoic joy and lasting happiness, 211–13; and living in the present moment, 58–59
Stoic paradoxes, 8, 41
Stoic philosopher, qualities of: characteristics of a Stoic sage, 26–27; notable for kindness, 209; resembles a doctor, 77; skilled at taming adversity, 101. See also Stoic sage
Stoic philosophical exercises: listing of, 217–20. See also daily review; memento mori; premeditation of future adversity
Stoic philosophy: and “ABC Theory of Emotion,” 54; in Cicero, 139; and civic engagement, 150; and the cognitive theory of emotion, 48–49; and contributing to society, 8–9; differing ideas on grief, 181; and egalitarianism, 94; eight core teachings of, 4–9; freedom in, 206–8; on goods vs. advantages, 92–94; and gratitude, 192–95; and human equality, 139–41; as leading to freedom, 40–42; the logical fallacy of seeing virtue as an all-or-nothing state, 24–25; and love, 65, 190–92; misconceptions about, 2; and natural law, 139; and natural rights (human rights), 140, 233n24; and pantheism, 201; as a path, 25, 40–42, 82, 82, 174; and Socrates, 3; on suicide, 178; on transforming adversity, 100–102; views of nature, 107–12; on wealth as an advantage that should be desired, 14, 127. See also Aristos of Chios; Cicero; contributing to society; cosmopolis; Epictetus; eudaimonia; judgments or opinions; Lucius Annaeus Seneca; Marcus Aurelius; Panaetius; progress; tranquility or peace of mind; virtue
Stoicism as a schooclass="underline" started in Athens, 300 BC, 1, 3; and Stoa Poikilē (Painted Porch); and Zeno of Citium, 3
Stoic sage, 8, 24–27; characteristics of, 26–27; the experience of “sage-like moments,” 31; experiences normal human feelings, 64–65, 181; and grief, 181; humanized by Seneca, 25; notable for kindness, 209; Socrates identified as a sage, 27, 223n15; Zeno’s ideas about, 24–25. See also Stoic philosopher, qualities of
sun and the clouds: metaphor of tranquility, mindful presence, and Stoic joy, 58–59; 212–13
sun: as a symbol of generosity, 200, 205
Tarde, Gabriel, 133, 134
time: and busyness, 37; loss of, 34–37; experiencing the fullness of, 42–45; one of our most valuable possessions, 34–37; Seneca’s philosophy of, 33–45
tranquility or peace of mind, 3, 7, 18, 26, 31, 49, 59, 66, 81, 100, 107, 111, 148, 150, 160, 165, 171, 175, 207, 211, 210, 212, 213
travel, 80, 85
tribalism, 142–43; toxic, 143
Twenty-One Days Without Complaining Challenge, 105–6
Twain, Mark: on worrying about the future, 50
unconscious influence, 131–34. See also crowd psychology
virtue (excellence of character), 5–6, 87; and adversity, 85–95, 100–102; as an all-or-nothing state, 24–25; as being rational and honorable, 91–92; as consistently good, 6; and dichotomy of control, 91–93; meaning of aretē (virtue), 90–91; as the only true good, 5–6, 94; results in eudaimonia or well-being, 7, 211–12; as the source of goodness in the world, 6. See also cardinal virtues (wisdom, courage, moderation, and justice)