The Stoic Magazine Library

In Part 1, I put forward the case that accepting the existence of the Stoic God was a profoundly rational position that did not contradict contemporary scientific discoveries. In Part 2, I discussed how the Stoic God could help you connect more deeply with Nature. In the third part, I shared a personal piece on how I choose to connect with God. In this fourth and last part, I will delve into more deeply how my belief in the Stoic God has affected my day-to-day decisions and how it might affect your own.

Thoughtful processing of what is happening to you and through you.

Humility – the journey to eudaimonia is a long and arduous path and you won’t always take the right path.

Excellence – in thoughts, actions, and attitude, the only things you have full control over.

As trivial as abstaining or reducing the amount of animal products you eat during the month of January might seem to some people, exploring how a contemporary Stoic might eat is not a trivial philosophical exercise.

It is not as simple as stating that eating meat is ‘bad’ or ‘good’

Posidonius was admired and recognized for his scientific endeavors by the Greek astronomer and mathematician Ptolemy, the Roman physician Galen, the Greek geographer and historian Strabo, along with the Roman statesmen Seneca the Younger, Cicero, and Pompey. He was also a strong believer of the Stoic god. It is thus not an exaggeration to state that his theological position drove his scientific enquiry rather than hindered it.

Stoicism isn’t just about learning how to live but about learning how to die. It is about knowing how to make the right decisions for everyone considered; knowing what to stand up for, and what to risk our popularity, safety, and lives for.

“No reasonable person can claim that the ancient Stoics were right about everything [...]However, this leads us to another problem: that of attempting to “fix” Stoicism by imposing our worldview onto those of the ancients.”

“How then could some humans be so careless as to reduce an elephant to its tusks, without a second thought as to the role it plays in supporting the ecosystem?”

“Erotic love, ... would keep the city safe, and offer everyone the advantage of belonging to a family of multiple parents and close kinships. ”

“I think a great number of people get into Stoicism because they think that it is Silicon Valley’s secret sauce. Unfortunately, many such people hack their way into Stoicism not because they want to improve their character, but because they really want to be rich and powerful.”

“The circles of concern remind us of the power that comes in embracing all of humanity and the entire planet for everyone’s sake, including our own.”

“Stoic joy is a product of a deep dive into what it means to progress along the path of human flourishing and the peace of mind that comes when the superficial slips away.”

“As a follower of Stoicism, we are not immune from the urge to boast or from placing too much importance on our reputation.”

“Stoic virtue should be the blade we use to sculpt our character into an excellent one.”

“No one can live a happy life if he only thinks of himself and turns everything to his own purpose. You should live for the other person if you wish to live for yourself” - Seneca