You have more than you need 

As we saw Izzy’s near total lack of gratitude has left him a very “unhappy man” 

Any man who does not think that what he has is more than ample is an unhappy man, even if he is master of the whole world. 

Epicurus 

Epicurus was not a Stoic. Epicureanism and Stoicism had many beliefs in common, but held different views toward our participation in the larger community. Whereas Epicureanism recommended 

...a retirement into the garden, in order to gain that peace, 

the Stoics maintained 

...that the peace must be found in the midst of the world's confusions for, after all, all men are brothers. 

The Stoic and Epicurean Philosophers, Modern Library edition, p. xxiv 

In this sense, the Stoics have something in common with Judaism’s Hasidim, who believe that one can worship God in everyday life, even amidst the hurly-burly of the market place. 

Gratitude is a key Stoic value 

Gratitude is one of the most important values in Stoic philosophy, though it is often given short shrift in discussions of Stoicism. Gratitude may be the deepest wisdom. 

We see the importance of gratitude when Marcus Aurelius begins his Meditations with a litany of “thank you” notes. 

Courtesy and serenity of temper I first learnt to know from my grandfather Verus...Manliness without ostentation I learnt from what I have heard and remember of my father...My mother set me an example of piety and generosity… 

Meditations, Book 1 

We have a lot to be grateful about 

It is in no man’s power to have whatever he wants; but he has it in his power not to wish for what he hasn’t got, and cheerfully make the most of the things that do come his way. 

Seneca, Epistulae Morales, Letter 123 

Seneca notes that, 

I’m in bed, recovering from my fatigue, and making the best of [the] slowness on the part of the cook...whatever kind of meal is on the way is going to beat an inaugural banquet for enjoyment. 

Seneca here shows that our sense of satisfaction is largely a matter of our perspective. We can be grateful even when life is not providing us with banquets. 

The greedy lack everything 

In another letter, Seneca quotes the moralist, Publilius Syrus (1st century BCE): 

The poor lack much, the greedy everything. 

This is a synopsis of the Stoic view of gratitude, and a sad commentary on people like Izzy. Izzy petulantly complains that he can no longer play racquetball the way he did when he was 20 years younger!. It may be so, but there are compensations: 

When its campaigns of sex, ambition, rivalry, quarrelling, and all the other passions are ended, the human spirit returns to live within itself—and is well off. There is supreme satisfaction to be derived from an old age which has knowledge and learning to feed upon....surely the satisfactions of the mind are greater than all the rest! 

Cicero, “On Old Age” 

Izzy’s grumbling that he hasn’t had a vacation in two years would strike many hard-working, or unemployed people as laughable self-pity. The Buddhist sages would call Izzy’s gripe a form of a “grasping onto things.” The Stoics would regard it as weak-kneed, self-indulgence. The Rabbis of the Talmud would simply be mystified (as in, “What is this vacation thing?”) 

We can summarize the Stoic “flourishing life” this way : We live best when we strive to gather knowledge; live in harmony with Nature; act in an ethical manner; and experience gratitude for whatever blessings life has given us. 

Fear drives complaints 

There is an underlying fear in Izzy’s litany of complaints. Constant complaining about what one lacks may also serve a defensive function—it fends off anxiety about one’s own mortality, and focuses one’s ire and energy on “those other people”, who have “everything.” In Izzy’s case, complaining also fends off the question, “Why is it that I can’t seem to find real happiness?” by laying the blame on “those other people” such as Izzy’s parents. 

Ironically, the cause of Izzy’s inability to find happiness is...Izzy! 

The medieval philosopher, Solomon ibn Gabirol, sums up Izzy’s predicament: 

[He] who seeks more than he needs, hinders himself from enjoying what he has. 

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Ron Pies MD, psychiatrist and educator, compares the Stoic thought with Buddhism and Judaism (juBuSto), and finds parallels. This article is based on his book Three Petalled Rose. 

 

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