Chaos tests our composure

Can a Stoic remain steady in a world that feels like it’s spinning out of control?

Chaos tests our composure. Like a runaway truck barreling down a mountain road, the modern world rushes at us—loud, unpredictable, relentless. It can feel as though tranquility is a luxury we can no longer afford. But the Stoics remind us that inner peace is not a product of our environment. It is a discipline rooted in the mind.

If you are distressed by anything external, the pain is not due to the thing itself, but to your estimate of it; and this you have the power to revoke at any moment. - Marcus Aurelius, Meditations, 6.8

The source of our resilience lies in this distinction. We cannot dictate the world’s pace, but we can govern our response to it. With this approach, we can build resilience, and adapt to life’s challenges.

Should we flee?

In an age that glorifies urgency and overstimulation, the Stoic path calls us inward. Many seek stillness by retreating to remote places—sacred spaces, vacation hideaways, or isolated landscapes. These can offer temporary solace. But are they escapes, or opportunities postponed? The Stoic would ask: why flee the storm when you can learn to be still within it?

Cultivating presence

Tranquility is not found in the absence of hardship but in the cultivation of presence, perspective, and purpose. Epictetus, one of Stoicism’s clearest voices, taught that freedom begins with internal clarity.

If, therefore, what is bad lies in what is subject to our control, then the caution that leads us to avoid it must also be under our control. But if what is bad lies in what is not subject to our control, then our caution must be directed outwards, and so will be inevitably diverted towards things that lie beyond our power.” Epictetus, Discourses, 2.1.12

Managing anger and fear

It is natural to feel anger or fear when facing uncertainty or threat. Stoicism does not ask us to suppress these emotions—but to understand them, manage them, and respond with virtue rather than reflex. In moments of crisis, the

Stoic seeks composure over chaos. Through deliberate breath, reflection, and the choice to act with integrity, we return to ourselves.

The nearer a man comes to a calm temper, the closer he is to strength. - Marcus Aurelius, Meditations, 11.18

Doing what is in our power

When the floodwaters of life rise—when danger knocks, when uncertainty swells— the Stoic asks not “How do I stop this?” but “What is within my power right now?” Rational action, guided by courage and informed by wisdom, replaces panic. Fear may arise. But irrational fear is a foe we can confront. As Seneca reminds us in his Letters to Lucilius (Letter 13, Section 4), “... we are more often frightened than hurt; and we suffer more from imagination than from reality.”

This does not mean we stand idle in the face of threat. Stoicism honours justice. If one is being stalked or harassed, the path of virtue may include seeking legal protection, setting clear boundaries, or calling on trusted allies. Marcus Aurelius himself wrote often of facing difficult people and dangerous situations—not with rage or retreat, but with clarity and resolve.

In turbulent times, the Stoic also returns to practices that ground the soul. They offer practical ways we can respond to difficulty. We can practice gratitude—even when the world feels harsh, reminding us of what endures. We can focus on justice—applied not only to others but to ourselves, ensuring that we do not betray our values in pursuit of comfort. We can practice courage— which steadies us to act rightly, not rashly. And we can seek wisdom—to help us discern what is ours to shape—and what must be released.

Facing it with dignity

We do not practice Stoicism to escape life’s pain, but to face it with dignity. The world may be chaotic. But the mind, well-trained, need not be. After all, the Stoics don’t promise ease—they offer something better: a calm that is earned, not given; a peace not based on silence, but on strength—not on escape, but on presence. When the world grows loud, Stoicism speaks softly. It reminds us: You are not powerless. You are not alone. And even now, you have choices.

Shirley Kwosek Sciacca is a writer, living in the Mid- west, seeking wisdom and resilience through lifelong learning and the practice of Stoic principles.

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