We all know what this blog's title means from its contextual use in film and television. When we are in an untenable situation, our fear might cause a quivering upper lip. Keeping calm in the face of adversity is being stoic.
One of my favorite quotes is from Hal Elrod, and it goes like this: "I will never let my circumstances affect my emotional well-being. I will not let my outer world dictate my inner world. I will choose to be the happiest, the most grateful, the most optimistic, and at peace I could ever be, especially during the most difficult times of my life.
I think we can all agree that to be stoic in the face of adversity is virtuous and admirable.
Years ago, I was introduced to the Greek Philosopher Epictetus, a philosopher in the school of Stoicism. At some point in my study, I came across the last "Good Emperor" of Rome, Marcus Aurelius. Throughout his life, he kept journals. These were books not meant for anyone other than himself. In their translations and interpretation, philosophers and historians have republished these journals naming them Marcus Aurelius' Meditations.
When were Meditations first published? The modern history of the Meditations dates from the issue of the first printed edition (editio princeps) by Wilhelm Xylander in 1558 or 1559. It was published at the instigation of Conrad Gesner and printed by his cousin Andreas Gesner at Zurich. So, a work written over 2000 years ago was first published over 400 years ago. While Meditations can't lay claim to being the first self-help book (The ancient Egyptian Maxims of Ptahotep, written circa 2800 B.C., advocating moral behavior and self-control takes that prize), it is nonetheless fascinating to consider the continuous relevance of the writings of a Roman emperor today.
The first chapter is simply the recognition of all the people in his life who impacted him, starting with his parents. This alone is a useful journaling prompt we can all try! The remaining chapters reflect on four main themes: anger management, death, the paltriness of fame, and treatment of others.
Marcus was often annoyed with people with whom he was required to associate. He writes: "bad people cannot help themselves because, given their mistaken views about what is and is not important, they have no choice but to misbehave." They cannot harm him since all harm is self-inflicted and due to one's own false beliefs; in other words, his anger harms him. I love this perspective. I often reflect on the behavior of others and recognize that I cannot understand their reality. I can only understand my own, and even then, it is a lifelong journey.
Marcus suffered from Tuberculosis, so the potential for death was his constant companion. The stoic perspective is one of strength in the face of adversity. Finding contentment in the finality of this life, regardless of whether you believe in the afterlife, or not motivated Marcus to recognize that there is no time to lose and that every moment is precious. Remember that the next time you are tempted to Tic Tok.
Other people assign fame. Memories fade. Living in the present is where Marcus focused. Your virtue might be recognized, but this is not the reason to be virtuous. Fame is an epiphenomenon, a secondary effect; merely icing on the cake.
Even though Marcus found people contemptible, he drew on Stoic theory to remind himself that it is natural to care for others. He would often remind himself to focus on the good features of an individual. Again, we find the perspective that we cannot know why a person does what they do. Forgiveness of others and forgiveness of self are common themes of his.
I'll end with this excerpt from Robin Waterfield's translation of Meditations:
"Marcus was trying to encapsulate the magnificent vision of human life and its cosmic setting that Stoicism afforded and to see how it applied to his quest for happiness and his desire to be a good emperor. Of course, there would be setbacks, but there is no point in making things worse for yourself by worrying about things that are not within your control. You have to make the best of the lot the gods have assigned you. You must depend on yourself as much as possible and avoid treating 'indifferents' as important or being ruled by your feelings. Your rational faculty can help you select a path through life that will lead you to happiness. Meditations show us a man who was engaged against the odds in an ongoing quest for self-perfection, and although it was written entirely for himself, it encourages others to do the same, shows them a path, and casts a little light on the way ahead."
Be well, dear reader.
