This is the stoic personality: do you identify?

Far from being a one-time fad, Stoicism is a philosophical perspective that has been permeating our culture for decades. Epictetus, the Greek philosopher of non-worry, was an inspiration to psychotherapist Albert Ellis in the 1950s. So much so that cognitive psychology partly sinks its foundations in his personal ethics.

In fact, it is still interesting how this philosophical school began. It was Zeno of Citium, a Phoenician merchant, who founded it in Athens at the beginning of the 3rd century BC. C. He did it as a result of a painful experience: he lost his entire fortune in a shipwreck at the age of 45. From then on, he oriented his existence to offering speeches in public squares about physics, logic and thought.

According to him, no loss should matter as much to us as that of time, since this, and no other, is the most irreparable dimension. Likewise, if there was one aspect that he insisted on, it was the need to accept reality as if it responded to a rational mandate. One in which everyone is obliged to understand to act accordingly.

Developing a more stoic approach can be a support for a world in chaos, that scenario to which, sometimes, it is difficult for us to adapt.. Why not better understand what these people are like to imitate some of their characteristics?

The stoic personality is defined by a high capacity for self-control.

This is the stoic personality

We live in an increasingly complex society, with fragile relationships, social crises and the constant slab of uncertainty.. In such a context there are only two options: accept or continue fighting in the face of so many difficulties. The stoic personality configures that perspective that can best adjust to an environment in which reason allows us to overcome chaos.

Massimo Pigliucci is a well-known Italian biologist, philosopher and writer known for spreading this type of philosophy. in his book How to be a Stoic, 2018reminds us that, Although we cannot control what happens to us, it is possible to work on how we respond to it.. Factors such as anxiety, stress and everyday suffering could be better managed if we developed a more stoic mind.

Composure, acceptance and resistance are those seeds that sustain and make this type of personality constructs flourish that are worth knowing. We analyze them.

1. Self-sufficiency and personal responsibility

Think for yourself, decide according to your needs, values ​​and principles. Could there be a more necessary and healthy feature? Of course not. Self-reliance is the ability to be guided by our own judgment without external conditioning.

Only you are responsible for your life and this requires not leaving your own future on the shoulders of others. On the other hand, this characteristic is fueled by a healthy self-esteem that threads everything together and gives impetus to the stoic personality. The moment you trust in yourself, in your judgments, values ​​and decisions, your destiny takes on another direction.

2. Self-knowledge to know who you are and what you want

The person who does not know himself allows himself to be carried away by other people’s designs and by chaos.. If we wish to acquire more stoic thinking, let us first promote self-knowledge. Knowing what gives us meaning, what we expect from life and from ourselves, offers us pillars on which to stand, as well as a more motivating starting point.

The Stoics worked on that introspection from which they not only knew who they were. They also tried to become aware of their virtues and limitations. Knowing our lights and chiaroscuros will, without a doubt, allow us to better navigate the journey of existence.

3. Adaptability to changes

Two of the most common “diseases” of this century are stress and anxiety. It is very difficult for us to handle setbacks, accept the uncertain, accept big and small changes. The stoic personality is, however, very skilled at managing these types of circumstances.

Researchers from the Birkbeck Affective and Cognitive Neuroscience Laboratory indicate in a work that this philosophical school is very useful for all those people prone to excessive worry. One of its virtues is to teach us that, as human beings, we must know how to adapt to unforeseen events and twists of fate.

Any variation in our routine disturbs us, threatening to throw us out of our comfort zone. However, Our strength lies in our ability to adapt and, once achieved, it is easier to move wherever we want.

4. Focus on resolution and not stagnation

We all have the ability to improve our problem-solving skills. The first step is to lower the volume of fears and panic, of catastrophic thinking. The stoic person is more rational than emotional and their particularity is to look at the world from balance, acceptance and the constant search for solutions.

Those who remain trapped by disabling emotions, such as anguish and denial, do not move forward, they stagnate. The Stoic personality is logical, practical and decisive.

5. Resilient mind with broad focus

Adversity is that tone present on the canvas of our existence; Nobody avoids it completely and neither is immune to it. For the sake of our psychological health and personal growth, we should develop a more resilient approach. The Stoic heart accepts and understands the arrival of fatality, of suffering that overshadows everything.

Now, far from being stranded in the discomfort of that tunnel of darkness, advance through it knowing that destiny cannot be controlled. What you can do is learn from that situation by taking a broader, more perspective mental perspective.

Sometimes, when misfortunes catch us, we only pay attention to the small details, the obstacles and thorns that harm us. The stoic person tries to see the big picture and look at life beyond its own bumps.. It is there, when we look up, that we find new meanings and greater hope.

6. Serenity, the best lifestyle

In the face of daily disagreements, serenity. In the face of challenges, uncertainties and problems of everyday life, serenity. It is true that it may be difficult for us to develop this balanced, calm and luminous attitude, but that would be an ideal strategy to calm fears, anxieties and have a better quality of life.

Men and women with stoic qualities seek to be in harmony with nature and with themselves. They try to cultivate their virtues, learn and be disciplined so that reason is always the best response to every challenge.

The stoic person understands that life is full of bumps, but they accept them and move forward taking new perspectives.

A useful approach that does not expire

In recent decades, Stoicism has gained great popularity. However, this philosophical school has always been present in our culture and in more than one psychological perspective. Assuming some principles of thought can be very useful to us today.

Let’s remember, For a Stoic, happiness is nothing more than the subtle combination of two great ingredients: virtue and ataxia. (the tranquility). Why not work on these qualities today?

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