STOICISM
One of the many terms that really intrigues me, I believe you must have heard about it somewhere, it could be someone’s Instagram Bio, or maybe you read it on some wannabe “vogue” blog post, just like myself. The point is that it is a very popular word. So, as I like to do; try and understand popular culture, I might even dive into this realm of philosophical terms.
Wikipedia defines the term stoicism as, “a school of Hellenistic philosophy founded by Zeno of Citium in Athens in the early 3rd century BC”. The term actually is derived from the word Stoa Poikile, a colonnade(an ancient Greek civil structure) where Zeno and his followers gathered to share ideas. Although over time the actual school faded away, its philosophies were carried down by many great philosophers reaching today in our present philosophy. The Stoics (people who follow the philosophy of stoicism ) can generally be defined as the person with calm behavior, one who has control over their emotions. Even though this summarizes the most important aspect, there is more to it. The original philosophy states that, “everything around us operates through a web of cause and effect, resulting in the rational structure of the universe that they called LOGOS”. One of the most popular aspects that have been more popularized is the philosophy that there are things that we can control, and some that we cannot. Understanding the difference and acting on only the things that are in your power, forms a stoic.
There is only one way to happiness and that is to cease worrying about things that are beyond the power of our will.
Epictetus, Greek Stoic Philosopher
Now, let’s get to stoicism in popular culture. This thought school has been carried down to defining and constructing poise and virtuous characters in movies. Some of the most popular being, Yoda from “Star Wars”, Mark Watney from “The Martian”, even Andy Dufrense from “The Shawshank Redemption”, among others. These characters possess traits of a stoic and are often designed in such a way that they don’t have control over the situations they are in. But have always a positive yet objective response to any of the situations they are faced with. In the movie, “The Martian”, the lead character played by ‘Matt Damon’ is stranded on the planet Mars, with no foreseen way of ever returning back home. Yet, he manages to not lose hope in the faintest of times.
If the oxygenator breaks down, I’ll suffocate. If the water reclaimer breaks down, I’ll die of thirst. If the Hab breaches, I’ll just kind of implode. If none of those things happen. I’ll eventually run out of food and starve to death. So yeah. I’m fucked.
Mark Watney, The Martian(2015)
The character of Andy Dufrense in the movie “The Shawshank Redemption” is a perfect representation of a stoic. Andy, being a Vice-President of a successful bank had a perfect life, until he gets falsely accused of murdering his wife and her lover. Resulting in him in jail, where the character starts to show traits of a stoic, rather than being angry of the situation that he has been put into, he lived rather oddly than from what he was expected to do, by immersing himself in the daily chores of the jail, whether that being having a conversation with the inmates, or helping the jailer with his financial skills, or making a library. He manages to stick to his goals of escaping the prison, without losing hope, considering the 19 years that he spent in prison.
He had a quiet way about him. A walk and a talk that just wasn’t normal around here.
He strolled, like a man in a park without a care or a worry in the world, like he had on an invisible coat that would shield him from this place.”
Ellis Boyd Redding (Red), The Shawshank Redemption (1994)
In conclusion, I would like to quote Epictetus:
“Get rid of Self Conceit. It is impossible to learn that which one thinks they already know.”
If you don’t like reading, watch these: JUST DON’T LET YOUR CURIOSITY FADE AWAY
Stoicism as a philosophy for an ordinary life | Massimo Pigliucci | TEDxAthens
The philosophy of Stoicism — Massimo Pigliucci
