The Stoics were not joyless, godless, logicians! They saw a divine order in the world that united all mankind. They did not want to eliminate emotion, so much as to refine it. Rather than “sweating the small stuff,” the Stoics saw the larger picture of life, and focused on developing ethical and virtuous action — the only real and lasting “good,” in Stoic philosophy. So, are the Stoics saying we should simply “turn the other cheek” and put up with injustice or shabby treatment at the hands of abusers? Certainly not! They believed that when it was in our power to change the bad behavior of others, or to correct an injustice, we should do so. But once having exerted our best efforts, we need not torment ourselves if a bully is still a bully; a duck still a duck — or an exploitative ex-spouse still exploitative. Stoic philosophy may be summed up in that well-known maxim associated with 12-step programs, but originating with theologian Reinhold Niebuhr (1892-1971): psychcentral/blog/archives/2012/08/07/fending-off-lifes-slings-and-arrows-such-as-divorce-with-stoicism/
Posted on: Sat, 16 Aug 2014 23:49:07 +0000
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