What is a stoic?
What is a stoic? Well to simplify it, a stoic is someone who has complete control over his or her emotions. Be careful not to mistake this for someone who is emotionless; a stoic experiences and acknowledges their emotions, however they are not controlled by them.
Naturally we tend to be emotional creatures, making emotional decisions, which more often then not can lead to some regrettable choices. Have you ever heard the saying "In the heat of the moment"? Referring to that almost instinctual decision making we often lean on in emotional situations. This can lead to making choices with your heart and not your head; making a choice with your heart isn't always a bad thing but it is always important to make decisions with a clear head, and having a better understanding of how to control your emotions can help you do that.
A stoic is someone who wont let intense emotions guide his or her decision making, which can lead to them making better choices in high stress situations. Stoicism is ultimately the realization that although we cannot control a lot of the things that happen to us, we ALWAYS control how we react to it. Self control is everything.
An introduction to the history of stoicism.
The most influential stoic
Marcus Aurelius
Marcus was easily one of the most powerful men to ever live. He was the Emperor of Rome for nearly 20 years during the Golden age of roman history Despite being the most powerful man alive, Marcus Aurelius still decided to practice stoicism.
Imagine being able to take a look inside one of the most interesting and powerful minds to ever exist, vie got good news, you can. All because in his spare time, he would write nightly in his journal about the struggle to live as a restrained and wise person. These writings were discovered and eventually compiled into a book titled "Meditations." The book was then sold to the public as a guide for living a life of virtue. A direct look at the thoughts and practices of a practicing Stoic who lived during the Roman Republic, Marcus Aurelius' writings serve as an incredible example of what it took to successfully adopt Stoicism as part of one's daily routine.