The Enduring Legacy of Stoicism From Greece to Today
Via USC Dornsfie
The Story
Stoicism is enjoying a striking modern revival as people turn to its ancient framework of emotional intelligence to cope with the anxieties of the digital age.
Sales of Marcus Aurelius's Meditations jumped from 12,000 copies in 2012 to 100,000 in 2019, and YouTube channels devoted to the philosophy now draw millions of subscribers, including many Silicon Valley leaders.
At its heart lies the dichotomy of control, which USC professor Ralph Wedgwood describes as recognizing the few things people can control and adopting a different attitude toward everything they cannot.
Wedgwood stresses that Stoicism does not mean suppressing feelings but rather reshaping destructive habits to achieve genuine emotional balance.
The tradition also teaches the circles of concern, nested rings representing soul, body, family, community, and humanity that call each person to serve many overlapping communities.
Rooted in figures like the former slave Epictetus and the emperor Marcus Aurelius, the philosophy even helped inspire modern cognitive behavioral therapy, giving its practical tools fresh relevance today.
Sales of Marcus Aurelius's Meditations jumped from 12,000 copies in 2012 to 100,000 in 2019, and YouTube channels devoted to the philosophy now draw millions of subscribers, including many Silicon Valley leaders.
At its heart lies the dichotomy of control, which USC professor Ralph Wedgwood describes as recognizing the few things people can control and adopting a different attitude toward everything they cannot.
Wedgwood stresses that Stoicism does not mean suppressing feelings but rather reshaping destructive habits to achieve genuine emotional balance.
The tradition also teaches the circles of concern, nested rings representing soul, body, family, community, and humanity that call each person to serve many overlapping communities.
Rooted in figures like the former slave Epictetus and the emperor Marcus Aurelius, the philosophy even helped inspire modern cognitive behavioral therapy, giving its practical tools fresh relevance today.
Go Deeper
Read the original reporting at USC Dornsfie.
Read Full Story at USC Dornsfie →