Stoicism is treating my anxiety and depression

I recently found the ancient philosophy of Stoicism and it has helped me tremendously with peace of mind. It has many similarities to Buddhism but I know of no historical connection between the two. However, one thing I appreciate most about Stoicism is that it's not a religion and therefore there are no required supernatural beliefs. That also means that anyone of any (or no) religious affiliation can practice it.


One idea that has alleviated much of my depression and anxiety is that you should not base your identity or self-worth on others and how they treat you (or have treated you). Stoics were quite realistic about the fact that many humans can be jealous, petty, vindictive and cruel. Stoicism is about adhering to certain virtues, but the only measure of your adherence to these is you yourself. Also, you don't judge others. And you don't pursue "happiness" or pleasure, but mental peace and serenity.


Another thing that has helped me is the idea to detach yourself not just to criticism from others, but from praise. To silence the ego. Hard work is its own reward and the outcome of "success" or "failure" is unimportant. This obviously takes a lot of pressure away.


I realized tonight that for the first time in many years I am not anxious or depressed. If the purpose of life is not success or happiness but to learn and grow and try to live with integrity, this is much more meaningful to me. And easier to achieve each day.

Stoicism is having a resurgence right now, and I believe the reason for that is that we badly need it. I've read that surveys show people rate themselves as 30 percent angrier now than before the pandemic. And obviously we are polarized.


Stoicism is not about suppressing emotions (the modern meaning of the word Stoic is different from the historical meaning). It's about processing them. In particular you are never supposed to react in anger. You pause, step back until you are calm, and then respond.


Anyway, just wanted to throw this out there for anyone else who may find it helpful. I watch Ryan Holiday on Youtube - he is a modern stoic and there are many others. His books and videos are a good introduction.

Thanks for sharing, this is really interesting!

Good post Samicat, thanks for sharing

Here's a link to some info and quotes about my favourite historical Stoic, the Roman emperor Marcus Aurelius. Because he wrote down many of his thoughts, his writings survived to this day.

The 44 Best Quotes From Marcus Aurelius (About Stoicism & Life)

Everything we hear is opinion, not fact. Everything we see is a perspective not truth.

I really like this.

Funny I actually don't agree with Marcus here. He was writing many centuries before the scientific method. There is now such a thing as proof. Too much modern spread of misinformation relies on saying that everything is just an opinion.

I think we could modify his quote by adding something like everything is an opinion except when there is factual evidence or scientific method has been used etc Heck not long ago we had no knowledge of DNA etc

His quote could be applied to human interactions. I know people who get extremely upset over random peoples opinions of them. Those are just opinions,

For sure. Especially when it comes to making judgments of another person's character - those are opinions not facts, unless they are backed up with hard evidence.

I especially liked the part about perspective. Eyes do deceive.

I am Greek and have been reading Epictetus for decades. His collected words are available in one book. It's your dime but beware on line Stoic sites that charge you for access. Best to go to the library or buy a used Epictetus book. Call me a cynic (I'm Greek after all) but Epictetus never charged his students. Did you know he was born a slave in Nero's Rome? His two best pieces of advice are: it is only fitting that we spend our lives as philosophers which means determining what is the the right action in any given situation. And he advises that given a choice: life or death, life is the better one. However he does tell one pupil that for him, Epictetus, to lower himself to entertain Nero is not possible, and therefore in his world making a decision to entertain even at the threat of death is not a decision he can make, that death is the right action here. He also mentions that though others may be content to be ordinary, he wishes to be the "purple" that makes the garment beautiful. Enjoy...

Hi! I learned about Stoicism first time in school. And I realized that is what I've always been. It really does help me, too! I just subscribed to the YouTuber u mentioned. Thanx for info.

Ryan Holiday's 3 minute intro is very good, Samicat: