Stoic Joy - Review 1 of 5

A Guide to the Good Life: The Ancient Art of Stoic Joy is a book by William Irving in which he describes, for the layman, the philosophy of the Stoics; Stoicism.

It's a very interesting book, well written in a simple language that explains clearly some of the principles of Stoicism. I'm not a trained philosopher in the sense that I don't have a degree from a university, though I can argue that everyone at some level is philosophical, and I haven't gone through the works of the Stoics, but a few of the principles William Irving mentioned resonated with me, and I wanted to summarise them. At least what I think were the main lessons.

They aren't in any particular order, just in the way I remember them.

The first point is being simple in living. Being simple as in having simple needs and letting go of material obsessions. This is one that's touted by many religions as well. Letting go of material things is something that every sane person will agree is a good thing. But the Stoics go a step further. The point of letting go of materialism isn't a process of self-denial. Instead you should be comfortable with the little that you have. Delight in the few things that you have. Keep busy enjoying the basic things. For example, in your diet, you should enjoy eating simple things. Rough oats, dry bread, simple water and not sumptuous meals like braised meats, exotic treats and the like. Eat when you're hungry, and not when you're bored. In today's world, this is difficult to do since our hands are left without things to do so often. But it isn't that difficult. As a runner, I know how enjoyable a slice of bread, even without butter or any spread, is after a run. It tastes wonderful, as does the sip of water. A banana or an apple take on a measure of heightened delight if you eat them because you really need them, not just want them.

The same is with your surroundings, your home, your clothes and so on. The Stoics were known to wear simple robes and often walked barefoot, to exercise their philosophy. The Romans of the time wore rich silk togas and sandals and often were well manicured. How you looked was very important and vanity fuelled the obsession to outdo one's neighbour. This hasn't changed much because today we engage in much the same behaviour. However, from the Stoics point of view, having a simple room, in which you can stay out of the cold, with a simple chair, a table, a few simple things that you can use to contemplate and think on, these are enough.

Granted, the Stoic teachers were not all frugal. Some of them were great leaders, like Marcus Aurelius were leaders. Others achieved great financial success because a great part of Stoicism is geared towards engaging in life and helping your fellow citizen.

But the mental practise should be one of satisfaction. Being comfortable with what you have immediately.