Compassion Day 2 — Stoicism
The following is from my daily newsletter, The Pocket Philosopher. Each week we explore a theme, looking at that theme through the lens of a different philosophy each day.
Good morning everyone!
Today we’re going to continue with the theme of compassion, delving into the perspective of the Stoics.
First, a quick background on who the Stoics are/were, and what they espouse.
It’s hard to talk about Stoicism without also talking about Marcus Aurelius. He was an emperor in ancient Rome, in a time of constant and drawn-out warfare. He was an adherent to Stoicism as were Seneca and Epictetus to name a few other well known early followers, but what made him special was his habit of keeping a daily journal which has been passed down through the ages.
You can actually still read this journal in its entirety, called Meditations. I’d be remiss if I didn’t also point you in the direction of Ryan Holiday who is a modern day keeper and seeker of this ancient way (I definitely used some of his material in preparing for this newsletter, check him out!)
To be stoic is often associated with detachment, numbness, or lack of emotion in the common modern English use, however, nothing could be further from the truth.
Stoicism is actually about the habits and disciplines that allow one to observe themselves-their actions, thoughts, and reactions-in deep, structured reflection. The disciplines of the Stoics are extremely comparable to those of mindfulness or Zen.
Marcus Aurelius, a student of the practice, kept a daily journal in which he constantly wrestled himself and wrestled out these disciplines. While we actually know very little about the man himself aside from some broad facts and rough time period, we have this intimate window into his daily, personal thoughts through his reflections in Mediations.
In short, much of Stoic discipline is about moving above, or beyond one’s immediate reaction, into a space of empathy. In this empathy, we are free to imagine and connect with the possible motives and reasons for the behavior of others who harm or inconvenience us.
In this way, Stoicism teaches us to be compassionate by remaining grounded in the reality that we are all connected or at least similar in some way. From here, we are able to generate empathy, and thereby defuse the patterns of anger, resentment, hate, and division that work against our personal and collective good.
Have we not also hurt or inconvenienced others, as those who harm us are doing now?
In Mediations, Marcus Aurelius writes,
“When people injure you, ask yourself what good or harm they thought would come of it. If you understand that, you’ll feel sympathy rather than outrage or anger. Your sense of good and evil may be the same as theirs, or near it, in which case you have to excuse them. Or your sense of good and evil may differ from theirs. In which case they’re misguided and deserve your compassion. Is that so hard?”
-Marcus Aurelius, Mediations
The next time someone tells you that you’re being Stoic, thank them for recognizing your depth, empathy, mindfulness, and compassion!
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Together,
Matt the Pocket Philosopher
Originally published at https://pocketphilosopher.substack.com.
