Stoicism’s Big Moment.

A few years ago, I was conducting research on addiction recovery. In a focus group among participants who were successfully managing their condition we got to discussing The Serenity Prayer, written in the 1930’s by Reinhold Niebuhr, and often quoted in addiction treatment settings:

“God, grant me the serenity to accept  the things I cannot change,
The courage to change the things I can,
And the wisdom to know the difference.”

One participant remarked that this prayer had meant a lot to him during the early, most difficult days of his recovery, and had led him to become an adherent of Stoicism. Another participant piped up: “hey—I’m a Stoic too, and that prayer sums it up perfectly.” One more participant chimed in that she also practiced Stoicism. That was three out of eight. One of the three gave a quick description of Stoicism, causing another participant to remark, “that’s me—I just didn’t know it had a name.” Make that four out of eight. Wow.

Over the remaining four groups, I explored this idea, and discovered another nine people who called themselves Stoics, and two more who realized they had been Stoics without knowing it.Since then, I’ve encountered many people who consider themselves Stoics. Not just those dealing with addiction, but all kinds: healthcare professionals, military and law enforcement personnel and athletes just to name a few.

Until those addiction focus groups, I’d had no awareness of Stoicism as a modern phenomenon—I associated it with ancient Greece. And a phenomenon it is: Stoicism is having a cultural moment. Don’t believe me? Check out the number of recent books about Stoicism on Amazon. Sales of Stoicism classics, such as the Meditations of the Roman emperor Marcus Aurelius, have experienced enormous growth in recent years. And, look at the influential people these days describing themselves as stoics: Tom Brady, Bill Clinton, Jack Dorsey, Keanu Reeves and J. K. Rowling to name a few.

So, why is this happening? Is there something about Stoicism that makes it especially appropriate for these troubled times? I’m thinking, yes. But first, let me provide those among you who were as ignorant of Stoicism as I was with some info on what it is. Bear with me—I’ll keep it brief.

Originating in 3^rd Century BC Greece, Stoicism was intended to be a practical philosophy, designed to help regular people live in the real world. At the core of Stoicism are the ideas that happiness is attained through virtue, that pleasures and worldly goods are to be regarded with indifference, and that living in harmony with the world comes of overcoming destructive emotions. Contrary to popular misconceptions, Stoics are not expected to be emotionless but rather not to be ruled by their passions—emotional resilience if you like. Stoicism emphasizes four key virtues:

Prudence—the ability to act cautiously and to do the right thing at the right time.

Justice—the idea of fairness, of treating others with respect and proportionality.

Fortitude—strength, persistence, and the ability to face fear and the unknown.

Self-control—the ability to moderate one’s own behavior and act sensibly.

Above all, Stoicism stresses focusing on what you can control, and not dwelling on things you can’t – remember The Serenity Prayer.

So, what about Stoicism has led it to being all the rage? My own recent experiences as a researcher suggest that people feel especially uncertain, unsafe, and helpless these days. That being the case, a pragmatic approach to life that stresses focusing on what you can control, deemphasizing what you can’t and not letting your emotions get the better of you has to be appealing. As Ryan Holiday, who has written numerous books about Stoicism observes, “born in the tumultuous ancient world, Stoicism took aim at the unpredictable nature of everyday life and offered a set of practical tools meant for daily use.” Considering how tumultuous our world has been over the last few years, it would almost be surprising if Stoicism weren’t experiencing a resurgence.

Importantly, Stoicism isn’t just a recipe for coping. It’s also a way to perceive things—a mindset that helps adherents make sense of a world that seems to be falling apart. This is why marketers and researchers need to be aware of it. To understand how people perceive brands and marketing communications, it is essential to understand the lenses through which they are seeing those things. Becoming conversant in the basics of Stoicism can provide insight into how people react to marketing strategies and messaging.

Stoicism is a mindset tailor-made for difficult times. For every self-described Stoic out there, I suspect there are several more who have unknowingly embraced some aspects of Stoic philosophy. Marketers and researchers need to become informed about this mindset in order to understand this cultural moment.

Photo Courtesy of: Creative Commons International