One of the reasons why I like to study Stoicism is that its practitioners come from vastly different backgrounds. Slaves, businessmen, artists, soldiers, and even rulers, like the Roman Emperor Marcus Aurelius. This demonstrates that Stoicism is a practical philosophy, something that can be applied in life regardless of circumstances. This philosophy is not just for pondering ideas, it touches on the common aspects of humanity.

And what could be the greatest common ground for all of us, regardless of wealth, social standing, or fame, other than the reality of death. No one comes out of this earth alive. Death comes to us all; it is unfortunate that we don’t think about it as often as we should have. Continue Reading

What is the measure of whether someone has truly lived? Is it based on the number of birthdays that person celebrated? Is it the amount of wealth one was able to accumulate? Or perhaps how well-traveled a person is?

In Seneca’s letter, On Old Age, he referred to Heraclitus that said:
“One day is equal to every day“. This can be interpreted in several ways: Continue Reading

What does it mean to be self-sufficient? According to the dictionary, it is defined as “needing no outside help in satisfying one’s basic needs”, or “emotionally and intellectually independent”. Self-sufficiency means we are not dependent on others to fulfil our needs, both physically and emotionally. If we strive to be like this, does that mean we should no longer need others?

In Seneca’s letter On Philosophy and Friendship, he asked the question: Does a self-sufficient person need friends? If someone is already emotionally and intellectually independent, what would friendship bring to that person’s life? Continue Reading

Sisyphus was a wise and cunning man, whose crime is that he went against the ancient gods of Greece. Whether or not his actions are justified is another story, but in the end, he was prosecuted by those in power and judged through their laws. As punishment, he was tasked to push a huge rock towards the top of a hill.

The rock isn’t an ordinary object though, as we are talking about ancient gods here. The real punishment is that once he reaches the top, Sisyphus always loses his grip and the rock falls back down into the bottom. He then has to carry the rock towards the top, and the same thing happens over and over again for all eternity. Continue Reading