"They accept the world the way it actually is, not the way you would want it to be. The problem is, of course, that life sometimes is complicated, that are multiple choices. We have a tendency to want to simplify things and go for something that is stark, that is clear, that is obvious. That's just not the way the world works. And, according to the Stoics, it's much better to try to understand how the world works and then act accordingly."
"Stoicism is a philosophy of life that suggests that the best way to live a human life is to ask yourself what kind of a living organism human beings are. And the answer that the Stoics give to that question is that fundamentally we are highly social and capable of reason. We're that intelligent. It follows, according to them, that a good human life is one way you use reason in order to solve problems and you behave in a cooperative, pro-social fashion."
"One of the crucial insights of the Stoics is that we should focus on what is up to us, as the ancient Stoic Epictetus put it, and try to accept with equanimity what is not up to us. In other words, focus where your agency is active, where you are efficacious in doing things, and then accept whatever comes as it comes because you really don't have a choice."
Stoic thought emphasizes realism about life, urging acceptance of the world as it is and avoidance of imposing preferred outcomes. Humans are characterized as social, reasoning organisms whose good life involves solving problems through reason and behaving cooperatively. Stoicism prioritizes focusing effort where individual agency is effective and accepting with equanimity what lies beyond control. Recognizing limited physical and emotional resources guides choices toward effective, pro-social action. Stoic practice recommends understanding how the world works and acting accordingly rather than simplifying complex situations into stark, unrealistic demands.
Read at Big Think
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