Stoicism 101 | Nancy Sherman
Nancy Sherman, a Professor of Philosophy at Georgetown University, discusses Stoicism, clarifying its true meaning beyond common misinterpretations. She introduces practices like "premeditation of evils" and "being at home in the world" to foster resilience and connection.
Deep Dive Analysis
12 Topic Outline
Introduction to Stoicism and its Common Misinterpretations
Stoicism's True Nature: Virtue, Vulnerability, and Connection
Misinterpretations of Stoicism in Modern Self-Optimization Culture
Operationalizing Stoic Wisdom: Daily Practices and Meditations
Seneca's End-of-Day Reflection for Ego Bruises and Attachments
Stoicism vs. Eastern Meditation: Reason, Self, and Community
The 'Circles' Practice for Cultivating Global Connection
Addressing Biases and Impulsive Impressions through Stoic Discipline
Grappling with Stoicism's Historical Context: The Issue of Slavery
Pre-rehearsal of Evils: Anticipating and Cushioning Against Bad Outcomes
Mental Reservation: Hedging Bets for Agility and Adaptiveness
The Role of Teasing and Lightness in Stoic Philosophy
5 Key Concepts
Stoicism (Ancient Greco-Roman Philosophy)
An ancient philosophy focused on finding calm amidst vulnerability and uncertainty, emphasizing virtue, global connection (cosmopolitanism), and understanding emotions. It is often misinterpreted as merely 'sucking it up' or suppressing emotions, but it's about tempering emotions and connecting with others.
Indifference (Stoic concept)
In Stoicism, 'indifference' does not mean apathy, but rather understanding that external factors like wealth, reputation, or even health, do not inherently determine one's happiness. The goal is to learn to approach and avoid these things without excessive acquisitiveness or fear, recognizing they don't change one's inner balance.
Cosmopolitanism
A core Stoic belief meaning 'citizen of the cosmos or of the universe.' It emphasizes shared humanity, reason, and emotions, advocating for building a world of shared humanity and cooperative endeavors, rather than focusing solely on individual self-reliance.
Impulsive Impressions
These are fast, unreflected reactions or biases that influence how we interpret the world. Stoicism teaches monitoring these impressions, pressing a 'pause button,' and applying higher-order thinking to reflect on them, rather than immediately assenting to them, to change maladaptive interpretations.
Non-consequentialism (Stoic perspective)
A Stoic principle that advises against dwelling excessively on the consequences or outcomes of actions. Instead, the focus should be on the 'doing,' the striving, and the living—on whether one did their best and acted ethically, rather than solely on achieving a desired result.
8 Questions Answered
Stoicism is an ancient Greco-Roman philosophy focused on finding calm in a world of uncertainty and dealing with vulnerability, emphasizing virtue, global connection, and understanding emotions. It's about being good in a connected world, not just internal strength.
The common understanding of 'stoic' (little 's') as 'sucking it up' or showing no emotion is a misreading. Ancient Stoicism (capital 'S') is about tempering emotions, not suppressing them, and emphasizes social connection, virtue, and resilience through community support, not just go-it-alone grit.
Modern interpretations, especially among 'self-optimizing' individuals, often overemphasize self-reliance, inner strength, and handling adversity at all costs, sidelining Stoicism's focus on virtue, vulnerability, and the importance of shared humanity and cooperative endeavors.
Stoicism is practiced through various meditations and tools, including end-of-day reflection on ego bruises, pre-rehearsal of evils to anticipate challenges, mental reservation to foster adaptability, the 'circles' practice for global connection, and monitoring impulsive impressions to address biases.
While Stoicism is more 'chatty' and emphasizes reason and the individual psyche, it shares similarities with Eastern practices in cultivating detachment from sticky attachments and ego investment. Both aim to foster a broader perspective on what matters and a sense of connection to a larger whole.
Stoics like Seneca sometimes advocated for treating enslaved people with humanity, recognizing their shared reason. However, historical context suggests some of these claims might have been prudential or self-serving, as they did not fundamentally challenge the institution of slavery itself, viewing it as a conventional circumstance rather than a natural state.
Yes, Stoicism employs a practice called 'pre-rehearsal of evils' (or 'fear setting') where one mentally anticipates and dwells on worst-case scenarios. This helps to prepare for dreaded possibilities, cushion against being blindsided, and reorient focus from outcome optimization to striving and doing one's best.
Despite common portrayals of Stoics as humorless, Nancy Sherman argues that a certain lightness and humor are part of facing outcomes well and forming social bonds. This can include joking about mortality or engaging in lighthearted banter to create connection and perspective.
13 Actionable Insights
1. End-of-Day Reflection
At the end of each day, reflect on what made you angry, afraid, or bruised your ego, as Seneca did. This practice helps temper expectations and release you from mis-evaluations, fostering a healthier perspective for the next day.
2. Pre-rehearse Evils
Actively dwell on and anticipate worst-case scenarios, such as mortality or potential misfortunes. This mental exercise helps cushion against dreaded possibilities, preparing you mentally so you are not caught off guard and can respond better if they occur.
3. Practice Mental Reservation
When setting intentions, plans, or goals, always include a ‘unless’ clause, hedging your bets (e.g., ‘I will go for a boat ride unless it rains’). This cultivates mental agility and adaptability, preventing disappointment by not being fixed on a single outcome, but rather on striving your best.
4. Monitor Biases & Impressions
Actively monitor your ‘impressions’ and patterns of attention, especially impulsive ones that lead to anger, prejudice, or misjudgment. Practice not assenting to these immediately, instead introducing a layer of reflection to put space between the impulse and your reaction, allowing you to change your perspective and better interact with the world.
5. Cultivate Global Connection
Practice visualizing yourself at the center of concentric circles, with the outermost circle representing humanity. Through zealous effort and vivid imagination, bring those distant circles closer to your center, diminishing ego investment and fostering a sense of shared humanity and connection.
6. Temper Emotions, Not Suppress
Understand that Stoicism is about tempering your emotions, not suppressing them or ‘sucking it up.’ The goal is to manage strong feelings so they don’t run away from you, allowing for equilibrium and inner resources.
7. Let Go of Attachments
Identify and release ‘sticky attachments’ or excessive acquisitiveness to specific outcomes, material possessions, or reputation. This helps you broaden your perspective on what truly matters and reduces the impact of narcissistic bruises.
8. Conduct Value Checks
Regularly question whether you are valuing the right things in life, such as pursuing more money versus contributing to a better world, or seeking strength at all costs versus ethical goodness. This ensures your investments align with a flourishing life for yourself and others.
9. Embrace Vulnerability
Reject the notion of being invincible or anti-fragile; instead, acknowledge and deal with your vulnerability. Stoicism aims to help you cope with life’s uncertainties and challenges, not to make you immune to them.
10. Seek Social Support
Recognize that you cannot ‘do it on your own’ and actively cultivate friendships, family attachments, and community connections. These social supports are crucial for resilience and maintaining equilibrium when facing adversity.
11. Avoid Self-Neuroticism
While practicing reflection and self-improvement, be mindful not to ‘beat up on yourself’ or become overly neurotic. Strive for a balance between wanting to be good and being good to yourself, ensuring practices don’t lead to sleepless nights or excessive self-criticism.
12. Integrate Eastern Quieting
Consider combining Stoic discursive reflection with Eastern meditation practices that focus on quieting the mind. This can help temper ‘heavy mental lifting’ and reduce internal ‘chatter’ or ’litigious’ self-talk.
13. Cultivate Lightness and Humor
Incorporate lightness and humor into your approach to life’s challenges and relationships. This helps foster social bonds, allows you to take yourself less seriously, and contributes to a more human and connected way of being Stoic.
5 Key Quotes
If you've ever seen an arm or a leg separated from the trunk of the body, that's what we make of ourselves when we cut ourselves off from each other.
Marcus Aurelius (quoted by Nancy Sherman)
You can't be tough without being attached somehow.
Nancy Sherman
You're nothing if you cut yourself off from the whole.
Nancy Sherman
Kiss your child goodbye in the morning as if it's the last time.
Epictetus (quoted by Nancy Sherman)
Dwell in the future.
Cicero (quoted by Nancy Sherman)
5 Protocols
End-of-Day Reflection (Seneca's Practice)
Nancy Sherman (describing Seneca's practice)- In the quiet of the night, reflect on things that caused anger, fear, or bruised your ego during the day.
- Identify 'sticky attachments' or acquisitiveness, such as wanting specific outcomes, over-investing in reputation, or being offended by minor slights.
- Question why you were so invested in these outcomes or why the 'narcissistic bruise' mattered.
- Aim to temper your expectations and release yourself from mis-evaluations or poor ways of thinking about these events.
- Carry these insights into the morning to foster a broader perspective on what truly matters and to check your values, without letting the reflection keep you awake.
Pre-rehearsal of Evils (Fear Setting)
Nancy Sherman (describing Stoic practice)- Dwell in the future by anticipating things that could happen that might unmoor you, imagining worst-case scenarios (e.g., mortality, professional failure, personal loss).
- Mentally live with these possibilities for a while to prepare yourself and cushion against being blindsided by unexpected negative events.
- Focus on the 'doing' and 'striving'—doing your best and being ethically good—rather than solely on outcome optimization, as this reorients your thoughts.
- Recognize that this practice is a way of cushioning a dreaded possibility and living with it a little better, so you're not caught off guard.
Mental Reservation (Hedging Your Bets)
Nancy Sherman (describing Stoic practice)- When setting out with intentions, plans, strategies, or life goals, consciously stick an 'if' or 'unless' clause into your thinking.
- For example, 'I will go for a boat ride, unless it rains' or 'This will be my plan, unless [unforeseen event] occurs.'
- Practice this habit to cultivate mental agility and adaptiveness, preventing disappointment if fixed outcomes are not met and allowing for flexibility.
Circles Practice (Becoming at Home in the World)
Nancy Sherman (describing Stoic practice)- Imagine yourself at the center of concentric circles, with each circle representing different levels of connection (e.g., family, friends, community, humanity).
- Identify the farthest circle, representing those in the outermost reaches of humanity or those with whom you feel little connection.
- Through zealous effort and vivid imagination, actively bring that outermost circle closer to your center, making the connection more vivid.
- Practice this regularly to diminish ego investment, reduce the importance of yourself, and foster a sense of shared humanity and global citizenship.
Monitoring Impulsive Impressions (Addressing Biases)
Nancy Sherman (describing Stoic practice)- Recognize that you interpret the world through 'impressions,' many of which are fast, impulsive, and can be biased or prejudiced.
- Practice 'not assenting' or not immediately agreeing to these impulsive impressions, especially those that lead to anger, insult, or dismissal of others.
- Press a 'pause button' to introduce a higher level of reflection, putting space between the impulsive impression and your immediate 'spin' on it.
- Monitor your patterns of attention and challenge mis-evaluations to change your interpretations and, consequently, your interactions with the world, aiming for more reflective and less reactive responses.