This book describes the birth of philosophy. Although modern philosophers tend to spend their days debating esoteric topics, the primary goal of most ancient philosophers was to help ordinary people live better lives. Stoicism was one of the most popular and successful of the ancient schools of philosophy.
HOW THIS BOOK HELPED US?
This book helped us understand that no matter how much we try not to let bad things happen to us, they will always happen. But we should rather prepare ourselves for these bad things.
THE BOOK EXPLAINED UNDER 60 SECONDS
Irvine excels at giving a ‘walking tour’ of the many schools of Stoic philosophy, from Greek to Roman traditions, identifying individual Stoic thinkers (many more than Seneca) and their principles and techniques.
TOP THREE QUOTES
“Socrates changed the focus of philosophical inquiry. Before Socrates, philosophers were primarily interested in explaining the world around them and the phenomena of that world—in doing what we would now call science.”
“Some things are up to us and some are not up to us.”
“Many people are haunted by a fear that in some cases significantly constrains their freedom, namely, the fear of failure.”
BOOK NOTES AND SUMMARIES
PART ONE: THE RISE OF STOICISM
Much as schools of philosophy were a thing of the past, people still need a philosophy of life like before. Although schools of philosophy are not that prominent in the present, people are in as much need of a philosophy of life as they ever were.
Keep in mind that Stoicism is not the only philosophy of life, there are other options available to those seeking a different philosophy. But whatever philosophy of life man ends up adopting, he will probably have a better life than if he tried to live as many people do without a logical philosophy of life.
Favourite part of the part: “Socrates changed the focus of philosophical inquiry. Before Socrates, philosophers were primarily interested in explaining the world around them and the phenomena of that world—in doing what we would now call science.”
PART TWO: STOIC PSYCHOLOGICAL TECHNIQUES
Negative Visualisation: What’s the Worst That Can Happen
Any reflective person will once in a while contemplate the bad things that can happen to him. The main reason for this is to prevent these bad things from happening. But no matter how hard you try to prevent bad things from happening to us, some will happen anyway. Every time you think about these things you lessen their impact on you despite your efforts to prevent them, they still happen. The main reason humans contemplate bad things is that we are insatiable. After working hard to get what we want, we normally lose interest in the object of our desire. Rather than feeling satisfied, we feel a bit bored and form new, even grander desires. This is known as Hedonic Adaption. Hedonic adaptation takes place when you take for granted something you strongly desire, this adaptation not only happens for material things but also for relationships and accomplishments. In short: Visualize that you’ve lost something which you value. Remind yourself that you can lose it, and you will value it more.
The dichotomy of control
Your most important choice in life is whether to concern yourself with things external to you or things internal.
Most people choose the former because they think harms and benefits come from outside themselves. But someone with Stoic philosophy will look for the benefits and harm to come from himself. He will specifically give up the rewards the external world offers him to gain tranquillity, calm and freedom. Most people gain contentment by working to get it: You must come up with strategies by which to fulfil your desires and then implement those strategies. However, a better strategy for attaining what you want would be making it your goal to want those things that are easily attainable—and ideally to want those things that you can be certain of obtaining. Don’t seek to attain contentment by changing the world around you but rather to change yourself and more precisely by changing your desires.
Some things are up to us and some are not up to us. Your opinions, impulses, aversions and desires are the things that are up to you, and your reputation and possessions are the things that are not. Therefore you’re faced with a choice, you can want the things that are up to you or want the things that are not. We have complete control over which goals we set, but not whether we accomplish them. It is important to set internal goals (whether we do our best or not) rather than external goals (winning a contest—which is not up to us).
Fatalism
One way to preserve your tranquillity, the Stoics thought, is to take a fatalistic attitude toward the things that happen to you. You can’t change what has happened. But you can try to change the future outcomes through action. You shouldn’t always dwell on the past but the stoics suggest you sometimes think about it. Think about your past oftenly to learn lessons that can help you shape the future. Fatalism with respect to the past will doubtless be far more palatable to modern individuals than fatalism with respect to the future. Most people reject the notion that we are fated to live a certain life; they think contrary, they think the future is affected by their efforts. Besides recommending being fatalistic with respect to the past. The Stoics also advocate fatalism with respect to the present. It is clear that we cannot, through our actions, affect the present, if by the present we mean this very moment.
Favourite quote of the part: “Some things are up to us and some are not up to us.”
PART THREE: STOIC ADVICE
Duty
Man is by nature a social animal and therefore we have a duty to form and maintain relationships with other people, despite the trouble they might cause us. People are the source of some of the greatest delights life has to offer, including love and friendship. But we will also discover that they are the cause of most of the negative emotions we experience. But cause most of the negative emotions we experience. People may not necessarily do anything to you but can disrupt your tranquillity. You will spend time doing things that make other people think of you well and fear the wrong choices that will make other people think poorly of you. Marcus explains the nature of this social duty. To attain your social duty, you must feel the concern for all mankind. I must remember that humans were created for one another, born to work together the way our hands or eyelids do. Therefore, in all you do, have your goal as “the service and harmony of all.” More precisely, “You’re bound to do good to your fellow creatures and bear with them.
Social Relations
If the Stoics associate with other people, they risk their tranquillity being disturbed by them; if they preserve their tranquillity by shunning other people, they will fail at their social duty of forming and maintaining relationships. The stoics recommend preparing yourself for your relations with other people before you have to deal with them. We cannot be selective in doing our social duty: There will be times when we must associate with annoying, misguided, or malicious people in order to work for common interests. We can, however, be selective about whom we befriend. Besides being selective about the people we befriend, we should be selective, say the Stoics, about which social functions we attend (unless doing our social duty requires us to attend them).
Favourite quote of the part: “Many people are haunted by a fear that in some cases significantly constrains their freedom, namely, the fear of failure.”
HOW THIS BOOK CAN HELP SOFTWARE DEVELOPERS
“A Guide to the Good Life: The Ancient Art of Stoic Joy” by William B. Irvine can help software developers in several ways. The Stoic philosophy outlined in the book can teach developers how to maintain a calm and focused mindset, deal with setbacks and difficult people, and manage their emotions effectively. It can also help them to prioritize their goals and work towards achieving them in a systematic and deliberate manner. By practising Stoic principles, developers can become more resilient, productive, and fulfilled in their personal and professional lives. The book provides practical advice on how to apply Stoicism in daily life, making it accessible and relevant for anyone seeking to improve their well-being and achieve greater success.
