Developing a Stoic Mindset
This blog post was originally published on The Stoic Student
Each morning, at 5:30 AM, I spring out of my bed and head to my bathroom. It’s the best part of my day! It’s a time of peace, meditation, and a little discomfort. It is: my cold shower. It is a demanding challenge that invigorates me for the day ahead. However, I didn’t always love basking under frigid water for three minutes when the sun has yet to rise.
We are creatures of habit. We do the same things every day, over and over again. It is rare that we actively choose to do something new. But if we want to be different, we must do what few do. So, over six months ago, I decided to take cold showers. I didn’t start so I could get all the benefits that people on Reddit claim to receive; I didn’t start so I could brag to my friends about how I take cold showers; I started because I wanted to put a stoic practice into action: controlling my perception.
Hopping into a cold shower every morning was not comfortable. It was brutal, especially when I knew that I could stop whenever I wanted to. However, I slowly learned that I decided what the shower meant. I learned to control my perception of external events, and choose what this discomfort meant to me. Was it something tedious, frustrating, or painful? At first, yes. But I got to choose whether or not it stayed that way.
Every new habit is uncomfortable. As students, we know that starting an assignment is the most difficult part. It takes willpower to put down your phone, turn away from your social media, and focus on the task in front of you.
The way we think is habitual. We view the world through a unique lens that processes everything that comes in. What is amazing about us is that we can change these mental habits. It will be uncomfortable at first, but it will be well worth it. In fact, that is basically what Stoicism is: changing the way we see the world.
Aristotle viewed virtue as a habit. The more you think and act with virtue, the more natural it becomes. The quotes you remember and the ideas you hold close to your heart manifest themselves in your actions. With each thought and with each action, your Stoic practices become easier.
Marcus Aurelius acknowledges the difficulty of using Stoicism in one’s life: “Not to feel exasperated, or defeated, or despondent because your days aren’t packed with wise and moral actions. But to get back up when you fail, to celebrate behaving like a human — however imperfectly — and fully embrace the pursuit that you’ve embarked on.”
Stoicism is a journey, not a fix-all-your-problems-quick solution. Though this may seem frustrating, nothing will ever fix all your problems in a single day.
Occasionally, on reflection, I can see the habits that Stoicism exemplifies. It teaches us to look at things differently. When I make a mistake and have to do something over, I smile: this is an opportunity to improve myself. When something happens that would normally be a setback, I quickly look for the advantages that it brings.
It didn’t happen overnight. Nonetheless, forcing myself to reevaluate my opinion and take new perspectives has changed my life. It has been more than worth it.
So how can you change the way you see the world? It all starts with awareness. Our habitual thoughts are automatic. They occur without us knowing. However, as you learn more about Stoicism, these negative thoughts will become more evident. Reflect on your thoughts and look at things differently.
Over time, you will start to replace those old habits with new ones. You will slowly stop wasting your mental energy on frustrations and start focusing on what you can do. You’ll start acting like a Stoic. Oh, and congratulations by the way: just by reading this article, you’ve already started on this journey.
One last thing: as you study Stoic philosophy, through this blog and in your own readings, remember that the change it will bring is a process. It will be tough and imperfect at first. It requires effort. However, like a cold shower, it gets easier every day.
Quote from Meditations by Marcus Aurelius — translated by Gregory Hays
