Stoicism: How to Use Stoic Philosophy to Find Inner Peace and Happiness

by Jason Hemlock

Are you tired of the glass being half empty?

Do you worry you don’t have the strength to cope when something bad happens? (And something bad always happens!)

Stoicism changed the lives of its followers for the better and now it can do the same for you.

The Stoics knew what made for a good man – and a good life. Four simple virtues empowered them to cope with the end of a relationship, the loss of a job, ill health, and even bereavement. Now you too can discover for yourself what gave them the emotional resilience to make the most of any situation.

Do you want more enjoyment in life instead of stressing all the time?

In How to Use Stoic Philosophy to Find Inner Peace and Happiness, you will learn about what made the ancient philosophers so wise. You will uncover how to find the opportunity in any challenge and how you can use your journal to transform your life. If you’re looking for the answer to modern stresses and strains, you’ll find it in Stoicism. Specifically, you will

Why so many successful people are Stoic The counterintuitive reason you should welcome misfortune Stoicism’s four virtues and how you can apply them in any situation How you can find opportunity in any challenge How you can welcome hardship – and why this is an essential ingredient for happiness How Plato’s view will transform the way you see the world Why you will never have complete control over your life and this is okay Written in plain English, this book takes profound concepts and delivers them in bite-sized chunks anyone can understand, even if you’re completely new to philosophy.

Life’s a journey, but you don’t have to travel alone. With Stoicism on your side, you’ll be able to roll with the punches and make the most of whatever comes your way.

Download this book now and discover the secrets of stoicism today.

Genres: Philosophy, Nonfiction, Self Help, Audiobook, Health, Psychology, Lifestyle

Audible Audio

Published May 4, 2020

Reviews

[Mark Porton · Rating 4 out of 5]

Stoicism: How to Use Stoicism Philosophy to Find Inner Peace and Happiness by Jason Hemlock, as the title suggests, is a self-improvement book on how to use the ancient philosophy of Stoicism to help the reader lead a better, more virtuous life.

There are fourteen chapters each detailing an aspect of stoicism, describing the theory, the history of the topic followed by some exercises to enable the reader to practice and attempt to adopt stoic practices into their daily lives. Some examples of chapter topics include - seeking out misfortune, turn an obstacle upside down, view the world from above, embrace your lack of control, prepare for the worst and be your best self.

My main interest in stoicism is historical, as two greats from antiquity are major players in this philosophical practice:

Seneca (5 BCE – 65 CE) – one of the wealthiest men in the Roman Empire, an advisor and mentor to Nero (something one could say, "the proof was NOT in the pudding"), but well connected and possessed a great mind. His book On the Shortness of Life is one of my ‘go-too’ books, when I want to read something inspirational about the importance of using our time wisely. It’s our most valuable possession.

It is not that we have a short space of time, but that we waste much of it

Marcus Aurelius (121 – 180 CE) – the last one in the period of the five good emperors. He was a man with a great mind and his Meditations is a philosophical work that is still relevant today, all written while he was on the battle front warring with the Germanic Tribes of the day.

The happiness of your life depends upon the quality of your thoughts.

Both are quoted heavily in this book – as are others such as Epictetus and many others.

Death is the ultimate motivating force for us to be our best selves, because if we can truly say on our death bed that we always did our best, death holds no power over us………..I like that.

For those looking at adopting practices to become your ‘best-self”, improve well-being and happiness, this may be a book you may find handy.

4 Stars

[Joseph Spuckler · Rating 3 out of 5]

Much more of a self-help book than a philosophy book

[Sumayyah Bailey · Rating 4 out of 5]

As a Muslim, I found this a very interesting read. There’s a lot that Stoicism and Islam have in common. Have have heard from both Muslim and non Muslim people that reading about philosophy is contradictory to one’s religion but I beg to differ. If one finds they can read information objectively then it should be one’s jury to learn of other walks of life, irrespective of its difference of opinion. I’ve been working on looking at scenarios in my life from an objective point of view and using logic before emotion when governing your choices and this book really helped to put that into perspective. It outlines some important stoic philosophers such as Marcus Aurelius and Seneca, which helps to give you a starting point for your further stoic reads.

[Steve · Rating 4 out of 5]

Stoicism is a philosophy that teaches us how to live well in a chaotic and unpredictable world. It helps us to cultivate virtues such as wisdom, courage, justice, and self-control, and to cope with challenges such as loss, pain, anger, and fear. In this book, Jason Hemlock provides a clear and concise introduction to the main principles and practices of Stoicism, drawing from the writings of its ancient founders and followers, such as Zeno, Seneca, Epictetus, and Marcus Aurelius. He also shows how Stoicism can be applied to modern life, offering practical advice and exercises on topics such as goal-setting, gratitude, journaling, meditation, and more.

The audiobook is narrated by Fred Filbrich, who has a pleasant and engaging voice. He delivers the content with clarity and enthusiasm, and uses appropriate tone and emphasis to convey the meaning and emotion of the text. He also pronounces the names and terms correctly, which is helpful for listeners who are not familiar with them.

Overall, I found this audiobook to be a valuable and enjoyable introduction to Stoicism. It covers the essential aspects of the philosophy, and provides useful examples and exercises to help listeners apply it to their own lives. It is suitable for anyone who is interested in learning more about Stoicism, or who wants to improve their well-being and happiness. I would recommend this audiobook to anyone who is looking for a simple and practical guide to Stoicism.

[Finn Eaglestone-Blundell · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found this book to be a nice introduction to the stoic mindset, although I would say it's less of a philosophy book and more of a list of self help practices.

I will certainly apply some of these practices and it made some good references to the classic stoics like Aurelius and Seneca. It would have been a 5 for me if there wasn't so many different exercises to do! I suppose the point is that you go back, reflect on chapters as required, and adopt exercises but it was too many for me to consider doing regularly.

[Erica Tiemann · Rating 1 out of 5]

1.5 ⭐️ this book was lowkey weird ? Some parts seemed like a guided meditation. It was a short read (thank GOD) since I almost DNF this book. I was hoping to learn more about the philosophy aspects and history of Stoicism and this turned more into an odd self help book.

[Monte Kozmits · Rating 4 out of 5]

Quick read. Very practical. Good for those approaching Stoicism for the first time.

[Abe Aamidor · Rating 2 out of 5]

I grew tired of it. Seemed as if he'd read a few books on Stoicism, so he was empowered to write a book extolling it. Maybe I'm harsh, but ... there are a lot of other books on Stoicism out there.

[Aamir Hassan · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book has some very good ideas that you can apply to your life. Some of the things I particularly enjoyed and found insightful were the ideas around turning obstacles into wins, having a view from beyond the world (some fantastic meditative practices I have brought into my life here) and some of the stoic beliefs to mindfulness.

There’s a point in the middle for about a few sections where the book lost me. Some of the practices, whilst I understood, seemed a bit too old school for my liking, I simply do not think they can work for everyone and there isn’t anything that touches upon the various backgrounds and upbringings we may have.

It did help me come to a conclusion that many things can work for everyone but not everything is a ‘same size fits all’ approach, there has to be adaptability so where the book felt rigid in its approach is where it lost me at times.

However, it really did safe itself at the end with topics around being your best self and being the best version of yourself to make better decisions.

[Manon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Eerste keer dat ik me verdiep in stoïcisme. Heel veel sluit al aan bij inzichten en overtuigingen die ik door de jaren heen heb vergaard. Ik vind het een superinteressant onderwerp en heb naar aanleiding van dit (luister)boek ook een ander boek over stoïcisme gekocht. Het is een levenshouding waar ik al veel affiniteit mee heb (zonder me daar heel bewust van te zijn) en graag meer over leer!

[Sean Jamison · Rating 3 out of 5]

I always thought of Stoicism as cringe, and I’m certainly not a stoic by any means, but after reading, I realized that it’s not much different from zen. While this book is really just a crash-course on how to apply stoicism to your life, I ended up agreeing with a lot of things in it. My consensus is that stoicism isn’t inherently cringe, but the PEOPLE who follow it often are.

[Sugarpop · Rating 3 out of 5]

Das Buch ist okay.
Ich habe mich davor nicht mit dem Thema Stoizismus beschäftigt, aber diese Einführung kam mir recht oberflächlich vor. Die Tipps, die erwähnt werden, sind teilweise recht befremdlich. Es bringt anderen Leuten wahrscheinlich mehr als mir.
Das Buch versucht auch zu sehr einem diese Philosophie zu verkaufen, weshalb es recjt nervig werden kann.

[Connor · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some good and useful ideas, some mundane ideas, and some concepts that I really didn't agree with. A simple introduction to the concept. The author clearly a huge fan of Marcus Aurelius and Epictetus.

[Mark Laugisch · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think I knew a long time ago that I was a Stoic, but this book just drove that point home. I think the word “stoicism” has taken on a cult like interpretation and this book does a great job of debunking the word and movement. Just know that only you can control how you react to something and that Courage, Temperance, Justice and Wisdom are the virtues that lead to a fulfilled life.

[Joey McQuade · Rating 3 out of 5]

Decent book detailing some ideas and tool around stoicism . However, it often spends time seemingly trying to convince the reader to care about stoicism, but I’m already reading this book so I must be interested. Also makes some odd claims that the only reason you’d be reading the book is that you’re unhappy with your life on some level… maybe I’m just curious about stoicism lol

[Sofie Mörkeberg · Rating 4 out of 5]

At first I was like 🥴then further in I realised I do much already and know most of this, however there were things i really wanna get better at/implement more. So a good reminder and all in all a philosophy I can get behind

[Kieran Howe · Rating 4 out of 5]

got some interesting stuff in it

[Loulou · Rating 3 out of 5]

Erg praktisch, veel herhaling. Wel daardoor heel toepasbaar en lekker concrete voorbeelden.

[Tom Holden · Rating 4 out of 5]

Decent focused audiobook that covers the expected, adds a bit more, and provides applicable ways in which to #bemorestoic - such a simple yet effective theory for a peaceful mind

[Linda · Rating 3 out of 5]

It must have been a chore to write this book and never mention God! Without God how do you know what your ‘better self’ should do? Maybe you imagine yourself as God. This book had some good ideas but he has closed himself off from the obvious.

[Mathew Fleming · Rating 5 out of 5]

I recommend this book to anyone.

[Matthew J. · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had started reading another book on Stoicism as this philosophy intrigues me but haven't gone back to it. It seemed a little rigid like I was in a classroom. Jason's book, on the other hand, is more like a conversation, it flows. Taking up the Stoic philosophy isn't going to be an easy task, but for someone that's interested in learning about Stoicism, start with this book. Read it a few times, try some of the Practical Exercises, then move on to the books that delve deeper.

I found it interesting that there are a number of things in modern times that hark back to Stoicism. One mentioned in the book, mindfulness, is one of them. Another is that old adage about not crying over spilled milk (you don't have control over the past). The most recent one was a sign I saw related to the COVID-19 pandemic: Deal with things as they come, not as you fear. I don't know if any of the great Stoicists ever said that but it sure sounds Stoic.

While I enjoyed the book as a whole, I particularly enjoyed the analogy of diluting wine to diluting one's vices. I hear and read all the time about doing things in moderation and it's nice to have a different way of saying that.

I will say that some of those quotes from the greats are difficult to read. That makes me not want to read Meditations, etc, but perhaps I will get there with time.

I recommend this book.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[James · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very good intro to Stoicism and how to apply it to your life


Stoicism is gaining popularity these days due to the increasing number of baffling events around the world - Brexit, Donald Trump's election (and possible re-election), Covid-19, to name a few. This book offers a way to incorporate the ancient philosophy of Stoicism into your life with a number of useful approaches that can be followed, along with the reasons and logic behind them.

I've shown a passive interest in this for a while now, and so when I received a free copy of this book in return for a review (from Booksprouts) I jumped at the chance. I'd never heard of the author before, but I was pleasantly surprised. Mr Hemlock writes well and captures your attention, bringing the detail to life. The book is packed with useful approaches and exercises to encourage the Stoic lifestyle, and I can honestly say it has increased my interest in it, to the point I will be incorporating elements into my own outlook on life (and given the state of the world, I think we need it).

I really enjoyed reading this book and have found it really valuable. I'll be keeping an eye out for anything else from Mr Hemlock - thoroughly recommended!

[Jamie Bee · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not a Bad Introduction to Stoicism

Because I have an interest in the topic, I have read a fair number of books on Stoicism. I found this one to be a not too bad introduction to the topic, perfect for someone who is interested in it and wants to find out more. I personally would have loved to have seen more quotes from the actual ancient stoic, as I'm always amazed at how apt I find them. Each chapter explained a different concept within stoicism, ending with action steps. I think some of the action steps listed are what give stoicism a bad name in some circles, like taking cold showers or allowing your house to be hotter than comfortable during summer. But other practical suggestions have merit. I think the most important part of stoicism is the four principles that should guide the way you think and act: wisdom, courage, justice, temperance. Wouldn't we all, and wouldn't the world, I'd be better off if we followed those?

I received a free copy of this book, but that did not affect my review.

My book blog: https://www.readingfanaticreviews.com

[Patti Pierce · Rating 3 out of 5]

While I believe the author makes some good points in this book, it was not one that I will readily recommend. I feel like he did a good job presenting his facts, but as a Christian, I have a different viewpoint than him.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Charles Taylor · Rating 2 out of 5]

A quick read - provides some information about Stoicism, but very shallow - some completely false inventions “Plato’s view” - a lot of self help clichés (Journaling. Mindfulness. ) Gratuitous advice - “stop complaining “. Quotes from Aurelius, Epictetus and Seneca - but no critical distance.

[Rory Fox · Rating 2 out of 5]

A reasonable summary of key Stoic ideas but arguably misleading about the relationship to religion(s), and offering an arguably inadequate analysis of reality.

In the preface the book suggests that Stoicism is compatible with religions like Christianity. It makes a fair point that many Christians were Stoics before they became Christian, and that there were certainly points of overlap and common agreement between Christianity and Stoicism.

But the author also notes that as Christianity grew, so Stoicism declined in the 4th Century. Why was that? If Christianity and Stoicism are allegedly compatible then why didn’t they actually coexist? It raises the question whether Christianity actually had some negative views of Stoicism, and therefore some reasons to discourage Stoicism, as it itself grew in popularity.

One of the clearest explanations of these issues is arguably provided by St Augustine of Hippo (d.428). Writing in his book ‘the City of God’ he severely attacks Stoicism for having an anthropology that is incompatible with Christianity. Christianity values the emotions. Jesus himself showed emotions in the gospels, weeping when Lazarus died, and showing anger in the temple. Yet Stoicism (as it was understood at the time) disparages emotions, like compassion, which Christianity (and modern psychology) appeals to as motivators for virtuous actions.

Stoicism focused upon acquiring the right subjective perceptions of matters, but that is arguably an extremism which over-values subjectivity at the expense of objectivity. Those issues were clear to Augustine 1500 years ago, and they are still evident in the text of this book. For example, chapter 2 warns us against the idea that ‘situations are inherently negative or positive.’ It is allegedly our perception of things that is positive or negative (for Stoics), not things themselves.

But is that really so? Surely the wrongness of crimes like murder doesn’t depend purely on perceptions of the situation. Isn’t murder wrong, regardless of how people might think about it. Making the issue a matter of perceptions is precisely how totalitarian regimes ended up trivialising mass murder, and killing so many of their citizens. Surely Stoicism is completely wrong on this point, and subjective perceptions of matters can never change the objective wrongness of murder.

Continuing the same idea, chapter 7 tells us that we should confine ourselves only to goals which are subjective (ie within the control of your own efforts and abilities). If we commit to external (objective) targets that we have no control over, then that is a recipe for disappointment and upset. The author gives as an example that he set no specific target for how many books he wanted to sell. He just wanted to do his best.

That all sounds fine on the surface but there is also research evidence which business studies appeals to, which shows that external targets can also be what gives (some) people a sense of challenge. Disappointment in missing a target can be a genuine motivator to try harder. Alternatively telling people to just ‘do their best’ and to not trouble themselves by setting precise and quantifiable targets simply doesn’t work in many situations. That is precisely why so many businesses around the world do in fact set SMART targets. Is stoicism really rejecting that approach and the research it is based on? Is it rejecting it for all humans, or just for some people who react in specific ways to external targets?

These are really important questions about human psychology and they raise equally important questions about the metaphysical relationship of subjectivity and objectivity. But the book doesn’t press those kinds of questions. It just takes Stoicism for granted and simply expounds its views. That’s disappointing. And its all the more disappointing as these kinds of criticisms of Stoicism have been around for more than 1500 years. Wouldn’t it make sense to devote a chapter to responding to them?

Overall, I was disappointed with the book. I was disappointed that it didn’t probe the foundational assumptions of Stoicism a little harder, and I was disappointed that the book expressed opinions about the compatibility of Stoicism and religions like Christianity, despite ancient texts arguing a very different thesis.

[T. Laane · Rating 4 out of 5]

STOICISM. This book puts stoicism on a bit of a pedestal and sometimes overpraises it, even though I personally lean towards those ideas. Stoics (people who practice stoicism) focus on changing their perspectives, viewing every day as a bonus and aiming to live in accordance with nature. Stoics don’t seek validation from others; for example, anxiety and stage fright are rooted in wanting outcomes outside of your control, like applause. The randomness of life’s rules is fine - just play the hand you’re dealt as well as you can. When you’ve truly done your best, the fear of death fades; only those with regrets are afraid to die.
PRACTICES AND EXERCISES. Instead of running from difficulties, face them - growth demands it. A stoic approach means deliberately choosing discomfort, like cold showers, to prepare for hard times so they hit less hard. Write your own eulogy, and don’t be afraid to include the bad bits, because others usually won’t. If you react in anger, try waiting ten seconds before you act - like dipping your toe in cold water, you can test whether the emotion is really justified.
ROLE MODELS AND ASPIRATIONS. You can pick a role model to inspire your behavior throughout the day, imagining how they’d handle things in your shoes. Keeping a diary where you imagine your day as your best possible self, and tracking how close you got, is a great exercise; eventually, if you continue this practice then you’ll start matching your actions to your ideals more often. If you consistently live as your highest self, your life becomes extraordinary and you eventually stop having to question whether you’re acting your best - you just are. If you strive to be the best version of yourself, at first it might feel inauthentic, but it’s still true to you and you can move toward it in harmony.

[Karyn Christensen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Main Takeaways:
- Every moment of every day we make a choice as to how we react and respond to things. It’s the only real power we have.
- The stoic approach is to strive to remain indifferent to external forces and maintain happiness (regardless of life’s ups and downs).
- “We suffer more in imagination than in reality.” - Seneca
- Step back to take “Plato’s view” or view the world from above. Think of how small you are in this earth. Shrinks your problems.
- Momento Mori = reflecting on your own mortality. Consider your death to live more meaningfully in the present. Was this the best possible day you could’ve had, even if it was completely ordinary?
- Recognize what you can and CANNOT change. Ex: bad weather, traffic, etc. Wasting energy on getting angry or upset on things outside of your control is futile. That energy could be spent on things you CAN control. Ask yourself: will an emotional response help me? Will this change anything?
- “Would my best self ___ [insert action]?” You cannot be your best self ALL the time, but asking yourself this question will help you make better choices. “What would my best self do?”
- When you slide into thinking about future or the past: “I accept today as it is, not as I would like it to be.”
- When something negative happens, ask yourself: “how will I be feeling about this in 10 years?” In almost every instance, it won’t matter.
- Be just as thankful for the bad things as the good.
- Moderation in everything is key. Dilute your vices. Ex: love soda? Go for diet/sugar free option. Love TV? One night a week read instead of watching TV.
- Most of what we say and do isn’t essential. If you can eliminate it, you’ll have more time and tranquility (Marcus Aurelius). Ask yourself: is this necessary? If you have everything you need, you are truly rich, regardless of how much money you have in the bank.

[Crystal D · Rating 5 out of 5]

I recently made some life changes after burnout that left me feeling like a failure and having some regret. While crying during a workout I looked up books on stoicism that I could listen to as an audiobook and this popped up. I studied Philosophy and even recently said I regretted the degree for not being useful, but here I am going back to Philosophy to right my ship.

At it's core this book is quotes from Marcus Aurelius, Seneca and Epictetus with some meditations and activities to try tied to potential life examples you can relate to. However, it's different from many self help books in that it speaks to a more ancient understanding of life, that I think most people have in some aspects.

Ironically I started the book deciding I wanted to become a stoic, and re-learned that I was in some ways being stoicism, and other ways not. the chapter breakdowns explore everything from struggle to visualizing what the worst outcome could be and what your best version of you is. Many religions and Philosophical beliefs have at least an ounce of stoicism (as the author notes), and the overlap from what you may already have learned or heard elsewhere is impossible to ignore.

I think everyone regardless of their familiarity with Philosophy, religion, age, gender etc. could benefit from reading this book. Even if you decide stoicism is not the path you want to follow, reading about a well known and respected belief system in action can surely help you understand yourself better.

If you are feeling stuck, having a midlife crisis, just graduating, facing retirement, I think you should read this. Its straight forward, not overtly wordy, and also is easy to pause and pick back up on if you get busy.