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Stoicism: The Philosophy Of Calmness
If you are a philosopher or someone who seeks to find principles of better ways of living, Stoicism is an interesting philosophy that guides one into a life that is full of fulfillment and happiness. Don’t get me wrong, it is not simple, philosophy is complex, but many people try to pick bits and pieces of it to make it work for them in some circumstances. If you want to know how to apply various principles of stoicism, learn its history and gain insights on how to better manage the things that are causing harm in your life, then Stoicism is the book that you have been waiting for. It doesn't matter the point in life that you are in, you might be living paycheck to paycheck, or you have a lot of wealth; the philosophy of Stoicism will help you manage the problems and situations that plague your life from day to day. It is often said that it’s hard to see an unhappy person in a Lamborghini, but as hard as it may seem to believe for an average man, there are different sets of problems that come with that. For any man to be able to counter the everyday problems, a philosophy is what comes to aid, it’s like an operating system. It is what helps you to become a better person when you have it all or when you have nothing. To have the right discipline and focus of life, this book is going to change your life and provide you with the best disciplines, or “Life hacks.” You will learn life skills and strategies to counter the most mundane, to the toughest things that come into your life. It is possible for one to lose all the things in life, especially possessions and family, this requires one to have a tough skin and way of living that can allow one to stand firm when this thing comes to play. You need to prepare yourself to learn a new way of life that has been crafted and has been working for emperors, artists and many other figures throughout history. It is one of the ancient practices of life that has seen many people grow and become influencers in history. It is time for you to share the same meal as the stoics of the centuries that passed.
65 pages, Kindle Edition
Published August 18, 2017
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27 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
October 14, 2018
in 45 pages you can only illustrate the concepts and the ideas. a rather good effort
January 2, 2018
I never write bad reviews as I do not like to hurt the author’s feelings, but in this case
I must. I paid fio this and do not want you to have to also. There is hardly any single sentence which I can understand, and I worked at it. To explain, I am reading Aquinas’ Summa Theologica, so I am familiar with sentences difficult to parse. It sounds like a first attempt at AI in which all the source material was uploaded, and the computer wrote the book based on algorithms.
I must. I paid fio this and do not want you to have to also. There is hardly any single sentence which I can understand, and I worked at it. To explain, I am reading Aquinas’ Summa Theologica, so I am familiar with sentences difficult to parse. It sounds like a first attempt at AI in which all the source material was uploaded, and the computer wrote the book based on algorithms.
June 27, 2025
Stoicism: The Philosophy of Calmness by George Muntau
8 out of 10
Stoicism seems at time not just a very good system of thought that we can use to adapt and face challenges, but if not the only option, then the best one.
Positive Psychology, which was just founded a few years ago, around 2,000, confirms with research, a multitude of tests many of the principles of Stoicism, advanced by Seneca, Epictetus, Marcus Aurelius millennia ago.
Gratitude for what you have is one of the first rules that were promoted by Stoics and that we can find in the works of Positive Psychology luminaries, from Sonja Lyubomirsky to Harvard Professor Tal Ben-Shahar.
The importance of resilience, emphasized by Epictetus and other thinkers has been demonstrated by psychology research:
- The Marshmallow Test can be watched or read about on the internet and it reveals how relevant grit, resilience are -more important than IQ, perhaps twice as significant- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QX_oy...
One other fundamental rule expressed by the Stoics is to concentrate on what you can change and try and ignore what you cannot.
In a world dominated, ruled by the likes of Xi Jinping, Trump, Putin, Kim of North Korea, Maduro, Duterte and so many other lunatics, dictators, narcissists, fools and dangerous psychopaths, it is a good idea to try and think about what we can change.
The author takes some good points, but over all I thought the book somewhat strangely constructed, but I could be wrong.
Perhaps that is exactly the point, to use stoicism and try and find the way along plasticity, Stoicism in Greece and the modern world.
George Muntau mentions the fact that stoicism is wrongly perceived from the very beginning and indeed, acting like a stoic does not really mean not enjoying life, being something of a masochist or grumpy.
Many quotes from Epictetus, Seneca, and Marcus Aurelius are used in this work, with sets of rules that can be used in real life:
- Concentrate inwards, don’t judge others
- Be a force for good, don’t be malicious…which reminds one of the famous Google mantra- don’t be evil
In an interesting, outré manner, the author includes among the few chapters, one on plasticity, which is justified.
Stefan Klein, in his fabulous The Science of Happiness, talks about the fact that by the time the reader will have finished his book, his brain would have changed and those who argued that the brain cannot change are wrong.
Stoicism in the modern age is another chapter and there are many relevant principles that should be applied.
When we dedicate so much time to watching our phone, tablet and other screens, we could remember Seneca:
- He said that life is not really short- if not in these except words- we have enough time allocated, but we choose to waste it, treating time, the most precious thing we have as if it would be infinite, or something that we could afford to abuse, misuse…
“We are what we do regularly”…besides, once we adopt good habits, rituals, we good get better and engaged in meaningful activities- Marcus Aurelius noted on a daily basis on the importance of modesty, ruler of the world that he was…the fool in the White house should take note, but it is beyond him.
“Go out for a stroll” is one of the propositions in this book and it is both simple and important…Nietzsche is supposed to have said that the “best thoughts come when one is going out for a walk”, if not in this exact form.
The stoics rejected Luxury and positive psychology confirms this remarkable insight with yet more extensive research.
Winners of big lottery prizes have been tested and if their happiness reached a peak for a few months after the big win, it returned to a baseline level, demonstrating again that wealth is not so important for wellbeing.
When the happiest people have been asked about what is important to them and what makes them happy, the element they all shared was not richness, but a solid social support, with strong ties to family and friends.
In the contest between Eudaimonia and Hedonia, the Stoics opt for the former, even if Positive
Psychology in Practice, an impressive volume, points out that the best results would be obtained by combining long term, durable, meaningful wellbeing with short term, emotional, present based happiness.
There are some strange, more difficult to accept Stoic proposals, such as “Love fate” or take whatever you have and enjoy it and do not be sad when you lose someone dear.
Of course, the point there would be not to desire for chance to bring an outcome and then be disappointed when it does not happen and in the case of a loss, it may come close to what psychology names Post Traumatic Growth, which is sometimes experienced instead of the more common and probably better known PTSD.
8 out of 10
Stoicism seems at time not just a very good system of thought that we can use to adapt and face challenges, but if not the only option, then the best one.
Positive Psychology, which was just founded a few years ago, around 2,000, confirms with research, a multitude of tests many of the principles of Stoicism, advanced by Seneca, Epictetus, Marcus Aurelius millennia ago.
Gratitude for what you have is one of the first rules that were promoted by Stoics and that we can find in the works of Positive Psychology luminaries, from Sonja Lyubomirsky to Harvard Professor Tal Ben-Shahar.
The importance of resilience, emphasized by Epictetus and other thinkers has been demonstrated by psychology research:
- The Marshmallow Test can be watched or read about on the internet and it reveals how relevant grit, resilience are -more important than IQ, perhaps twice as significant- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QX_oy...
One other fundamental rule expressed by the Stoics is to concentrate on what you can change and try and ignore what you cannot.
In a world dominated, ruled by the likes of Xi Jinping, Trump, Putin, Kim of North Korea, Maduro, Duterte and so many other lunatics, dictators, narcissists, fools and dangerous psychopaths, it is a good idea to try and think about what we can change.
The author takes some good points, but over all I thought the book somewhat strangely constructed, but I could be wrong.
Perhaps that is exactly the point, to use stoicism and try and find the way along plasticity, Stoicism in Greece and the modern world.
George Muntau mentions the fact that stoicism is wrongly perceived from the very beginning and indeed, acting like a stoic does not really mean not enjoying life, being something of a masochist or grumpy.
Many quotes from Epictetus, Seneca, and Marcus Aurelius are used in this work, with sets of rules that can be used in real life:
- Concentrate inwards, don’t judge others
- Be a force for good, don’t be malicious…which reminds one of the famous Google mantra- don’t be evil
In an interesting, outré manner, the author includes among the few chapters, one on plasticity, which is justified.
Stefan Klein, in his fabulous The Science of Happiness, talks about the fact that by the time the reader will have finished his book, his brain would have changed and those who argued that the brain cannot change are wrong.
Stoicism in the modern age is another chapter and there are many relevant principles that should be applied.
When we dedicate so much time to watching our phone, tablet and other screens, we could remember Seneca:
- He said that life is not really short- if not in these except words- we have enough time allocated, but we choose to waste it, treating time, the most precious thing we have as if it would be infinite, or something that we could afford to abuse, misuse…
“We are what we do regularly”…besides, once we adopt good habits, rituals, we good get better and engaged in meaningful activities- Marcus Aurelius noted on a daily basis on the importance of modesty, ruler of the world that he was…the fool in the White house should take note, but it is beyond him.
“Go out for a stroll” is one of the propositions in this book and it is both simple and important…Nietzsche is supposed to have said that the “best thoughts come when one is going out for a walk”, if not in this exact form.
The stoics rejected Luxury and positive psychology confirms this remarkable insight with yet more extensive research.
Winners of big lottery prizes have been tested and if their happiness reached a peak for a few months after the big win, it returned to a baseline level, demonstrating again that wealth is not so important for wellbeing.
When the happiest people have been asked about what is important to them and what makes them happy, the element they all shared was not richness, but a solid social support, with strong ties to family and friends.
In the contest between Eudaimonia and Hedonia, the Stoics opt for the former, even if Positive
Psychology in Practice, an impressive volume, points out that the best results would be obtained by combining long term, durable, meaningful wellbeing with short term, emotional, present based happiness.
There are some strange, more difficult to accept Stoic proposals, such as “Love fate” or take whatever you have and enjoy it and do not be sad when you lose someone dear.
Of course, the point there would be not to desire for chance to bring an outcome and then be disappointed when it does not happen and in the case of a loss, it may come close to what psychology names Post Traumatic Growth, which is sometimes experienced instead of the more common and probably better known PTSD.
August 4, 2022
A good short overview of Stoicism with some added self-help principles.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews