The Beginner's Guide to Stoicism: Tools for Emotional Resilience and Positivity

by Matthew Van Natta

Optimize joy, overcome obstacles—discover the calm of stoicism

Being a stoic means embracing positivity and self-control through the ability to accept the uncertainty of outcomes. With this stoicism guide, the beginner stoic will learn how to take charge of their emotions on the path to sustained happiness and satisfaction.

This easy-to-navigate stoicism guide gives you the emotional tools needed to let go of the things you can’t control and find joy in what you have. Through thought-provoking strategies and exercises, this book helps you find contentment so you can build closer relationships and become an active member of society.

The Beginner’s Guide to Stoicism includes:

- Evolution of stoicism—Discover the history of stoicism and how its principles can help you find peace.
- Complete the mindset—Find acceptance using an essential emotional toolkit based on the disciplines of Desire, Action, and Assent.
- Time to reflect—Apply what you’ve learned to your own life with ethical questions, quotes, and exercises.

Change your perception, focus on positivity—become the best version of yourself with The Beginner’s Guide to Stoicism.

Genres: Philosophy, Nonfiction, Self Help, Audiobook, Personal Development, Psychology, Spirituality

179 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2019

Reviews

[Gareth Otton]

I have been interested in the stoic mindset for a little while now and have been looking for a good book to give me a starting point to get into this world. Therefore a book called ‘The beginners guide to Stoicism’ should be that book, right?

Unfortunately the answer is no.

Here’s what I expect from a beginners guide to anything:
1 - The explanation of the basic principles of a topic in a writing style that is simplistic so that the topic becomes easy to understand and digest.

2 - A structured journey that will feed you the fundamentals of a topic in the order in which you need to understand it to build up a solid foundation.

I feel like this book failed on both of those points. I was constantly having to re-read passages to try to understand what he author was trying to say because he hadn’t broken the concept down far enough for a complete beginner. I also felt that there was no real structure to follow. Sure, the chapter headings give a small bit of structure, but the information under each heading isn’t woven into some form of narrative/journey to guide you through that information, but instead is presented almost like extended bullet points in no particular order.

Essentially what I am saying is that I was constantly confused about what the concepts were or where they fit into the larger subject matter. Now this could be because I am a bit of an idiot maybe, but surely a beginners guide should cater for the absolute beginner at almost any level.

[Erin Cataldi]

I picked up this book on a whim, I've never contemplated stoicism and it's place (or absence) in my life. If I'm being completely honest, I may not have understood what exactly stoicism really meant. This pocket sized book isn't quite a self-help guide, it's more of a philosophy book with tools readers can use the to unlock the keys of stoicism with. Broken into three parts, the first part was very helpful in breaking down the foundations and history of stoicism to get to its very essence, the second part was an emotional "tool kit," and the third part is more practical advice on how exactly to cultivate positivity, practice emotional resilience and applying the lessons of stoicism into your life to change your mind set and outlook on things you can't control. I learned a great deal and I was very pleasantly surprised. It wasn't overwhelming and offered really good and really practical advice that is easy to implement. Filled with quotes, questions, exercises, anecdotes, and more; this little guide can have a big impact on how you view your life!

[Jonathan O'Brien]

This is a solid, easy-to-digest book on Stoicism. It has some background, but not too much; some terms, but not too many. It is largely focused on mental tools that can assist in handling life situations. I took a variety of notes, shown below. Some are just the names of specific mental tools one can use:

Stoic—self-possessed in the face of adversity
Developing a virtuous life leads to a rich emotional life.
Every situation presents an opportunity to practice virtue.
Virtue is the only good.
The purpose of life is to live in virtue.
Dichotomy of Control—some things in in your control; some are not
Up to You
This is Nothing to Me
It Was Returned—everything is on loan
Festival Mindset—love of people and disorganization
Evening Review
Virtues—Wisdom, Courage, Justice, Moderation
Stoic writers—Zeno, Aristo of Chios, Cleanthes, Chrysippus, Cicero, Seneca, Musonius Rufus, Epictetus, Marcus Aurelius, Pythagoras, Socrates, Diogenes of Sinope
Eudaimonia—happiness, human flourishing
Arete—virtue, excellence
Adiaphora—indifferents
Discipline of Desire—Desire only what you can always have; fear only what you can avoid
Amor fati—the love of fate
Circle the Present—only dwell on the present
Infinite Opportunity—What can a derive from this?; How can I learn virtue here?
Pause and Compare—think about options
The View from Above—place things in perspective
Discipline of Action
Reserve Clause—if nothing prevents it
Two Missions—task at hand; goal of virtue
Two Handles—pick the better one
Morning Orientation—people I work with will be difficult, etc. . . .
Premeditation of Challenges—identify the virtuous path
Negative Visualization
Discipline of Assent
You are Just an Appearance
Bracketing—suspending judgement
Circle Yourself—focus on personal reaction, not externals
Be the “Sage”—healthy value judgements, live in the present, follow virtue
“A lot of the emotional weight of an event comes from your imagination.”
“Whatever then we shall discover to be at the same time affectionate and consistent with reason, this we confidently declare to be right and good.” (Epictetus)
“All wrong actions stem from ignorance of a better way.”
“. . . it seemed so to them” (Epictetus)
“In a relationship, each person has a role to play. The Stoic, of course, only control his own role.”
“Epictetus says that within a troublesome relationship you should avoid passions, remain respectful, and defend yourself appropriately.”
“The wise person looks to the purpose of all actions, not their consequences; beginnings are in our power, but Fortune judges the outcome.” (Seneca)
“Never call yourself a philosopher, or talk a great deal about your principles to the multitude, but act on your principles. For instance, at an entertainment, don’t talk about how people ought to eat, but eat a you ought.” (Epictetus)
Overall, a recommended intro to Stoic thought and practical tools for navigating life virtuously.

[Mid-Continent Public Library]

There’s something to be said about a philosophy’s staying power if it manages to survive a millennium or two. Stoicism is one such philosophy.

Matthew Van Natta begins by giving the reader a flyby of the foundations of the Stoic school: The many ancient Greco-Roman writers that shaped early Stoic thought. Thereafter, he moves toward describing key tenants of Stoicism and what living a Stoic life might look like in the modern age. Finally, he gives a handful of practices and self-checks to keep oneself in a Stoic frame of mind.

It’s not necessarily a deep philosophical work (and it doesn't claim to be), but it does a good job at outlining the major points of Stoicism and how they can be incorporated into daily life.

-Colin, North Independence Branch

[the.bookking]

Ciekawy zbiór stoickich cnót i dyscyplin, wraz z przewodnikiem po tym, jak wprowadzać je w swoim życiu. Dla chcących zgłębić tę filozofię, godna uwagi.

[Pauli]

toto bola strasna kktina, prva kniha v mojom zivote ktoru som nedocitala, ale uplne ma to iritovalo, ten preklad bol hrozny a radsej by som uprimne 3 hodiny cumela do steny a mala by som z toho viac ako z tejto knihy. nevravim ze mam tento nazor na stoicizmus ale na tuto knihu.

[Nadja]

Der Beginn des Buches hat mir noch gefallen, aber je länger ich las, desto mehr driftete es in die Kategorie „Self-Help“ ab. Der Aufbau des Buches ist auch nicht wirklich anfängertauglich. Ohne meine Vorkenntnisse aus dem anderen Stoizismus-Buch hätte ich nach der Lektüre sicher einige Fragezeichen mehr gehabt.

[Martin Hässler]

Stoicizmus je filozofia, ktorú by nebolo naškodu učiť už deti na základnej škole. Táto knižka je celkom fajn úvodom - veľmi znesiteľne krátkym - po ktorom sa každý môže rozhodnúť, či ho to oslovilo alebo nie. Zo začiatku mi ale prišla mierne chaotická a možno by nezaškodilo, keby sa obsah preusporiada trochu lepšie, ale inak svoj účel plní dobre. Je to taká úvodná príručka.

[Edwin Dalorzo]

Self-help book based on stoic philosophy

The book was not what I was expecting. I was looking for a strong philosophical foundation, and this book accomplishes that objective only marginally. This is more a self-help book based on philosophical ideas than a book on philosophy that awakens that sense of wonder, discovery, and curiosity that leads you to be a better human being.

There is wisdom in this book, but not of the kind that you would typically find in pure philosophical ideas. You see, in philosophy, what matters are the questions and meditating on those questions is what conduct you to wisdom. However, in this book the author packs his own wisdom, derived from his study of some of the greatest stoic philosophers. It is my opinion that this, deprives his readers of the valuable effort of thinking hard on the fundamental questions of the stoic philosophy.

I think that as a self-help book, this book is not that bad. The author has some interesting and useful advice and perspectives. However, he is not yet at the height of the past great philosophers that he constantly quote. His advice feels way too personal, for me, and his writing still lacks that millennial wisdom and piercing shrewdness of the stoic philosopher of yore.

However I do believe that his ”street wisdom” could be useful to many readers and my rating probably just means that I read the wrong book on stoicism.

[Colleen Villasenor]

This was a great little book about living your best, most peaceful life. This is classical stoicism, not what we consider a stoic to be today. It's not about "biting the bullet" and tolerating whatever happens to you. It's about finding a perspective that allows you to live a life of peace and to accept those around you with understanding and grace. I am so glad that I read this book. I feel I am a better, more balanced person by implementing these teachings. I recommend it as an introduction to stoicism.

[Gianni]

Тази книга ми открехна вратата за стоицизма и сега просто искам да нахлуя и да разбера повече и повече.

За книгата:
На места е като учебник, на места е като тетрадка за домашни или пък книжка с афоризми от стоици и всичко това в 140 страници.
От книгите, които бързо могат да се прочетат, но е задължително бавно да се осмислят.
Лош привкус ми остави само множеството от грешки в изданието.

[Luis]

Unfortunately for this author, you can find more information in some 20 min YouTube videos about stoicism than in this book.

[Duda]

Neprehľadná forma tejto knižočky moje spoznavanie stoicizmu neuľahčila, ale ani ma úplne neodradila.

[Julie]

Perfect introduction to stoicism. This book was a quick, easy read but full of helpful ideas on how to live one’s life. I usually can’t finish philosophy or self help books but this one I read to the end. I think out of all the schools of philosophy, I gravitate towards stoicism the most.

[adam sandoval]

For those who struggle for contentment

This is my first book on stoicism so perhaps the 5 stars is more reflective of my delight in the discovery of the subject, however, I still feel that this book was able to distill the main points of this philosophy into a very straight forward and and easy to apply formula. The writing is not dry, but neither is it flowery. Exactly what you would expect from a stoic.

The tools I learned in this book have helped me at home and at work. Great for self improvement and indispensable to those who want to become mentally-unfragile.

[Michelle Ewen]

Practical and intentional, this guide offers an inspiring leaping off point for any reader who is looking to explore Stoicism. The key principles of this philosophical practice are thoughtfully illustrated throughout - using excerpts from ancient texts that are coupled with modern day, accessible interpretations. The tools are particularly well considered. Indeed, I had the opportunity to get to work addressing conflict in a healthier way before I had even completed the text!

[Henry Manampiring]

This is a little book but with great knowledge. As the title suggests, it is perfect for beginners to Stoicism. But even long time practitioners will benefit from refreshing themselves with this book.

[Mark Desrosiers]

A great book to start with if you are learning about Stoicism. Some great Stoic lessons here, and how you can apply them in everyday situations. Nice chapters on Thinking like a Stoic, and Acting like a Stoic.

[Gery]

4.5⭐

[Dave Lake]

With all the random videos I see online about modern stoicism, I decided to see what it is about. The ideas are interesting and some I think even beneficial.

As a Christian I kept thinking however, is this a replacement for Christianity? There was some theological discussion as to the beliefs of ancients but this seems to be ignored or dismissed as a way of explanation

Overall I do think some of the ideas are positive and can be embraced by Christians but others are sketchy. Che the meat and throw out the bones I guess.

[Tiff]

Helpful!

[Eliana]

Always good to remember to be stoic - good short read

[Roman Fiodorov]

В качестве введения в стоицизм - неплохо. Но очень уж поверхностно рассмотрены главные "столпы" стоицизма.

[Mateusz]

Książka chwilami dla mnie nie zrozumiała. Mimo to stanowi dobry punkt do dalszego zgłębiania filozofii stoickiej

[Tim Pacific]

Self awareness and reflection sometimes requires guardrails - this book is a fantastic way to start down that road.

[Jason]

A fantastic introduction to the basic tenets and techniques of Stoicism. It definitely leads you into wanting to read much of the source material.

[Ekaterina Dolgova]

very good readers' digest

[ik.ben.henri]

Een goede introductie en basis tot het stoïcijns denken.

[Cheri]

Good quick intro to Stoicism. Also good for someone who has studied a bit, left it alone for a while, and is interested in getting back into it.

[Danica Rosen]

Every time I opened this it helped me with exactly what I was struggling with at the time. Thank you inner work!