The Stoic Cop

by Bill Mauro

There's no doubt that law enforcement comes with its immense stress. Sometimes it feels like our world is nothing but chaos; chaos at home due to stressors at work, chaos at work due to the stressors at home, but mainly the chaos we make for ourselves from unnecessary, falsely perceived stress. But what if you could control all that by simply adopting the virtues of the stoic philosophy? Stoicism teaches how to find inner peace amid the chaos of our perceived external world. With a mixture of stoic aphorisms and personal stories, The Stoic Cop explains how it is possible to handle the daily stress and chaos of law enforcement with a little mind control. Learn to bridge the gap between police and citizen relationships, deal with difficult people, navigate department politics, and more. Learn to control your perceptions, opinions, and emotions and become a better, more virtuous police officer. Most importantly, control your perceived chaos.

218 pages, Kindle Edition

Published October 15, 2020

Reviews

[Donna Brown · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’m a believer in the law of attraction, what you put out there is what you will get back. Mindset is everything. Author Bill Mauro’s book takes that much deeper with his passion for the principles of Stoicism and how it can and should be applied to those who are in the law enforcement profession.

He talks about discipline, vigilance, humility and tranquility but breaks them down even deeper. Mauro is a law enforcement officer and the examples he provides are great learning tools on how to apply stoicism to everyday situations when dealing with the community and coworkers and to de-escalation.

If you are thinking about a career in law enforcement, just beginning one or have been on the job for a while, I believe this book would be an excellent addition to your reading material. It's easy to blame others but in reality, it all starts with you.

There are some editing overlooks but they don’t detract from the message.

[Gregory · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mauro applies various tenants of Stoicism to police work in a conversational, easy to understand way. No prior knowledge of Stoic philosophy is required, and he quotes classic authors throughout. He uses some personal anecdotes, but each is very illustrative of his points and does not at all feel like he is over indulging in war stories. Formal Stoic philosophy may not be for everyone, but his application to police work is very insightful.

[Sean Conley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Along with the book ‘Emotional Survival for Law Enforcement’ by Gilmartin, this needs to be mandatory reading for the emotional and mental health of law enforcement. Our profession needs to hear these truths.

[PASQUALE A. MEGARO · Rating 5 out of 5]

Insightful

Enlightening. I would like to learn more about stoicism. It is giving me a push for better discipline
And self-awareness

[Ray · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really enjoyed this book, it had several key takeaways. Will definitely come back and re-read every once in awhile.

"Control your own perceived chaos..."

[Luke Moody · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful read

Insightful read that really helps steer the proper mindset an officer should have on the street. I highly recommend to all law enforcement officers.

[Eric · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a great read with lots of information to put into play.

[Jessica · Rating 5 out of 5]

The author, a former police officer, is raw and authentic in his decisions, confusions, addictions, and emotional hardships, but all surrounded by his hunger for learning more after discovering and adopting the philosophy of “stoicism” - a philosophy from 300 BC by Zeno of Citium.

It’s essentially all about the ongoing (and never-ending) battle between a human’s inner peace and external stress.

I highly recommend it if you’re interested in law enforcement or if you are a law enforcement officer in training. I’d even recommend it if you’re a law enforcement officer in need of understanding from someone who understands. For first responders, it’s already hard enough to find a therapist or even someone else to talk to who can genuinely empathize or help with their situations. I believe people forget that, or more than likely do not even realize the average person licensed to help is only licensed to help the average person.

So it’s so important for books like this to exist for first responders. It’s just another friendly reminder that you’re not in this alone, and your story is not so unique in the most refreshing way.