Think like a Stoic: Ancient Wisdom for Today’s World

by Massimo Pigliucci

Distilled to its essence, the ancient Greco-Roman philosophy known as Stoicism is a philosophy of personal betterment. Professor Pigliucci, who knows firsthand just how transformative a Stoic approach to life can be, has designed these 25 lessons as an enlightening introduction to the basics of Stoic philosophy and ways to incorporate its lessons into your own life.

For example, the Stoic understanding of ethics was far broader than the study of right and wrong, encompassing questions concerning one’s goals and one’s relationship to other people. Also, the Stoics felt that logic was another requirement of a well-lived life because good thinking helps protect us from living according to nonsensical notions.

Throughout the course, you’ll investigate what these great philosophers’ words and deeds can teach us about living life in the 21st century. What does Seneca tell us about managing our time in the best way possible? Why did Epictetus suggest to debate patiently with disagreeable people? Can Marcus Aurelius’ philosophy of being mindful of the labels we give ourselves help make the world a better place?

This course includes plenty of exercises you can use to retrain your mind to take on a more Stoic view of your life and the world around you. Yes, you’ll come away with an incredible wealth of knowledge about the history and principles of one of the most enduring philosophies of life - but you’ll also be on your way to a more meaningful life for yourself.

Genres: Philosophy, Nonfiction, Audiobook, History, Psychology, Self Help, Mental Health

12 pages, Audible Audio

Published March 26, 2021

About the author

Massimo Pigliucci is an author, blogger, podcaster, as well as the K.D. Irani Professor of Philosophy at the City College of New York.

His academic work is in evolutionary biology, philosophy of science, the nature of pseudoscience, and practical philosophy. His books include How to Be a Stoic: Using Ancient Philosophy to Live a Modern Life (Basic Books) and Nonsense on Stilts: How to Tell Science from Bunk (University of Chicago Press).

His new book is Beyond Stoicism: A Guide to the Good Life with Stoics, Skeptics, Epicureans, and Other Ancient Philosophers (The Experiment).

Reviews

[Irena Pasvinter · Rating 2 out of 5]

General impression, summed up in one word: dreadful. And not because of stoics and their ancient wisdom, but rather due to the manner of presentation of this particular course: more preaching than teaching. To me it felt more like a mediocre self-help book than other courses produced by The Great Courses.

I do find stoics philosophy interesting and agree that many of its aspects are relevant today. But I think the stoics deserve deeper analysis and more inspired and entertaining delivery than what they get in "Think like a Stoic".

From the beginning, this course sets out to show how "thinking like a stoic" would change your life, make you a better person and solve all your problems (of course, you will no longer perceive them as problems, when you become a true stoic). But why stoics? They are neither the only ones with the recipe for how to live your life nor the only ones to pursue philosophy as a way of living. The only answer we get at the beginning is "because when I, Massimo Pigliucci, was recently in the dumps, the stoics helped me big time". And then there is also a bit about Spiderman being a modern stoic and a fine role model for stoic wannabes. Should I be convinced by this? Obviously, but somehow I wasn't. The "why stoics" question is addressed in more detail closer to the end of the course, rather belatedly, in my opinion.

"Think like a Stoic" is also highly repetitive. And it's not a strategic reinforcement repetition along the proverbial lines of “first tell them what you’re going to tell them; then tell them; and then tell them what you’ve told them.” It's more like "tell them; then tell them the same thing again in another lecture; then repeat the very same sentences in yet another lecture." Why? Because something is wrong with their memory? Or because nobody would be listening to all the lectures? Or perhaps because you are following in the steps of Marcus Aurelius whose Meditations are "at times repetitive"?

"Think like a Stoic" left me with a feeling that reading Epictetus or Marcus Aurelius themselves might be more entertaining and thought-provoking. It's not like there is no food for thought in this course, it's just that it has been chewed over and diluted.

Read in 2022.

[David · Rating 3 out of 5]

Massimo Pigluicci is a university professor who got into stoicism a few years ago while going through a midlife crisis, and now presents it as a viable modern-day philosophy of life. In this course from the Great Courses series, he gives a brief history of stoicism, including its founders, talks about the wisdom they passed down in their writings, and then how it applies to daily life.

As a historical and philosophical course, it's fairly light, but serves as a decent introduction to stoicism. One of the chief disadvantages of stoicism is that aside from the most famous stoic, the emperor Marcus Aurelius, not much of their writing actually survived. Often we have references to what the great stoic teachers said, but not their actual writings.

Enough survived, however, to make stoicism a coherent philosophy that some people practice today. I admit it appeals to me greatly, while I am a little hesitant about actually "joining" stoicism or saying "I am a stoic." Stoicism, being a philosophy, is not exactly a religion, and yet "stoic practice" has a lot in common with religious practice, and of course like a religion, stoicism (a branch of what philosophers call "virtue ethics") has a lot to say about how you are supposed to live your life and how to decide right from wrong.

The name "stoic" conjures the image of someone who is unemotional and unaffected by events, uninterested in joys and sorrow, basically a sort of Vulcan. But that is not what any of the stoics taught. Rather, it's about accepting what is and isn't under your control, making the most of what is under your control, and trying not to allow yourself to be affected by things you cannot control. A shorter version of stoicism can be summarized in the Christian "serenity prayer":

God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference.

This sounds simple, but as Pigliucci points out, it's no easier to put into practice than the demands of most religions. Easy to say "love your neighbor," much harder to do. Equally, easy to say "Don't get upset about things that are not under your control," much harder to do. A "perfect stoic" would walk through life with a sort of emotional teflon, able to enjoy good things and endure the bad without being knocked off-balance, but there are no perfect stoics any more than there are perfect Christians or perfect Jews or perfect Buddhists.

There is more to stoicism, such as trying to act according to what will improve your character, and recommended practices like daily journaling.

Having read a few stoic books before, most of what Pigliucci teaches here is somewhat introductory, and some of the lectures were repetitive. I would recommend it for someone who wants to understand stoicism at least on a basic level, even if you aren't interested in practicing it, but I didn't find this course particularly exciting or insightful.

[Larry (LPosse1) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Found this on Audible in the middle of my stoic period. Nice overview of stoic philosophy. I like his books better, but if you wanna learn about the Stoics, this is a nice start!

[Diane Challenor · Rating 4 out of 5]

There are 25 lectures in this excellent series; I've enjoyed each one and learned a lot. Over the last few months, in the morning, after watching the ABC news, during Sydney's COVID lockdown, I relaxed and listened to a man, well versed in his subject, explain Stoicism to me. Massimo Pigliucci is an excellent presenter, easy to watch, easy to listen to, easy to understand. I recommend participating in these lectures offered by Wondrium (previously known as The Great Courses) via Apple TV.

[Andy · Rating 3 out of 5]

The content of this audiobook is much better than the average Great Courses on the humanities because the author doesn't just go over the history of Stoicism, he also puts it in a scientific context of modern cognitive behavioral therapy. Unfortunately, the format of the book is pretty bad with very excessive repetition and circularity. I guess being concise is not a Stoic virtue.

[Youmna Gebril · Rating 5 out of 5]

stoicism is simply a magnificent philosophy with magnificent philosophers. I fell in love with it the minute I knew about it. Specially as I'm already practicing so many of it's teachings and thinking about some others not knowing if I should add to my life, now I know I should. And this course is amazing. I enjoyed every single moment.

[Tara · Rating 4 out of 5]

Useful lessons about stoicism with examples from famous philosophers such as Marcus Aurelius and Epictetus. There were a couple of lessons I wasn't very interested in but overall it was very insightful.

[Eman Khalid · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked the course and the guide book. I had such great insights on stoicism from it. There is excess of information on trivial things, but overall good course.

[Paul · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a very complete course on Stocisim. At times it is repetitive, but that is the idea. To get a firm grasp of the concepts it probably merits going through the course at least a couple times.

[Ken Reid · Rating 4 out of 5]

Felt like it was written largely for reference, in that many ideas are repeated and reexplained every lecture. A good explanation of many stoic concepts and their applications to the modern world.

[Sandra Nofziger · Rating 3 out of 5]

I had not read a book on philosophy before but Reuben recommended this one telling me it has many good examples of how to live in thoughtful ways. It took me several chapters to get into the book but once I got going I was able to understand it. Author, Professor Pigliucci has the book set up in 25 lessons and ways to incorporate each lesson into life. The ancient philosophers taught ways of personal betterment and they also considered the principals set forth in the Bible but differ on numerous points. To me it seems like the individual must strive on their own to become better and more in control of their life. I feel privileged to be part of the Christian community that has studied and lived by these very principles since the creation of the World. God has made them clear to us through the scriptures and we have been given the Holy Spirit to help us understand and live by the principles God has given us. I’m glad I read the book. It made me more aware of principles that I need to work on.

[h a fehn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great easy read or listen to get all the basics from all the greats. It’s repetitive but I don’t learn by hearing or reading just once, just as I don’t get full by eating once. It’s like nourishment for the soul, so we need to hear the same things every day

[Leslie Santana · Rating 2 out of 5]

This felt as if a “signa male” read a book on stoicism once and then wrote a self help book about it. Who cares about the philosophy behind it?, just tough it up bruh, feelings are for losers

[Malachi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great history, overview, specifics, details, examples, and applications.
Approachable.
Not philo-snobby.
Will read again.

[Henk · Rating 3 out of 5]

The most important view I took from this is to not bother about things you have no control over. It is something that I will be practicing and trying as I believe It will help with being a more relaxed and happier person.

[Mark Henderson · Rating 2 out of 5]

Highly repetive - each chapter featured the same quotes from the same ancient authors. In addition it didn't seem to flow well in some cases. For example, every chapter, figures such as Marcus Aurelius were introduced (verbosely) as "the Xth century philosopher and emperor, Marcus Aurelius"... as if we had not been reading the preceding chapters.

a slight negative towards the end was the author's own bias against the extremely wealthy, which I found to be ad hominem and totally out of character with the rest of the book.

all in all, this course needed to be cut down by about half, as there is material I found interesting and though provoking.

[Alex · Rating 4 out of 5]

Does it lack academic rigor? Sure.

Does the presenter get more than a tad repetitive as he tells the same stories in almost the same ways at least twice (but in different chapters) in some cases? Yyyyyes.

Does it provide a clear and robust overview of stoic principles and practices? Also yes.

If you have read any of the stoic works before, this book is a comforting companion which shares that information in a well-organized, admiring, and admirable way.

Is the chapter on broicism a little undercooked despite having good intentions? Yeah. It also seems to go against the idea of not holding on to judgments too strongly, and the anti-broicism judgments themselves draw from some of the wrong parts of stoicism. This was probably the most disappointing part of the lectures, as it seems quite simple to shoot down eye-rolling arguments that billionaires are somehow stoics. (Is it possible? Sure. But there are perversions to stoic principles which these rich folks make to make themselves FEEL like they're stoics when they're really anything but.)

I'm exhausted as I'm writing this, but I have to say that I enjoyed this lecture series enough to start it from the beginning again once I finished it. If you've never read about to listened to someone provide an overview of stoic philosophy and its major figures (Zeno, Epictetus, Rufus, Aurelius, Seneca...and Socrates, based on how everyone was inspired by him), this is an inspiring work which will likely motivate you to seek out more.

So, what kind of philosophy is stoicism?

-One which is pro-social. We are all part of the human cosmopolis, and it our duty to work in harmony with others. Our goal is to do good for goodness' sake and to improve the world as a whole, for we are all citizens of the world.
-One which teaches that some things are in our control and other things are not. We can control our thoughts, opinions, and responses to the impressions people and the world make on us. We can master our desires by naming them for what they are.
-One which teaches us to strengthen our mind and use our reason to achieve virtuous ends.
-One which teaches us to live in accordance with nature aka "the logos" aka universal reason aka "God." Essentially, do the work you were put on the earth to do--do the work of a human being (pro-social, kind, compassionate, responsible, caring for others and for our environment, embracing our roles whatever they may be--daughter, son, mother, father, student, teacher, child, grandparent, teacher, husband, wife, etc.)
-One which is practical and does not encourage navel gazing, but constant refinement and practical application of the four stoic virtues: courage, wisdom, justice, temperance/moderation.

In short, stoicism encourages a person to embrace their role in the universe. To master their emotions and reactions to the anger, misanthropy, sarcasm, and all-around trolling that's happening around them. To view themselves as one part of a much larger whole. And to realize that that is not limiting, but freeing, and that practicing virtue (by showing generosity, compassion, patience, restraint, sound judgment...) is what the whole enterprise is about.

We are meant for each other, and we are meant not to be perfect, but to improve ourselves a little bit at a time as we continue moving through life until our inevitable end...which we should not greet with anger or fear, but with serene understanding and satisfaction that we have flourished for a while and played our role(s) well.

I've loved reading and learning more about stoicism over the years. I've tried to incorporate it into my own life, and it has helped me to be a more patient and effective human being. For that alone, I would recommend a lecture series like this. It has allowed me to make positive changes in my life, and I imagine it could do the same for others.

[Micah · Rating 4 out of 5]

For a very long time, I have had a cursory understanding of stoicism, mostly understood in comparison to other historically significant Greek philosophical school. For nearly as long a time, I have been both drawn to and wary of the stoic system of thinking. Think Like A Stoic does a great job of explaining in detail the various classical thinkers, writings, and systematic beliefs pertaining to stoicism, along with practical applications for those looking to apply this method of processing life.

Stoicism proper was started when the merchant Xeno nearly lost his life, shipwrecked in a violent storm. Bereft of everything but the clothes on his back and his life, he walked into town and immediately when to a bookstore and started reading. Finding the philosophy at hand intriguing in his current state, he asked the shopkeeper where he could find a philosopher to follow. One happened to be walking by outside and so he became his pupil, eventually founding the stoic school of philosophy.

Stoicism is a virtue-based philosophy, meaning it is meant to be practiced more than expounded upon and the goal is to becomes a “good” person to the greatest degree possible. Stoicism confined to the classroom is stoicism done wrong according to all of its thought leaders. The tenants of stoicism are to be reasonable and to do well toward society, pretty well summed up in the popular modern Serenity Prayer. “God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, courage to change the things I can, and wisdom to know the difference.” In stoicism, god is the entire universe and every man is a cog in a great machine. Reason is a gift man has to use to his advantage to control the things within him, but honesty about the fickle nature of fate leads him to put a positive spin on anything that happens to him outside of his own control.

Many things in Stoicism line up well with Christian thinking in practice and the Apostle Paul has occasionally been touted as a stoic in his reasoning. Buddhism, Confucianism, and Daoism also line up with stoicism in a majority of key elements.

Professor Pigliucci does a good job of explaining this system both historically and as a practice in his own life. He reiterates everything at some point but it’s all worth hearing twice if it’s new material. He does have a tendency to explain things anachronistic through a modern lens, trying to legitimize stoic thinking in terms of the most current evolutionary, psychological, and physics theories. It’s not a problem to compare these ideas and see how they hold up, but he wants to legitimize them by showing how they can be understood in modern terms and sometimes this can edge into condescension toward the very thinkers he so reveres. The incredible minds of Epictetus, Seneca, and Marcus Aurelius we’re all highly reasonable men who lauded rational thinking as the great tool of the human, yet it seem they were capable of entertaining concepts and embracing a bit of mystery in metaphysical regions that are off the table for some modern rational thinkers.

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book gave me a much better understanding of stoicism. Though I do not hold all of their ideals, I believe that many of the principals are useful as tools to approach and deal with life.

Assessing and letting go of what is outside of your control is a core principal of stoic philosophy discussed in this book.

Within your control:
Your thoughts, beliefs, and judgments
Your actions, choices, and decisions
Your responses to external events

Outside your control:
The actions and opinions of others
External events, such as weather, traffic, or world events
The past and future

The book also discussed the cosmopolitan concepts of stoic philosophy. Believing a person is not belonging to one place but a child of the world.

I was very surprised to find that stoics do not believe in an afterlife, heaven or hell. They also see assisted suicide as a viable option.
They do not believe in an afterlife because it contradicts their ideas of self reliance, living their best here on earth, and their lack of spiritual belief. Their support in suicide as a virtuous option in life, aligns with their beliefs in self autonomy, quolity of life and not fearing death

The book did repeat a few things almost word for word but I didn't mind this as I figured Massimo was attempting to strengthen the ideas by repetition.

[Shawn · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’m familiar with some of Massimo Pigliucci’s work, so I had very high expectations for this course. (I worked with him in preparing a symposium on Stoicism for Reason Papers.)

While the course is interesting and well-presented, it didn’t live up to those (probably unfairly) high expectations. Pigliucci does a good job of introducing the newcomer to Stoicism: its history, its essential ideas, and its main figures. He also mixes in plenty of advice on how to apply these ideas to one’s life today. I would have liked a bit more of a deeper dive into the philosophy and less on the practical application. Not that the latter shouldn’t have been included, far from it, but the mix was heavier on that than I was hoping for. The practical applications are essential, if only because Stoicism was meant as a practical philosophy.

I would definitely recommend this for those interested in learning about Stoicism and how it could apply to their lives. If you are already familiar with stoicism and are looking for something that goes a bit further into it; this probably is not the right course for you.

[Will Klatte · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this lecture series. I thought the advice was practical, and valuable for anybody to read. Stoicism has always been a philosophy that I've had my eye on, and this course has made me incredibly interested in learning even more. On a side note, the orator was engaging and conveyed the ideas perfectly.
Almost all of the best ideas humans have found all originate from ancient philosophers, or polymaths. I believe that now more than ever humans need to be looking towards our past in order to navigate the future.
The ideas presented here of a "cosmopolis" or a single collective "city" every single human is a part of, and represents with our actions are incredibly valuable, and stick out to me as practical wisdom for the modern age.
In summary, read this book , you'll be better off for it. And then make it a goal to spread this wisdom even further, for the sake of human virtue.

[Jananee · Rating 2 out of 5]

Good coverage of the fundamental tenets of Stoicism. I think the lecturer wanted each episode to be self contained but that lead to lots of repetition about the Stoics and the principles of the philosophy. Multiple times, the repeated introductions made me question myself if I was rewatching a lecture. Also, the content of some videos don't correlate with the episode title.

Having read "A Guide to the Good Life" by William Irvine (which I highly recommend for beginners), I was already familiar with Stoicism. I was hoping to revisit some of the concepts and go a bit deeper before starting Meditations by Marcus Aurelius. However, I took away very little from this course. In some instances, it felt like the author was pushing his own agenda when explaining some quotes from the Stoics. Might be okay for absolute beginners if they are fine with the repetition.

[Ryan Patrick · Rating 3 out of 5]

The lecturer, I'm sure, thinks the most important part of this course is putting the stoic ideas into practice, but I was more interested in the lectures that covered what the ancient stoics had to say. I definitely understand Stoicism better now, having explored Seneca, Epictetus, and Marcus Aurelius. The best idea that I think can be put into practice is what they call the dichotomy of control--you shouldn't worry about things that are beyond your control (like how other people will act), but rather focus on what you can control (how you act and react). I almost stopped listening to this early on because it was more like a self-help book, but thankfully I came back and got to the good meat in the middle.

[Nick Pilote · Rating 3 out of 5]

These courses can be skipped by just listening to Pigliucci's book How to be a Stoic; his book had an editor to cut back the repetition that bogs down these lectures.
Pigliucci writes from the perspective of Stoicism for personal improvement and draws from different stoic writers and their perspective on living a fuller life. He creates an effective set of tools for living as a modern stoic (or at least the best self-help oriented quotes) and I found he added enough depth to keep you engaged, but it just gets bogged down with anecdotes and repetition.
Pigliucci is a good speaker and is passionate about the subject, but if you just want the distilled version listen to his book.

[Jeremy Neal · Rating 4 out of 5]

As an introduction to Stoicism (the philosophy, not stoicism the character trait), this is a very good piece of work. It is accessible, thoughtful, and well balanced. It interprets the denser and more complex texts of Aurelius, Seneca, and Epictetus (even a little Zeno) into more palatable and digestible forms. We are taken through a series of topics with examples of how to apply Stoic thought and reason to each, and thereby cultivate tranquility in our lives. If you have any interest in living more peacefully, then you could do worse than listen to this course, it is quite gentle and relatable, but maintains its edifying spirit throughout.

[Nick Traynor · Rating 4 out of 5]

A solid introduction to Stoicism, both as a philosophy and as a practice. Stoicism as a practical philosophy has a lot in common with modern psychology: the locus of control (what Stoics call the dichotomy of control), cognitive reframing (assent) and the importance of social relationships (cosmopolis) are important to both. These topics were explained with quotes from the major Stoic thinkers Seneca, Epictetus and Marcus Aurelius. Historical context and reference to earlier thinkers such as Heraclitus, Socrates and Zeno of Citium provided a well-balanced approach to these 25 lectures.

[Chrisman · Rating 3 out of 5]

Kind of repetitive. But a comprehensive overview of the belief system.
I feel like I know a lot more about the key players of ancient stoicism and what they taught.
I appreciated the attention to vocabulary. Lots of fundamental words---e.g. physics, ethics, god---mean different things in the context of this particular time period in this particular ancient Greek philosophy.

[Olga Taratuta · Rating 2 out of 5]

I took a few philosophy courses in university, and this series of lectures took me back to those interesting, but painful, morning-class lectures that twisted my brain. I found his lectures to also be a bit repetitive chapter to chapter. Although I gathered a few tidbits here and there about stoic philosophy, the whole thing felt too long and stilted for me.

[Sigo Paolini · Rating 2 out of 5]

The book is far better than the course itself but both emphasis "Roman" ala Epictetus Stoicism since his was the largest school in Rome. He barely touches on Hellenic Stoicism so to say this test is going to teach you how to "Think like a Stoic" is wrong. It will teach you how to think like a Roman Stoic.

There is a difference. In Hellenic Stoicism the aim was to develop moral; Pigliucci, does not seem to think much of that and dismisses those ideals much like the Ancient Roman and instead goes for the "chill out" ala tranquility effect. That is popular today in American Culture thanks to the media who pushes, Be Calm, whatever, but it is a vapid pseudo Buddhist philosophy because even there being calm is linked to Virtue. Pigliucci will have none of that. Be calm and garden.........while he makes million peddling snake oil. No I do not recommend either.

[Hunter Ross · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing series of lectures on stoicism that intertwines the knowledge and lives of its most famous members of stoicism with our own lives and live a life worth living. Enjoyed every lecture immensely and humbly hope it can help guide me. I was already a fan of several of the ancient stoics but this cements their importance not just a couple millennia ago, but through today. Highly recommend!