Want to learn the ideas in How to Be a Stoic better than ever? Read the world’s #1 book summary of How to Be a Stoic by Massimo Pigliucci here.

Read a brief 1-Page Summary or watch video summaries curated by our expert team. Note: this book guide is not affiliated with or endorsed by the publisher or author, and we always encourage you to purchase and read the full book.

Video Summaries of How to Be a Stoic

We’ve scoured the Internet for the very best videos on How to Be a Stoic, from high-quality videos summaries to interviews or commentary by Massimo Pigliucci.

1-Page Summary of How to Be a Stoic

Overview

How to live life has been a universal question for all cultures and societies. How should we tackle the challenges? What’s the best way to behave toward others? And how should we face up to our own mortality?

Stoicism is a philosophy that was developed in the ancient world. It has many practical lessons to teach us about living a good life, from how we should treat our friends to dealing with daily frustrations.

This passage will teach you to live by the principles of Stoicism, which is an ancient philosophy. You’ll learn how to focus on what’s important in life and how to change things that are within your power. It also gives tips from role models who have achieved success through practicing these techniques.

In this passage, you will learn that wisdom is the most important virtue. You will also discover how looking at your experiences through someone else’s eyes can help you make sensible decisions. Finally, a healthy attitude to death will help you appreciate life and live it to the fullest.

Big Idea #1: Stoicism offers a practical and sensible guide to tackling life’s problems and challenges.

Throughout history, many people have tried to figure out what is the best way to live life. They’ve asked how we should deal with problems and treat our friends and neighbors as well as how we should react to adversity.

One philosophy that can provide answers is Stoicism. The word “Stoic” comes from the Greek word for porch, which was where the first followers gathered. This philosophy started in Athens around 300 BCE and spread to Rome when key philosophers were sent there as ambassadors. Marcus Aurelius, a Roman emperor in the second century CE, was himself a Stoic philosopher.

Stoicism is often misunderstood. People think it means being passive and not reacting to things, but that’s not true. It actually focuses on three disciplines: desire (what we should and shouldn’t want), action (how we behave), and assent (how we react to situations).

This might sound theoretical, but for the ancient Stoics, their philosophy was practical. Marcus Aurelius, a Roman emperor and philosopher wrote his most famous work Meditations as a personal guide for his own self-improvement. One of the most influential Stoic philosophers was Epictetus who lived in first century Rome. He was born a slave and became a teacher of philosophy. His teachings are recorded in Enchiridion or “Handbook” which gives us an idea about how he approached life’s challenges on a daily basis by applying what we know from science today to improve our lives.

Let’s look at one of the key principles.

Big Idea #2: Not everything is within our control. Focus on what you can influence and don’t worry about the rest.

Some people are nervous when they fly, and some people have trouble losing weight. These things can be changed with the right attitude. Stoicism is a philosophy that teaches us to accept things we cannot change and to focus on what we can control.

Stoicism is a philosophical movement based on the teachings of Zeno of Citium. One central principle is that we should focus on what we can control and accept what isn’t in our power to change.

It’s widely known that people who are nervous flyers should just accept the fact that they can’t control anything once in the air. They shouldn’t waste their energy worrying about things out of their control because it won’t help them to feel better and might make them more nervous.

Stoicism can be seen as a way to accept that you cannot change everything. The author of this passage uses his own weight loss struggles to illustrate the point. He has accepted that he is not going to have the body type he desires, and instead focuses on what he can control, such as exercising moderately and eating well (not in large quantities).