Epictetus, a prominent Stoic philosopher, once succinctly defined the role of philosophy: “When the standards have been set, the work of philosophy is just this, to examine and uphold the standards, but the work of a truly good person is in using those standards when they know them.” This statement captures the essence of what it means to be a philosopher, particularly within the Stoic tradition.
At its core, the job of a philosopher is twofold:
- Define Your Rules: Philosophy is about establishing a set of principles or standards that guide how one should live. These principles are not arbitrary; they are rooted in reason, ethics, and the pursuit of the good life. The philosopher’s task is to identify these rules through study, reflection, and discourse.
- Live by Your Rules: Once these standards are established, the philosopher’s real work begins. It’s not enough to simply know what is right or good; the philosopher must embody these principles in daily life. This is where philosophy transcends mere intellectual exercise and becomes a lived practice.
The Stoics, such as Chrysippus, Marcus Aurelius, and Seneca, spent their lives writing, debating, and refining these principles, though they never compiled them into a single, definitive list. Their teachings, however, have survived through various texts and have been distilled into a set of guiding rules for living a good life.
The Stoic Rules for the Good Life
Here are 50 Stoic rules, gathered from their teachings, that serve as guides to living well:
- Focus on what you can control.
- You control how you respond to things.
- Ask yourself, “Is this essential?”
- Meditate on your mortality every day.
- Value time more than money/possessions.
- You are the product of your habits.
- Remember you have the power to have no opinion.
- Own the morning.
- Put yourself up for review (Interrogate yourself).
- Don’t suffer imagined troubles.
- Try to see the good in people.
- Never be overheard complaining…even to yourself.
- Two ears, one mouth…for a reason. (Zeno)
- There is always something you can do.
- Don’t compare yourself to others.
- Live as if you’ve died and come back (every minute is bonus time).
- The best revenge is not to be like that. (Marcus Aurelius)
- Be strict with yourself and tolerant with others.
- Put every impression, emotion, to the test before acting on it.
- Learn something from everyone.
- Focus on process, not outcomes.
- Define what success means to you.
- Find a way to love everything that happens (Amor fati).
- Seek out challenges.
- Don’t follow the mob.
- Grab the “smooth handle.”
- Every person is an opportunity for kindness. (Seneca)
- Say no (a lot).
- Don’t be afraid to ask for help.
- Find one thing that makes you wiser every day.
- What’s bad for the hive is bad for the bee. (Marcus Aurelius)
- Don’t judge other people.
- Study the lives of the greats.
- Forgive, forgive, forgive.
- Make a little progress each day.
- Journal.
- Prepare for life’s inevitable setbacks (premeditatio malorum).
- Look for the poetry in ordinary things.
- To do wrong to one, is to do wrong to yourself. (sympatheia)
- Always choose “Alive Time.”
- Associate only with people that make you better.
- If someone offends you, realize you are complicit in taking offense.
- Fate behaves as she pleases…do not forget this.
- Possessions are yours only in trust.
- Don’t make your problems worse by bemoaning them.
- Accept success without arrogance, handle failure with indifference.
- Courage. Temperance. Justice. Wisdom. (Always).
- The obstacle is the way.
- Ego is the enemy.
- Stillness is the key.
The Ultimate Rule: Embody Your Philosophy
Epictetus wisely summarized the ultimate task of a philosopher: “Don’t explain your philosophy. Embody it.” The Stoics believed that the true measure of philosophy is not in talking about virtue but in living it. It’s about letting your actions reflect your principles. As Marcus Aurelius reminded himself, and now us, “Waste no more time talking about what a good man is like. Be one.”
In essence, the job of a philosopher is to define the rules for living a good life and, more importantly, to live by them every day.
