Understanding the Stoic View on Desires: How to Use Stoicism to Manage Our Wants and Achieve Inner Peace
Do you find yourself constantly struggling with your desires? Do you want to learn how to deal with and keep them in check? Do you wonder if Stoicism might have a secret to help you with that? Read on and see if there's something in for you.
TL;DR
- Desires are emotions.
- Emotions are opinions.
- Opinions are within our control. Therefore we are responsible for our desires and can change them.
- Stoics do have desires - as long one isn't a Stoic sage.
- Reflection on and reverse engineering your desires can help you manage them and achieve peace of mind.
What does Stoicism say about desire?
"Wipe out imagination; check desire: extinguish appetite: keep the ruling faculty in its own power." Marcus Aurelius, Meditations 9.7
In fact, dealing with desires is one of the main pillars of Stoicism. It's one of the three Stoic disciplines (desires, action, assent). But let's quickly explore the four main types of emotions according to the Stoics. These are:
- Pleasure.
- Fear.
- Distress.
- Appetite or desire.
In Stoicism, desire is an emotion.
Desire or appetite and fear are evaluations of future things. On the other hand, pleasure and distress are evaluations of things already existing. Furthermore, they differ in whether we think something is good or bad. A desire is an opinion something is good, and we can satisfy it in the future. Fear is an opinion that something is bad and will happen in the future. Pleasure arises when we succeed in obtaining our object of desire. And distress sets in when this does not occur.
But where's the problem with desires, you might think? The great danger lies in assenting to false judgments, hence forming misguided opinions leading to faulty emotions. It's our inability to distinguish between good desires or wishes and bad ones. We have to learn that through Stoicism and, more concretely, through actively practicing Stoicism. As long as we don't train this faculty, we'll likely become miserable or sad when we don't get what we want. We suffer, and we move away from virtue and happiness.
Instead, we should only wish for good things in our control, meaning virtue and virtuous behavior. That's one major Stoic key to achieving inner peace and a eudaimonic life.
Let's get into more theory to give you additional context.
What do Stoics think about emotions?
The Stoic theory of emotion is based on the belief that we are the creator of our emotions. This is great as we're not at their mercy but can direct them in the right direction. We're not the victim of our feelings. This is because they are not triggered by external events but by our (mostly wrong) opinions that we form ourselves.
So, Stoics believe that emotions arise from our opinions; thus, we can control them, and by that, we can manage our emotions.
How the 4 main types of emotions are formed in Stoicism
The logic of how emotions are formed looks like this:
- All emotions come into existence out of opinion.
- Opinions are initiated by our judgments about our impressions.
- If we assent to this judgment as true, the opinion is finally created.
Side note: Stoics have a huge variety of sub-emotions to those core emotions.
Now we have the answer to our initial question of what Stoicism says about desires:
For Stoics, a desire is an opinion something is good or pleasurable in the future.
That's basically it. We believe something will bring us joy, pleasure, or satisfaction in the future, so we begin to form a desire to have it.
Can Stoics have desires?
"Remember that desire demands the attainment of that of which you are desirous; and aversion demands the avoidance of that to which you are averse; that he who fails of the object of his desires, is disappointed; and he who incurs the object of his aversion, is wretched... But for the present altogether restrain desire; for if you desire any of the things not within our own power, you must necessarily be disappointed, and you are not yet secure of those which are within our power, and so are legitimate objects of desire. Where it is practically necessary for you to pursue or avoid anything, do even this with discretion, and gentleness, and moderation." Epictetus, Enchiridion 2
To make it short, as long as one is not the Stoic sage, definitely, a Stoic has desires. The difference is that practicing Stoics try to manage them and are well aware of the above-described theory.
"Choose rather to punish your appetites than to be punished by them." Epictetus, Fragments 108
That's where the Discipline of Desire comes into play. The Discipline of Desire provides essential guidance on channeling our energy and resources. We learn to prioritize and focus our ambitions, energy, and time on the things that truly matter - enabling us to live a meaningful life full of joy.
This is a lifelong process, not to give you a wrong impression. Every Stoic fails at it from time to time. And that's okay, as long as we keep on trying.
How do Stoics manage desires?
"Freedom is not procured by a full enjoyment of what is desired, but by controlling the desire." Epictetus, Discourses 4.1 Of Freedom
Stoicism advises that we should try to control our desires by understanding why and how they are created in the first place. Knowing that gives you a solid base. That's the theory part.
Now, what can you actively do?
- Think about your desires: What do you desire most in your life? Do you have short-term desires you wish to come true in the next couple of weeks or months? What are your long-term desires? Make a long and extensive list.
- Reverse Engineering: Break it into smaller parts and see where it comes from and how you came to your desire. Reminder: A desire is an emotion. Emotions are opinions. Opinions are formed by our judgments about impressions. And when we assent to this judgment, our emotion is created. What's your opinion on each desire? Why have you judged it as good? Would you still assent to it as good (considering the Stoic point of view about what's good, bad, and indifferent)?
Whenever you feel a desire arises, you can do this simple two-step process to find clarity about your desire. By understanding your desires and their roots, you can decide if it's worth giving in to them, pursuing them, or letting them go. This will lead to inner peace as your decisions about your emotions come from your conscious and controlled opinions.
It's your turn now. Try this process by yourself and enjoy Stoic living!
