What is a Stoic mindset?

Stoics believe that freedom and happiness are within ourselves, not in outside events or material things. It all depends on how we perceive the world. Therefore, we must train our minds to develop a solid Stoic mindset to enable us to live a eudaimonic, flourishing life even in adverse circumstances.

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"Such as are your habitual thoughts, so also will be the character of your mind. For the soul is dyed by its thoughts." Marcus Aurelius, Meditations, 5.16

"The universe is transformation; life is opinion." Marcus Aurelius, Meditations, 4.3

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TL;DR

Cultivating a Stoic mindset needs time and practice and has never been finished. It has several qualities like Stoic mindfulness (prosoche), love of fate (amor fati), living virtuously, and more. The ultimate goal is living a happy and meaningful life which can only be found in oneself, so the mind needs to be trained permanently.

The Stoic mindset

While there's no clear definition of what a Stoic mindset exactly is, it could be described as a state of mind in which one is able to maintain peace, serenity, and clarity even in the face of difficulties or challenging times. But how to create such a state of mind?

In Stoicism, the foundation of a mindset like this is called prosoche (or attention; mindfulness). It means being present in the moment, aware of your thoughts, your emotions, and your actions.

Stoics also have a distinct sense of acceptance. Understanding that the universe is in constant transformation, that things change all the time, and that we have no control over outside events leads us to radical acceptance of whatever happens. The concept of amor fati, love of one's fate, is also something that forms the Stoic mindset and way of thinking.

It's not about living life passively; on the contrary, Stoics actively shape what's within their control (also known as the dichotomy of control), their thoughts, and actions to train their resilience and perseverance. They know they have a greater chance of living a happy life instead of being dragged along from life by actively practicing their virtues. Stoics want to prepare themselves for an uncertain future, but at the same time, they don't want to worry about what maybe could happen. They can only achieve this by focusing on what is within their control and embracing their fate.

Considering other human beings, but also themselves, Stoics understand that human nature is flawed and far from perfect. Therefore, the Stoic mindset practice kindness and forgiveness. We all make mistakes, but we have no control over the mistakes of others, so why argue or get angry? And because we're not perfect as well, we need to practice kindness and forgiveness for ourselves - our mistakes and shortcomings. Stoics know that emotions like anger are the dark path to frustration, anger, and unhappiness (or becoming a Sith). Changing your perspective on adversities and situations and searching for something you can learn from that experience will help you to create a Stoic mindset. As an (upcoming) Stoic, you are searching for wisdom and a happy life, so there's in almost every situation something in for you. A Stoic attitude is willing to test its opinions and ready to change them when it must acknowledge that it was wrong.

Okay, so far, we've covered prosoche (or Stoic mindfulness), amor fati (love of your fate; acceptance), the dichotomy of control, kindness, as well as a flexible mindset that can change perspectives to consider all possible views to come to a reasoned decision.

Furthermore, I think two concepts are essential for defining a Stoic mindset. First, a cosmopolitan attitude, meaning that we are all citizens of one big world community and every human being has the same value (I can't emphasize every enough), no matter what their origin is. Second, Sympatheia. This is the idea that everything is mutually woven together. As Marcus Aurelius said:

"Frequently consider the connection of all things in the universe and their relation to one another. For in a manner all things are implicated with one another, and all in this way are friendly to one another. For one thing comes in order after another, and this is by virtue of the active movement and mutual conspiration and the unity of the substance." Marcus Aurelius, Meditations, 6.38

So, we are all part of something greater than ourselves, and trying to perceive the world from that perspective can help us zoom out to see our challenges in the bigger picture.

Finally, it involves living in line with the Stoic virtues - wisdom, justice, self-discipline (temperance), and courage. So the Stoic mindset constantly questions itself, its thoughts, and actions regarding these virtues.

The 8 Keys to Developing a Stoic Mindset

So, what qualities is a Stoic mindset made of? What skills does it require?

1. Stoic mindfulness.
2. Radical acceptance (amor fati) of one's fate and the universal truth of constant change.
3. Awareness of the dichotomy of control, meaning knowing what to accept (external events) and what not (internal events, what is within one's control).
4. Flexible enough to change perspectives and search for things one can learn from a specific experience or challenge.
5. A cosmopolitan worldview.
6. Kindness toward others and oneself.
7. A sense of the interconnectedness of all things.
8. The Stoic mindset is led by the four virtues of Stoicism.

A Stoic mindset is nothing you acquire once and then live happily ever after. No, it needs an ongoing practice of the Stoic disciplines and virtues to keep it alive. Like every path, it has its ups and downs. You may have a phase where you are mentally exhausted and fail short - stand up and keep on going. You won't do it all the time perfectly. Anyway, it's not about perfection but pursuing an excellent attitude, knowing that only the Stoic sage can actually achieve that ideal of perfection.

May the Stoic mindset be with you!