What is a Stoic person?

Have you ever encountered someone who remained calm and serene in situations where others would have been totally stressed out? Then, you may have met a Stoic person. In this article, we've looked at what a Stoic mindset is. Now, we're going to discover what a Stoic person is like and how you can develop character traits based on Stoicism for a more fulfilling life. So, if you're interested in learning how you can become more like a Stoic person, read on!

TL;DR

• A Stoic person is not emotionless.
• Four core ideas of Stoicism are logos, virtue, the dichotomy of control, and living in accordance with nature.
• There are many characteristics of Stoic personalities, but six are very common. Stoic mindfulness, discipline, open-mindedness, humility, kindness, resilience.
• If you want to live a happier life, these traits can help you. Stoicism offers the right tools to develop them.
  

What Does it Mean to Be a Stoic Person or Have a Stoic Personality?

Actually, it is not that simple to define what a person is like. But first things first. A Stoic person is not emotionless. This is misunderstood by many people, but it's definitely not true. Stoics just deal differently with their emotions. How? By practicing the Stoic virtues and other concepts like the dichotomy of control. By doing so, Stoics shape their character for the better and improve their behavior each day. With improved behavior comes greater happiness, joy, and serenity.

But to truly understand what it means to be a Stoic person, it's best to take a closer look at some basic ideas of Stoicism.

• Logos: This is the idea that there's a rational order to the universe and our lives. Stoicism tries to understand that universal reason by becoming a clear, reasoned, and unbiased thinker. As humans are the only mammals with the faculty to reason, it is our nature to use it.
• Virtue: A Stoic person believes that only virtue (wisdom, temperance, justice, and courage) is needed to live a happy life. Therefore, practicing those virtues in their daily lives is one of the biggest concerns for each Stoic.
• Dichotomy of Control: Some things are within our control while others are not. Stoics try to focus their thoughts and actions only on the first and let go of their attachment to the latter.
• Living in accordance with nature: According to Stoic philosophy, living in harmony with nature leads the way to eudaimonia (happiness). To achieve this, Stoics use reason to live virtuously and differentiate between things in their power and things outside.

Those are basically the core beliefs of a Stoic person. A Stoic personality generally tries to assess every situation with reason, for which a certain degree of calmness and the willingness to think through an event is required. Stoics know that the first impression of an occurrence is often misleading, and as seekers of wisdom, they want to consider all possible perspectives to come to a wise decision.

Now, let's dig a little deeper and look at some typical Stoic character traits.

6 common personality traits of a Stoic person

As every Stoic is a unique person, so are their character traits. But to live according to the core beliefs mentioned above, a few characteristics are widespread. These 6 personality traits help Stoics not get overwhelmed by emotions, keep their reasoned mind, and gain a broader perspective on their surroundings, becoming wise and flourishing people.

Stoic mindfulness (or prosoche)

In order to assess situations with reason and rationality, it is necessary to live in the present moment, observing your thoughts and actions. Therefore, a Stoic person is mindful in every situation that comes their way to practice virtue. This sense of self-awareness helps us pay attention to what truly matters - our character.

"Your good faith is your own, your self-respect is your own; for who can take those away from you? Who apart from yourself can prevent you from making use of them? But for your own part, how do you behave? Whenever you devote your attention to what is not your own, you lose what is truly your own." Seneca, Letters on Ethics, 6.7

Discipline

The three disciplines of Stoicism are desires, action, and assent. To maintain control in these areas, a Stoic always needs self-discipline. Furthermore, Stoics know they will fall short from time to time, and it requires discipline to reflect upon past behavior and put in the effort to think about what could be done better the next time. Stoics are strict with themselves and their practices. Instead of indulging in pleasure, they do whatever is necessary to achieve eudaimonia. Consistently. Without complaining.

"While all excesses are hurtful, excess of comfort is the most hurtful of all; it affects the brain; it leads men's minds into vain imaginings; it spreads a thick cloud over the boundaries of truth and falsehood." Seneca, On Providence 4

Open-Mindedness

It is necessary to stay open-minded and consider different opinions and perspectives before making a wise decision or judgment about a specific situation. No one knows everything; therefore, Stoics love to learn from others and acquire knowledge from others' perspectives. 

"I know that I know nothing." Socrates

Humility

This understanding mentioned above of our own limitations leads us to humility. No one is perfect, and mistakes and failures are part of human nature. As part of the logos and one big world community (cosmopolitanism), our role on earth is limited and less important than most people think. Therefore, humility is a crucial character trait for every Stoic.

"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

Kindness

Kindness should be a matter of course, but sadly, it is not. Sometimes, it seems selfish and rude people rule everything and get everything they want. But one thing you can't reach with such behavior is happiness. On the other hand, kindness, which is deeply entrenched in Stoicism, can indeed help on the journey to a happy life.

"Wherever there is a human being, there is an opportunity for a kindness." Seneca, Of a happy life 24

Resilience

Practicing Stoicism helps to build inner strength and resilience. Stoics focus on their own behavior and understand that they have no control over external events. They train their resilience by accepting whatever fate throws at them. For Stoics, adversities are just obstacles that must be actively overcome instead of hiding and complaining.

"Bring on me now, O Zeus, what difficulty thou wilt, for I have faculties granted me by thee, and powers by which I may win honor from every event." Epictetus, Discourses 1.6

How can you develop these traits, becoming happier and calmer?

In simple words: practice makes perfect. You can't make these personality traits yours only by acknowledging and agreeing to them. The Stoic philosophy is something you have to practice and is more a way of life than a purely academic matter.

1. Practice mindfulness to become aware of your thinking habits, emotions, and responses to different situations.
2. Create routines and habits to develop greater discipline regarding your practice of Stoicism.
3. Cultivate a Stoic mindset by analyzing situations objectively and finding logical solutions. Try to cut out your emotions from making judgments and stay open-minded.
4. Reflect on your own misbehavior (instead of criticizing others) and set yourself into perspective on time, history, and your part on earth to develop a sense of humility.
5. Practice kindness exercises every day and let it become part of your identity.
6. Embrace challenges and view them as growth opportunities to build your inner strength (resilience). Points 1-5 deliver all the necessary fuel to better deal with adversities and to welcome them.

Imagine you would have greater self-discipline, be open to new ideas, remain humble in all situations, act with kindness towards others, and, as a consequence, develop resilience when faced with challenges. That's the way of a Stoic. If you wish to become more like that, cultivating these traits is an excellent place to begin.

So start today on your journey to becoming more Stoic and reap the rewards of a Stoic life.

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