My Journey into Stoicism

I'm beginning my journey into Stoicism. I first came across this philosophy through the YouTube channel Karka Kasadara, and it resonated with me deeply. It feels closely aligned with my natural way of thinking, inspiring me to explore it further.  

To track my progress, I'm documenting my daily Stoic learnings in a blog. This will serve as a personal reference and, hopefully, be useful to others as well.

Let's look at what is Philosophy 

Word Philosophy comes from the two Greek words Philo (love) and Sophy (wisdom). Meaning The love of wisdom. At its core, is the deep desire to seek and understand the wisdom.

You know, the love is The Magic. When we don't have, we pursue it. When we have, we embrace it. In the context of Philosophy, we pursue and embrace the wisdom. Wisdom is not just the knowledge, but an applied knowledge.

When we say this, Philosophy is not just about thinking, it's about actively seeking and applying to daily life.

Epictetus taught that Philosophy is useless if not practiced - it must be lived, not just studied.

As per Senaca, Philosophy offers a councel and is a good advice to humanity.

Stoicism

Stoicism philosophy is about personal freedom, individual excellence, inner peace, human equality, healthy community, vibrant society and how well we react to the outside challenges, threats and uncertainities.

Philosophy of Stoicism centrally lies within how well we cope up and conquer with Character.

What do we need to Cope up with?

Its an ability to endure hardships without being overwhelmed. Stoicim teaches us that we cannot control the external events, but we can control our reactions to them. We need to cope up with these external events by maintaining the inner stability despite the life's uncertainities.

What to Conquer?

This is the next level from what is mentioned above. Instead of just enduring the challenges / uncertainties, we have to overcome and turn those into opportunities.

This aligns with the fundamental principle of Stoicism. Focus only on what you can control.

The Stoic path to peace lies in mastering one's reaction. Through self-awareness and rational thinking, one can prevent emotions like anger, fear or sadness controlling us.

I will be posting my daily reads on Stoic Philosophy / Quotes here and how well I can practice those. 

Day 1:

• You control your thoughts, emotions, decisions, and reactions. 

• You decide how to interpret situations—whether to see them as opportunities or setbacks.

Example: If someone insults you, the words don’t harm you; your reaction to them does. If you choose to stay calm, the insult has no power.

• Trying to control the uncontrollable leads to stress, frustration, and disappointment.

• True strength comes from mental discipline, not from controlling the external world.

• Once you accept that only your inner world is under your control, you develop resilience and peace.

• Instead of being reactive, you become calm, rational, and powerful in any situation.

Day 2:

 "Accept the things to which fate binds you"

Life is full of uncontrollable events—where you are born, what happens to you, and the challenges you face.

Stoic wisdom teaches that resisting fate only leads to suffering.

Instead of complaining about what you can’t change, accept it fully and make the best out of it.

Example:

If you lose a job, don’t resist fate by dwelling on the past. Instead, adapt and find new opportunities.

If you face illness, accept it as part of life and focus on how to live meaningfully despite it.

"Love the people with whom fate brings you together"

•We don’t choose everyone in our lives—family, colleagues, strangers.

•Stoicism teaches that instead of resisting difficult relationships, we should accept them with an open heart.

•This doesn’t mean blind obedience to toxic people but finding ways to act with kindness, patience, and understanding.

Example:

•You may not like a coworker, but fate has placed them in your life—so handle the situation with patience and wisdom.

•Instead of resenting a difficult family member, choose to love and understand them as they are.

"But do so with all your heart."

•Acceptance isn’t passive tolerance—it’s active engagement.

•When you embrace fate completely, life becomes meaningful and fulfilling.

•Instead of just dealing with people, love and appreciate them fully, knowing they are part of your journey.

Example:

•If you’re married, don’t just tolerate your spouse—love them deeply, knowing that fate brought you together.

•If life puts you in a tough situation, don’t just endure it—own it, embrace it, and grow from it.

Day 3:

This quote suggests that the fear of death can prevent a person from truly living. If one is constantly worried about the inevitability of death, they may hesitate to take risks, pursue meaningful goals, or act with courage. Stoicism teaches that death is a natural part of life and should not be feared. Instead, one should focus on living with virtue, making the most of their time, and embracing challenges without hesitation.

Instead of just fearing physical death, the quote can be understood as fearing failure, rejection, uncertainty, or the unknown. In today's world, many people hesitate to take risks because they fear losing something—whether it's their reputation, financial stability, or emotional comfort. This fear can stop people from starting a new business, speaking up for their beliefs, or making bold life decisions.

In today's context, the quote encourages:

Taking calculated risks in career, relationships, or personal growth.

Not letting fear of failure stop you from pursuing goals.

Embracing discomfort and uncertainty as part of life.

Day 4:

•People interpret events, news, and experiences through their own biases, emotions, and beliefs.

•Just because someone says something doesn’t make it an absolute truth—it’s their perspective or interpretation.

•Stoics encourage questioning assumptions and not reacting impulsively to what others say.

•Our senses and experiences are limited, meaning we never have a full, objective view of reality.

•Two people can witness the same event and interpret it differently based on their past experiences, emotions, and beliefs.

•Truth is often complex and multi-layered; what we see is just one version of it.

How This Applies Today:

Social Media & News: Different media outlets present the same event differently. Recognizing bias helps us form more balanced opinions.

Personal Conflicts: Instead of assuming someone is wrong, consider their perspective and what shaped their view.

Emotional Reactions: Just because something feels true doesn’t mean it is. Take a step back and analyze before reacting.

People naturally frame things in a way that benefits them—sometimes consciously, sometimes unconsciously. It’s a survival instinct, a way to protect their ego or gain support.

This is why Stoics emphasize detachment from emotions and biases when evaluating information. Instead of immediately believing what we hear or see, we should:

Pause and reflect—Is this fact or just someone’s interpretation?

Consider other perspectives—What would the other side say?

Seek the bigger picture—What’s the reality beyond personal emotions?

Detach from immediate judgments. Instead of reacting emotionally, strive to see things clearly and rationally. Seek objective truth, but acknowledge that human perception is inherently limited.