The Homesteading Stoic
I have been trying to make it a point to begin reading more regularly again. Reading is one of my first loves, but unfortunately, life’s intrusions have kept us estranged for too long. Some of my recent reading endeavors have dredged up memories long covered by mud and silt from my high school days of studying the stoics of ancient times. I learned the principles to the extent required by the curriculum, but at the time, I didn’t consciously internalize the lessons. I was as an observer, looking in from the outside. It was a philosophy that I associated with crumbling statues of figures with ingloriously severed limbs. Ancient ruins. A once great civilization that ultimately faded.
I am not Greek, but I will cautiously admit that I did enjoy My Big Fat Greek Wedding. The movie. I haven’t read the book. I spray Windex on everything now. That shit is crystal clear blue magic in a bottle. Don’t judge me. Even a casual observer of history can see the impact that the ancient Greek societies have had upon the world as we know it today. Religion. Civics. Government. Sports. Art. Architecture. Science. Literature. The ripples were felt around the world.
Stoicism was but one of the belief systems to emerge from the Ancient Greek world. Zeno is credited as the founder and his tenets and those of his followers have stood the test of time. Marcus Aurelius, another famous stoic and a Roman emperor, was separated from Zeno, a Hellenistic Stoic philosopher, by four to five centuries. Let’s reflect upon the compatibility of the philosophy of stoicism and the homesteading lifestyle by reviewing “The 9 Core Stoic Beliefs” laid out by Stephen Hanselman on the website dailystoic.com.
1. “If you want a smooth flow of life, live according to nature.”
2. “Happiness isn’t found in things, but in virtue alone - It’s all about what we value and the choices we make.”
3. “We don’t control external events, we only control our thoughts, opinions, decisions and duties.”
4. “We’ve each been given all the inner resources we need to thrive.”
5. “We must eliminate toxic emotions - Why hope, fear, and anger are always the worst strategies.”
6. “We are and must remain a unified self - We can’t complain or blame anyone else (Best to deal with our own demons).”
7. “No man is an island: The Stoic golden rule.”
8. “Our personal development is bound up in cooperation with others.”
9. Persist and resist: It’s all about progress, not perfection.
Mull these over for a minute. Initially, I was going to review and discuss each of these individually, but in the end, I didn’t want my jibber jabber to compromise the simplicity of these principles. It is not at all difficult for me to find commonality with a philosophy that promotes accountability, community, courage, humility, persistence, principled living, rationalism, self control, self improvement, steadfastness, virtuous living. Living according to nature? I am unaware of any homesteader who would balk at that one. I’m certainly in.
My superficial re-aquaintanceship with stoicism has been a refreshing blast from the past. I haven’t delved deeply enough to determine how closely stoicism and my bastardized Heinz 57 belief system are in alignment. While I’m sure that there are similarities and there are differences, much of what I have read so far is very relatable. I love history and I enjoy reflecting on homogeneity of human experiences from individuals of diverse backgrounds. Common ground. It’s a reminder that no matter where we come from, we are really not that different from one another, even if we are separated by millennia.
Can you relate to the stoic philosophy?
Which do you relate to and which do you not relate to?
