What Really Grinds My Gears
That’s right people, after quite a while I’m finally sharing another “What Really Grinds My Gears” post. I know a lot of my readers really enjoy these because it gives us a safe space to whine. Although if you’re on a blog called Lifesfinewhine it’s pretty safe to say that any place would be a safe space to whine lol. Anyway, today I’ll be talking about something that is near and dear to me- Stoicism. Since it’s something I’m interested it, I find myself getting videos of it on social media and YouTube (thanks know-it-all algorithm that has enslaved humankind!). And there’s something I’ve noticed that has really been… well… grinding my gears.
Stoicism
I’m not sure if anyone else has noticed this but Stoicism seems to have become more popular online over the last few weeks. More people are interested in it and have been sharing their thoughts on it. Now, I won’t go so far as to say I started the trend but… Lol just kidding, obviously!
Anyway, the problem I have is that Stoicism is being both misunderstood and misused. In particular, it seems that many people only focus on one specific aspect of Stoicism while ignoring the rest. This is leading to misinterpretations of Stoic beliefs.
What I mean is that I’ve noticed a lot of people only focus on one of the cornerstones of Stoicism- “temperance.” This teaches us to be moderate and/or neutral about things we can’t control. The keywords here are “things we can’t control.” However, it seems many people online seem to be misinterpreting the Stoic beliefs of moderation and think it means to be moderate about all things. I’ve also noticed that oftentimes people are mistaking indifference for moderation. There is a huge difference between the two.
Yes, Stoics believed in remaining neutral/moderate about things we don’t control. But people forget that two other cornerstones of Stoicism are “justice” and “courage.” Moderation does not equate to being moderate about all things constantly. In fact, Stoics have often written about the importance of embodying your morals and ethics and having the courage to stand up for them when you see an injustice happening.
If you’re able to do something to stop immoral or unjust behaviour, than you should absolutely be doing so. Well known Stoics like Marcus Aurelius and Thrasea Paetus stood up against oppression. Acting justly and taking action when you can are a central part of Stoicism. It encourages us to take be proactive not passive when there’s something we can do to have a positive impact on the world.
Concluding Thoughts
I think the problem with learning about things on the internet is that they will always be subjective and bias. And it very much grinds my gears when people read a couple of quotes online and think they can speak on Stoicism as a whole or try to use Stoicism in a biased way to support your argument. It doesn’t work like that if you haven’t done extensive reading and understood every single virtue- not just the ones that work for you.
I would encourage anyone interested in Stoicism (or any philosophical schools!) to please do your own readings and form your own opinions. Don’t rely on the internet. There are lots of fantastic books you can read. I even shared a beginner friendly list of books you can start out with if you’re interested in learning more about Stoicism. You can read the full list here. You’ll get a much more comprehensive understanding in that way.
What are your thoughts on Stoicism? Do you belong to any philosophical schools of thought? Let me know in the comments below because I would love to hear from you. Or simply stop by and say hi!
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