Can Stoicism Help Us Make Better Decisions?
Every aspect of our daily lives involves decision-making, from what to eat to when to sleep. It’s no surprise that humans have sought ways to simplify this process for generations. Fortunately, there are a lot of things you can do to simplify this part of your life, and Stoic principles are among the greatest.
What Is A Stoic?
The ancient Hellenist Zeno of Citium founded the school of Stoicism in 300 BC. His ideas were immediately well-received, and Stoicism rose to prominence as a popular philosophy. The ideals of Stoicism—wisdom, morality, and a life in harmony with nature—spread across ancient Greece and Rome. Despite the common perception of Stoics as cold and unfeeling, the simplicity of their principles allowed them to live fulfilling lives. Increasing one’s prosperity and happiness are two areas where their lessons might be useful today. Because its basic practices help you clear your mind, concentrate better, and prioritize, Stoicism is especially well-suited to decision-making.
Ruled By Reason & Logic.
Logos, also known as Universal Reason, is the highest principle, according to Stoicism. Living in line with reason was Zeno’s fundamental principle for a good life. In a world where choices abound, it follows that rational decision-making is essential for a fulfilling life. Put another way, choose options that make sense. This may seem like stating the obvious, but who would go with the irrational choice? For ages, Stoics argued over the best way to live a rational life. Now more than ever, we can rely on more transparent facts and data to inform our decision-making.
Half of the decisions that need to be made every day may be eliminated, saving a significant amount of time. The good news is that Stoicism provides the ideal solution: ignore the ones you have no control over. Everything, according to the Stoics, falls into one of two categories: what you can influence and what you can’t. When it comes to matters that are beyond your control, why bother worrying about them? You don’t need to give any thought to this because it won’t affect anything; instead, focus on the countless other decisions that await you. Use to logic to decide which decisions you can actually make.
Isolating Yourself From The World?
The notion of indifference is well-known, if not notorious, among Stoics. They think it’s critical to isolate oneself from the world. Their goal is to maximize their own good while being completely unconcerned with anything or anybody else. Although this seems like a harsh life strategy, it really helps when deciding what to do. You don’t have to conform to anyone else’s expectations; instead, you may put your needs first and go with what makes the most sense. If you want to learn how to make the greatest decision possible, one thing stoicism may teach you is to put your own wants first. Worry not about the greater world but focus on your world; your considerations.
Embrace Death
The Latin phrase “memento mori,” meaning “remembering death,” is highly regarded among Stoics. The method is simple: prioritise accepting the worst possible consequence while making a decision. After that, the occurrence of any event becomes less significant. Nothing ever goes as planned if you prepare yourself for the worst. Keeping this in mind while making decisions helps individuals to accept that even if something doesn’t work out the way they hoped, it’s still better than the alternative. It puts the possible possibilities into context and emphasizes the importance of each option. At least you’re emotionally and psychologically ready to die if your choice leads to that outcome.
Conclusion
Ultimately, a key Stoic principle puts all decision-making into perspective: intentions are more essential than outcomes. Having to face the music is one of the most debilitating parts of decision-making, according to many. However, as Stoicism teaches, it makes no difference what happens in the end. With the goal of reaching certain objectives in mind, you have already made decisions. Don’t let anxiety about the outcome prolong the tense process. Once having decided, you can’t control what comes next. Embrace the uncertainty that life entails.
