What Does Being Stoic Mean?

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Stoicism came to have a little ess in a way that really you don't see with many philosophies. So what does being stoic mean? Because, i mean, at a high level, it sort of, like, it does appear to embrace the suck. That kind of is one strand of stoicism, which is, try to manage your debilitating emotions. But it's not the only because if you really read more deeply, the stoics, with a big s, have the most sophisticated emotion theory there is in the ancient world. They're essentially belief theorists about emotion. And under those for everything falls essentially, and they get the body going as well as the mind.

What can we learn from the intersection between the fundamental tenets of Stoicism and military heroism? Author and professor Nancy Sherman uses her extensive experience in both subjects to discuss why there’s much to gain from examining ancient Greek and Roman philosophies and how to use their teachings today. On this episode Sherman explores how to gain control of your emotions, Stoic techniques for decision making, building resilience, the difference between honor and virtue, and much more. Sherman is a Distinguished University Professor and Professor of Philosophy at Georgetown University, and she is also the inaugural Distinguished Chair in Ethics at the United States Naval Academy. She has written extensively during her career on the Stoics, and her most recent book is Stoic Wisdom: Ancient Lessons for Modern Resilience.

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