Stoicism and Indian philosophy both teach us how to handle life’s challenges with wisdom, balance, and emotional strength. If we go to the origin or core philosophy of Stoicism, we will get to know that it is an ancient philosophy that was once one of the most civic disciplines in the West, practiced by the rich and the impoverished, the powerful and the struggling alike in the pursuit of the good life. You can explore more about Stoic philosophy through The Daily Stoic.
Except to the most avid seekers of wisdom, Stoicism is either unknown or misunderstood. To the average person, this vibrant, action-oriented, and paradigm-shifting way of living has become shorthand for emotionless, but this is not the case.
Basically, it is a tool for self-mastery, perseverance, and wisdom, where an individual does not get lost in the ripple of emotions. He conquers it and chooses to do what is actually needed rather than letting emotions win. If you are exploring mindfulness and inner awareness, you may also enjoy reading Mindfulness Journey: Build Spiritual Awareness Without Religion.
The teachings of Stoicism and Indian philosophy remain practical even today. Many great people in the world followed this philosophy and became successful. A few of them are: George Washington, Walt Whitman, Adam Smith, etc.
The most interesting part of Stoicism is that it is not like other philosophical concepts which just talk in terms of theory. It is a very practical branch of philosophy which one can use to make himself more resilient, happier, more virtuous and wiser — and as a result, a better person, a better parent and a better professional.
The Four Virtues of Stoicism
When we see the core principles of Stoicism, we understand that mainly it deals with four virtues:
1. Courage
Courage is all about standing against the odd situations which life keeps throwing at us. Courage teaches us about our capabilities. The world doesn’t fully know what we are capable of, not even ourselves. The world just puts us in a category to fulfill society’s needs, not our own self-realization. That is why life keeps throwing different problems at us. This is not actually a problem but a question to be answered — a situation of self-realization.
Only difficult times teach us about our capabilities and who we really are. Hence, courage is very important to withstand such situations. Don’t give up, because giving up will deprive us of self-realization.
2. Temperance
This is very important because we have learned about courage, and now it is important to understand the limits of showing courage.
Courage is not about doing silly things. It is about patience and not losing your mind. Hence, temperance teaches us balance — between courage and putting yourself in danger.
You cannot fight a tiger and call it courage. If you have the option to flee, then flee. That is what temperance tells us. So basically, Temperance brings balance and helps us decide if it is the right situation to show courage.
3. Justice
Being brave and finding the right balance are core virtues of Stoicism, but what about doing the right thing?
Justice is the most important virtue because everything is related to it. The main idea behind this virtue is that no one can be the best version of themselves unless they practice justice.
It is about finding the right balance, seeing things without prejudice, bringing acceptance, and refusing to accept the status quo blindly.
4. Wisdom
Now the question is — what situation calls for courage? What is the right time? What is the right amount?
To decide this, we need the fourth virtue: wisdom. It is the real boss that is responsible for all. Even if we have all three virtues but not wisdom, we will be confused. Wisdom helps us apply all virtues correctly.
Stoicism and Indian Philosophy
As we understand, Stoicism teaches us to take challenges as opportunities and overcome them to find ourselves.
Also, in Stoicism, there are four virtues which teach us to do the right thing, in the right amount, at the right time using our wisdom.
Similarly, in Indian philosophy, there is the Concept of Illusion (Maya). It says all pain and pleasure are an illusion — they arise from defective knowledge. Ancient Indian philosophical teachings and scriptures are widely preserved by organizations like Vedanta Society.
Thus, Indian philosophy introduces the Concept of Vivek or Buddhi (Intellect), which teaches us to think beyond mind and body, beyond emotions arising from pain or pleasure.
That is why, after taking a deep dive into both philosophies, I have made 5 steps which will help us to take any difficult situation normally and deal with it properly.
5 Steps to Handle Failure Gracefully
1. Differentiate what is in your control
The first step is to learn to differentiate between what is under your control and what is not.
Any action is delayed because we are confused about what is in our control. Simply wishing will not make us stronger. For example, I may wish to exercise and eat healthy, but my influence is only on action, not on wishing. Wishing is just a mental game that gives pseudo-pleasure without effort.
2. Practice misfortune
It doesn’t mean thinking negatively. It simply means living a basic life once in a while — once a week or a few days a month.
This helps you understand what is actually needed and the difference between need and desire.
The worst part of comfort is that it is addictive. It is not a need; it is a desire — and desire is the root cause of suffering. So basically, practice what you fear, because the downside is usually reversible or temporary.
3. Train perceptions
This means what we choose is what we experience.
If we don’t choose to be harmed, we won’t be harmed. Suppose someone dear hurts you — you may feel angry or disappointed, but the situation is actually guiding you towards virtues like patience and forgiveness. Nothing is an obstacle — everything is an opportunity. We just need to flip our perspective.
4. Take the view from above
Whatever the situation, for better understanding and decision-making, take a step back and look at it from a broader perspective. See the situation as a whole, not just from your personal viewpoint. This helps you make decisions that are good not just for you, but for everyone.
5. Love of fate
This is a very beautiful concept.
Do not seek things to happen the way you want. Instead, wish that whatever happens, happens the way it happens. Reality usually does not hurt us as much as our imagination or expectations do. So we should love our fate and keep moving forward, doing hard work and good deeds. Loving your fate never means becoming lazy or not doing anything — it is not the case; hence, trust your fate and keep doing your work with honesty.
Basically, the gist of this blog is that we can make our life wholesome just by practicing a few virtues of Stoicism and Indian Philosophy; it is not something that is in a trial phase; this has been used by many great People from History like Marcus, Washington, etc.; hence, start practicing and improving the quality of your life.