Philosophy Instead of Psychotherapy: What Can We Learn from the Stoics

[jisansorkar12]

American cognitive psychotherapist Donald Robertson is sure that philosophy is necessary for modern man no less than for ancient man. Following the philosophy of Stoicism, we can achieve an effect similar to psychotherapy and make our life harmonious and conscious.

In the book "Think Like a Roman Emperor", Robertson talks about true Stoicism using the example of the life of Marcus Aurelius, who ruled Rome in the 2nd century AD and is considered the last ancient Stoic. The book, published by the Eksmo publishing group , will be useful for those who are going through difficult times, have psychological problems, want to learn to control their lives and become happier.

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Cover of the book 'Think Like a Roman Emperor'

How to stop being afraid
The first Stoics, who lived in the 3rd century BCE, believed that we can only control what happens inside us, so we must fight our vices and cultivate virtues. They believed that we should not worry about external phenomena, because they are beyond our control. The main thing is to remain ourselves.

The ancient world was dangerous and cruel. Stoics saw misfortunes every day: people died of hunger, epidemics, and wars. This became part of their meditative practices – they learned to look at tragic events with relative indifference. The highest goal of the Stoics was to remain calm and show wisdom in the face of mortal danger. If Marcus Aurelius was upset or frightened by certain events, he reminded himself that “this is not a misfortune, but a happy opportunity to endure it nobly.”

After the sudden death of Lucius in 169 CE, Marcus Aurelius was forced to take sole command of thousands of troops on the Danube during the First Marcomannic War. At the time, he was a physically weak old man with little military experience. His soldiers did not trust him. However, Marcus overcame his fear, seeing in the situation an opportunity to strengthen his own stoic steadfastness. A few years later, he became a strong, experienced commander, idolized by his soldiers.

Stoics are able to maintain joy in their hearts, even in terrible conditions and surrounded by enemies. Two fundamental principles of Stoicism helped Marcus Aurelius achieve inner peace:

1. Everything we see changes. You can remain calm in the midst of chaos and not be afraid of bloody bodies during a battle if you believe that sooner or later this will change.

2. External things cannot touch the soul, because all our worries are born inside us. Tsunami, death, hunger are not scary in themselves, but because of what we think about them.

These principles form the basis of psychological techniques for getting rid of fear.

1. Cognitive distancing technique
We can use it in real situations (when we see something scary) or when we are immersed in imaginary circumstances (when we are afraid of the future). The technique is very simple: we remind ourselves that it is not the events themselves that really upset us, but our assessments of these events. In this way, we separate ourselves from the source of fear.

Catch spontaneous thoughts that scare you.
Fix them on the board and then step back and look at them from a distance.
Say to yourself: “Now I notice that I think…”
Say the same thing in the third person: “Andrey thinks...” – as if you are studying someone else’s thoughts and beliefs.
Think about how often you have thoughts like these.
Reflect on the pros and cons of your decision from a distance.
Try to look at the situation from a different angle, through the eyes of another person. Ask yourself questions: "What would Marcus Aurelius think in my place if he got into an accident?", "How will I feel about the same events in a year, three, ten?"