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Anderson, Kare. “Five Reasons Why Stoicism Matters Today.” Forbes, Forbes Magazine, 30 Sept. 2012, www.forbes.com/sites/kareanderson/2012/09/28/five-reasons-why-stoicism-matters-today/.
There are multiple contributors to this article but they basically explain why stoicism is taught. To start off the article they explained to us how politicians tend to not “wear their emotions anywhere other than on their sleeve. Specifically they stated,”Most public figures are all outward passion, all backslapping, bear hugs, and (when the occasion calls for it) barely repressed tears cool on the outside” is something Americans rarely see in a politician”. Considering stoicism influenced a lot of political leaders in the past, its teachings were bound to spread across the world. Stoicism was created at a time when the world was falling apart. These teachings helped people find their peace of mind and find happiness no matter the situation that arises. Stated in the second margin,”Stoicism tells us that no happiness can be have if it’s rooted in changeable, destructible things. Our bank accounts can grow or shrink, our careers can prosper or falter, even our loved ones can be taken from us”. This practice was also the first Western philosophy to preach universal brotherhood meaning anyone could practice this no matter your race,sex, or religion. In the grand scheme of things stoicism can benefit everyone on earth.
As society continues to increasingly evolve, so should our ideologies. Stoic teachings can be linked to the reason why most things happened the way the have. These teachings were even used during war times as stated in the article,”Stockdale spent more than seven years in a Vietnamese prison, and he wrote that Stoicism saved his life. Stockdale had spent years studying Stoic thought before deploying, and he drew on those teachings to endure his captivity”. If an imprisoned soldier was able to use the teachings to push through solitude, I’m certainly positive anyone can benefit from it. This is a wonderful article for those who wonder why stoicism has continued since 300 BCE (before the common era) until now in the present time. We’ve all had times or just bad days in general. But that’s a part of life it all depends on your reaction and what you decide to do next. One swallow does not make a spring”(meaning just because one good day happens that won’t make a person entirely happy)a remark found in Aristotle’s Nicomachean Ethics. Everyone has a fortress inside of them but it won’t hold up if you don’t mentally train to stay indifferent from what happens on the outside.