Stoicism is a philosophy that’s seeing a massive popular revival, and for good reason. The lifestyle it promotes, one of simplicity, introspection and control, can be massively helpful when it comes to navigating the modern world, one which is increasingly fraught with uncertainty and material instability.
As Stoicism is becoming increasingly popular, people are becoming more and more interested in the benefits of the lifestyle that it encourages - read on to discover some of the benefits of choosing to live simply, and also make sure that you check out stoic quotes by Marcus Aurelius for further insights into this fascinating approach to modern living.
It reduces the focus on materialism
Our lives have become defined, to a worrying extent, by the things that we own. In an increasingly materialistic society, it can be difficult to escape the grip that possessions are starting to have on our lives - luckily, Stoicism can provide a helping hand here.
By living a simple lifestyle, we can reduce our focus on the perceived importance of possessions when it comes to our happiness, focusing instead on our internal lives. When our homes aren’t stuffed full of things we don’t need, we become less distracted, able to focus on our emotional wellbeing and other important things.
You can focus on your actual needs
Living a simple life means taking a step back and focusing on what you actually need to be happy.
That change in perspective can mean that you no longer hanker after a sports car, no longer think about saving up for an expensive watch.
Instead, we realise that once our basic needs of food and shelter are met, what leads to happiness is a lot simpler than the things we can buy.
We focus on our health, our relationships with friends and family, our creative outlets - all the things that can easily be ignored in a fast paced modern environment.
Sustainable happiness
Stoicism and the simple lifestyle that it promotes are both centred around achieving happiness internally. Once you accept that ‘things’ won’t lead to happiness and a true sense of fulfilment, you can start working on achieving internal happiness.
That happiness, called eudaimonia by the Ancient Greeks, can’t be repossessed like a car or house can - it’s absolutely yours and does not depend on the world around you. Achieving this kind of internal, sustainable happiness is an incredibly powerful thing, and will set you up for life.
Stop caring so much
A significant result of living a simple lifestyle is relearning what you should care about. Certain things deserve our concern and attention, but not nearly as many as we might think.
In the modern world, during the course of our day we’re constantly bombarded with news items and social media posts that claim to deserve our utmost attention.
Most of it does not deserve even looking at; Stoicism and simple living promote caring only about that which we can, and will, change.
Once we accept this, we find our lives filled with significantly less worry, in turn making life a happier, more care free experience.
