stoic

Stoic refers to adherents of Stoicism, a school of Hellenistic philosophy founded in Athens in the early 3rd century BCE. The name derives from the stoa (porch) where Zeno of Citium and his followers taught, notably the Painted Porch of the Agora.

Stoicism holds that the highest good is virtue and that living in accordance with nature and reason leads to eudaimonia. Virtue is sufficient for happiness; external things—wealth, health, reputation—are indifferent. The four cardinal virtues are prudence, justice, courage, and temperance. Emotions are seen as the result of mistaken judgments about appearances, and one cultivates apatheia, a freedom from destructive passions, through rational discipline.

Practices include the dichotomy of control, distinguishing what is within one's power from what is not; daily reflection on thoughts and actions; and exercises such as the premeditatio malorum (premeditation of adversity) and habituation through consistent practice.

Historically, early Stoics include Zeno of Citium, Cleanthes, and Chrysippus; later Roman Stoics include Seneca, Epictetus, and Marcus Aurelius. Their writings influenced Roman ethics, Christian thought, and later Western philosophy. The school declined in late antiquity but influenced Renaissance humanism and modern interest in rational self-government and resilience. In modern times, Stoic ideas have influenced cognitive-behavioral therapy and secular approaches to resilience and ethics.

In contemporary usage, "stoic" often means enduring hardship without visible emotion, a sense that sometimes diverges from original Stoic aims of rational management of emotions and social duties. Critics argue Stoicism may neglect social engagement or suppress legitimate feelings, while supporters see value in resilience and moral clarity.