Stoicism: Is it bad to be too Stoic?

Yes, I follow Stoicism principles since it effectively reduces stress and makes me live a happier life. However, I am also open-minded to check other philosophies and their arguments against Stoicism. There are many counter-arguments to Stoicism that say that this philosophy might be bad for us. But is it bad to be a Stoic?

It is bad to be a Stoic if you took Stoicism in the wrong way. Unlike what most believe, Stoicism is not about completely repressing people’s emotions. Stoics still feel emotions and what separates them from others is that they learned how to react appropriately to emotions. Real Stoics accept emotions instead of trying to repress them.

One of the things I love about Stoicism is that they value freedom. This means they believe that everyone has the right to choose what’s best for them. Thus, I see Stoicism as a guide for happiness that isn’t strict with iron-clad rules. In this blog post, I will introduce you to arguments against Stoicism and what makes Stoicism good. Then, we will see this in an open mind so that you can use your freedom to choose whether Stoicism fits you or not.

Is it bad to be Stoic?

Contrary to what most will say, Stoicism is not about removing emotions.

Since we all experience emotions, we should understand that we cannot remove them completely.

Since one of the core principles of Stoicism is to accept things outside their control, this means that they should also accept emotions.

Instead, Stoicism is trying to remove sources of negative emotions by removing things we can’t control.

For example, since we can’t control what others think, it is better not to expect from others.

Instead of relying on others to fix our lives, we should rely on ourselves because we can control how we act based on our environment.

The problem here and why Stoicism can be wrong is that this can lead to isolation issues.

Since Stoics believe that they shouldn’t expect from anyone, they might tend to only work on themselves without thinking of other people.

This can lead to isolation issues which are bad for us.

We are social creatures, and we thrive by communicating and socializing with other people.

If we take Stoicism seriously, we forget to socialize since we can’t control other people’s reactions, then the tendency to completely isolate ourselves from society is high.

This leads to problems with relationships and connecting with others.

Going back to reacting appropriately to emotions, Stoics should not completely remove their emotions because that is like fighting a losing battle.

It is close to impossible for us to act 100% rationally every time. There will always be times where we will be emotional. Our emotions make us humans. We aren’t robots to be 100% logical.

Furthermore, benefiting from Stoicism depends on the person. If the person wants to change things in this world, maybe try to be less Stoic.

Many Stoics just accept changes the way it is since they believe they can’t do something about it.

The problem here is that if you have some big goals and you think you can’t do them, then you might give up without even trying.

But if you want the challenge and the dream to do something big, then go for it.

However, if you’re overwhelmed with problems, try to shift your thinking back to Stoicism for your wellbeing.

The benefit of Stoicism is that it gives us more resilience when times are tough.

When we feel we can’t handle the things going on in our lives, we have Stoicism to have some break.

Since Stoicism is about understanding that there are things we can’t control, it offers a coping mechanism for us to see ourselves as someone who is not perfect.

Stoicism is accepting that we aren’t perfect.

Thus, there needs to be a balance.

If we take Stoicism to an extreme level, it cannot be good for us. However, if we completely remove Stoicism from our lives, it can lead to too much stress.

The balance depends on the person. If the person has a lot of dreams and trusts that they can do it, then try to act on it even if it seems impossible.

However, if it reaches a point where you can’t do anything anymore, then try to balance it out by accepting there are things you can’t control.

This means that a proper approach and balance are keys to being a Stoic.

In the next section, I am going to explain why it is okay to be a Stoic.

Is it okay to be Stoic?

It is okay to be a Stoic because it provides us a way to be resilient when times are tough. It also teaches us that we can control aspects of happiness, and we should focus on them. Overall, Stoicism is a good way for us to have a coping mechanism to have a positive view of life.

Stoicism is good since it allows us to handle things on our own, which includes our happiness.

Please take note that there are things outside our control that can affect our happiness.

One common thing is comments from others.

With social media, everyone can comment on our reactions, looks, and many more.

By following Stoicism, you will begin to understand that we can’t control those things. Thus, you will not care for others’ comments of you leading to a peaceful life.

Thus, Stoicism builds our resiliency, especially when times are tough. It helps us learn to accept our limitations as human beings.

Furthermore, since you can’t control others, you take matters into your hands.

You will start finding out what makes you happy. For example, what activity makes you happy and would focus on them instead of relying on things we can’t control.

With all of these, Stoicism becomes an excellent coping mechanism that will give you a positive outlook on life.

However, as I already said, proper balance is vital. There are things we believe we can’t do something about, but with effort, we can.

Some things are happening in this world which we should care about. It’s a fact.

That’s why a balance is needed.

You can be Stoic while having sentiments, personality, emotions, a sense of humor, and extroversion.

We should remove the belief that you should be 100% Stoic. Stoicism is a guide for resiliency and not an iron-clad rule.

What is wrong with being Stoic?

What’s wrong with being a Stoic is that we should not see Stoic philosophy as a sole guide for happiness. We can’t act 100% rational all the time. People will always feel the emotion and repressing them is not a good idea. As with everything in life, proper balance is key.

Looking at stoic as the sole source is wrong. Instead, we should find what fits us, like how the early stoics valued freedom.

As discussed earlier, we can follow Stoic virtues for happiness, but we should also understand that we can follow what works for us.

You need to have the right blend. But, again, it’s a matter of individuality.

We should all have some stoic traits, but that doesn’t mean we should be 100% stoic.

Always remember that you can use Stoicism to cope up with hard times. But there are also times where we need to show courage and try instead of not thinking about our dreams.

Use your freedom to choose what’s best for you. Manage your life and take things into your own hands like Stoic. This alone is one of the biggest reasons to try Stoicism.