Ask Stoics source guide · Stoicism and Emotions
Stoicism Is Not Emotional Numbness
Stoicism is often misunderstood as a philosophy that advocates for emotional suppression or indifference. However, its core teachings emphasize a disciplined approach to emotions, distinguishing between what is within our control and what is not. This practice aims for tranquility and firmness, not a deadening of feeling. It is about using reason to navigate life's challenges with wisdom and virtue, fostering a robust inner life.
On this page you will get a clear explanation, a way to examine the idea, exact evidence from public-domain Stoic texts, and links for continuing the study.
Understanding Indifference
Stoicism teaches that certain things are indifferent, meaning they are neither good nor bad in themselves. This includes external circumstances and events, which are outside our direct control. The value lies in how we choose to use these indifferent things.
The proper use of indifferent things is what matters most. For example, the outcome of a dice roll is indifferent, but how one plays the game with that outcome is within one's power. This distinction is crucial for maintaining inner peace.
Sources: Epictetus, Discourses 2.5
The Role of Will
The Stoic path emphasizes that our will is within our power, and this is where true good and bad reside. We are encouraged to seek what is good and bad within ourselves, in our own choices and judgments.
By focusing on what is within our control, we can cultivate firmness and tranquility. This involves distinguishing between what belongs to us and what does not, thereby avoiding attachment to external outcomes.
Sources: Epictetus, Discourses 2.5
Distinguishing Good and Bad
Knowing the criterion for good and bad is paramount in Stoic philosophy. Just as we use sight for colors, we need a clear standard for ethical judgments. Not knowing this criterion is considered a great harm.
This criterion helps us discern what is according to nature and what is contrary to nature. It guides our actions and reactions, ensuring they align with reason and virtue, rather than being driven by unexamined impulses.
Sources: Epictetus, Discourses 1.11
Avoiding Mental Disease
Just as the body can suffer from disease, sickness, or defect, so too can the mind. A disease of the mind is a corruption of its whole state, leading to a lack of consistency and harmony.
A viciousness of the mind is described as a habit or affection that is discordant and inconsistent with itself. This state is far from the Stoic ideal of a well-ordered and rational mind.
Sources: Cicero, Tusculan Disputations 4.13
Cultivating Tranquility
The goal is to preserve firmness and tranquility without becoming negligent or rash. This balance is achieved through careful attention to our judgments and actions, rather than suppressing all feeling.
Stoicism encourages us to be careful and dexterous in how we use the circumstances life presents. This active engagement with reality is distinct from passive emotional numbness or withdrawal.
Sources: Epictetus, Discourses 2.5
The Practice of Discernment
The core practice involves distinguishing and separating things: recognizing that externals are not in our power, while our will is. This discernment is the foundation of Stoic emotional management.
By focusing on what is truly our own—our judgments and intentions—we can avoid calling anything outside our control good or bad. This prevents unnecessary distress and fosters a stable inner state.
Sources: Epictetus, Discourses 2.5
What the primary texts say
These excerpts keep their work and exact locator so you can check the claim in context rather than accepting a detached quotation.
“Things themselves (materials) are indifferent; but the use of them is not indifferent. How then shall a man preserve firmness and tranquillity, and at the same time be careful and neither rash nor negligent?”
“And yet not to know the criterion of colors and smells, and also of tastes, is perhaps no great harm; but if a man do not know the criterion of good and bad, and of things according to nature and contrary to nature, does this seem to you a small harm?” “The greatest harm (I think).””
“But a disease of the mind is distinguishable only in thought from a sickness. But a viciousness is a habit or affection discordant and inconsistent with itself…”
Frequently asked questions
Does Stoicism advocate for suppressing emotions?
No, Stoicism does not advocate for suppressing emotions. Instead, it teaches us to understand and manage our reactions to external events by distinguishing what is within our control from what is not.
Sources: Epictetus, Discourses 2.5
How does Stoicism define 'indifference'?
In Stoicism, 'indifference' refers to external things and events that are neither inherently good nor bad. Their value depends on how we choose to use them, which is within our power.
Sources: Epictetus, Discourses 2.5
What is the 'criterion of good and bad' in Stoicism?
The 'criterion of good and bad' is the standard by which we judge actions and things as being in accordance with or contrary to nature and reason. Not knowing this is considered a great harm.
Sources: Epictetus, Discourses 1.11
Can Stoicism help with mental health?
Stoicism provides a framework for cultivating mental firmness and tranquility by focusing on what is within one's control. It addresses mental 'disease' or 'viciousness' by promoting consistent, rational thought.
Sources: Cicero, Tusculan Disputations 4.13
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