Title: Stoicism Ancient Wisdom — LearnCoachAssist

Q: What is Stoicism?
A: An ancient Greek and Roman philosophy focused on virtue, reason, and equanimity in the face of fate.

Q: Who founded Stoicism?
A: Zeno of Citium, around 300 BCE in Athens.

Q: Where did Zeno teach?
A: The Stoa Poikile ("Painted Porch") in Athens — the school's name origin.

Q: What are the three branches of Stoic philosophy?
A: Logic, Physics, Ethics.

Q: What is the Stoic dichotomy of control?
A: Some things are up to us (judgments, choices); others are not (events, others' actions, the past).

Q: Who articulated the dichotomy of control?
A: Epictetus, in his Enchiridion (Manual).

Q: What is the Stoic concept of virtue?
A: The only true good; aligning thought and action with reason and nature.

Q: What are the four cardinal Stoic virtues?
A: Wisdom, courage, justice, temperance.

Q: What is wisdom (Stoic)?
A: The ability to discern good from evil and act accordingly.

Q: What is courage (Stoic)?
A: Doing what's right despite fear, pain, or risk.

Q: What is justice (Stoic)?
A: Treating others fairly and recognizing our common rational nature.

Q: What is temperance (Stoic)?
A: Self-mastery; moderation in desires and emotions.

Q: What is the Stoic goal of life?
A: Eudaimonia — flourishing or fulfillment through virtuous living.

Q: What is eudaimonia?
A: A Greek term meaning "good spirit"; living well in accordance with nature.

Q: What is "living according to nature"?
A: Aligning life with rational human nature and the rational order of the cosmos.

Q: What is logos (Stoicism)?
A: The rational principle governing the universe; the divine reason in which humans share.

Q: Who are the three major Roman Stoics?
A: Seneca, Epictetus, Marcus Aurelius.

Q: Who was Seneca?
A: A Roman senator, dramatist, and Stoic philosopher (4 BCE – 65 CE).

Q: What is Seneca's "Letters to Lucilius"?
A: A collection of moral letters explaining Stoic ideas in practical terms.

Q: What is Seneca's "On the Shortness of Life"?
A: An essay arguing life is long enough if used wisely.

Q: Who was Epictetus?
A: A formerly enslaved Stoic teacher in Greece and Rome (50-135 CE).

Q: What was Epictetus's "Discourses"?
A: Recorded lectures by his student Arrian.

Q: What is the "Enchiridion"?
A: A condensed summary of Epictetus's teachings.

Q: Who was Marcus Aurelius?
A: Roman Emperor and Stoic philosopher (121-180 CE).

Q: What is "Meditations"?
A: Marcus Aurelius's private notebook of Stoic reflections.

Q: What is the unique feature of Meditations?
A: Written for himself, not for publication.

Q: Who was Musonius Rufus?
A: A Roman Stoic teacher; Epictetus's teacher; nicknamed "the Roman Socrates."

Q: Who was Cato the Younger?
A: A Roman senator who exemplified Stoic virtue and took his life rather than submit to Caesar.

Q: What is "premeditatio malorum"?
A: Premeditation of evils — visualizing setbacks to prepare for them.

Q: What is "memento mori"?
A: "Remember you will die" — a reminder to live with awareness of mortality.

Q: What is "amor fati"?
A: "Love of fate" — embracing all that happens, even adversity.

Q: What is "view from above"?
A: Imagining oneself from a cosmic perspective to gain proportion.

Q: What is "the present moment"?
A: Stoics emphasize that we only ever live in the now.

Q: What is "the inner citadel"?
A: The mind's fortress; the one place no external can invade.

Q: What is the Stoic view of emotions?
A: Emotions arise from judgments; by changing judgments, we change emotions.

Q: What are passions (Stoic)?
A: Excessive, irrational emotions like fear, anger, lust, grief.

Q: What is apatheia?
A: Freedom from disturbing passions; not apathy but tranquility.

Q: What is ataraxia?
A: Tranquility or peace of mind.

Q: What is the difference between apatheia and apathy?
A: Apatheia is calm self-mastery; apathy is indifference and disengagement.

Q: What is "eupatheiai"?
A: "Good emotions" — joy, caution, rational wishing — that the wise can have.

Q: What is the Stoic view of death?
A: A natural part of life; not to be feared but accepted.

Q: What is the Stoic view of fame?
A: An external indifferent; pursuit of it leads away from virtue.

Q: What is the Stoic view of wealth?
A: Preferred indifferent — neither good nor bad, but how it's used matters.

Q: What is a "preferred indifferent"?
A: Externals like health, wealth, reputation that are preferable but not necessary for virtue.

Q: What is a "dispreferred indifferent"?
A: Externals like illness, poverty, obscurity that are dispreferred but not bad.

Q: What is "indifferents"?
A: Externals that don't affect virtue; the only true good or evil is in one's choices.

Q: What is "the discipline of perception"?
A: Examining and correcting our judgments about events.

Q: What is "the discipline of action"?
A: Acting with reason and for the common good.

Q: What is "the discipline of will"?
A: Accepting what cannot be changed and aligning with nature.

Q: What is the Stoic view of relationships?
A: We're social beings; cosmopolitanism — all humans share in reason.

Q: What is cosmopolitanism (Stoic)?
A: The idea that all humans are citizens of the world, bound by reason.

Q: What is sympatheia?
A: Cosmic interconnection; all things in the universe are related.

Q: What is the Stoic view of suffering?
A: Not suffering itself but our judgments about it cause pain.

Q: Who said "Men are disturbed not by things, but by the views which they take of them"?
A: Epictetus.

Q: What is "negative visualization"?
A: Imagining loss of what we have to appreciate it more.

Q: What is "the obstacle is the way"?
A: A modern phrase from Ryan Holiday; based on Marcus's "the impediment to action advances action."

Q: Who wrote "The Obstacle Is the Way"?
A: Ryan Holiday, contemporary popularizer of Stoicism.

Q: Who wrote "Meditations" in its English popular edition?
A: Various translators; Gregory Hays's is widely cited.

Q: What is the role of journaling in Stoicism?
A: Daily reflection on actions and judgments; Marcus's Meditations is the archetype.

Q: What is the Stoic morning ritual?
A: Reflect on the day ahead; remind oneself of virtue and what's up to us.

Q: What is the Stoic evening ritual?
A: Review the day's actions; what was done well, what could be improved.

Q: What is "morning premeditation"?
A: Anticipating challenges and rehearsing virtuous responses.

Q: What is "evening review"?
A: Examining the day to identify lessons and improvements.

Q: Who said "We suffer more in imagination than in reality"?
A: Seneca.

Q: Who said "You have power over your mind — not outside events"?
A: Marcus Aurelius.

Q: Who said "Wealth consists not in having great possessions, but in having few wants"?
A: Epictetus.

Q: Who said "Every new beginning comes from some other beginning's end"?
A: Seneca.

Q: What is the relationship between Stoicism and Christianity?
A: Some Stoic ideas influenced early Christian thought, especially via Seneca.

Q: What is the relationship between Stoicism and Buddhism?
A: Independent traditions but share themes of mind training, acceptance, and reducing suffering.

Q: What is the Stoic view of anger?
A: A destructive passion; to be avoided through reason and patience.

Q: What is Seneca's "On Anger"?
A: An essay analyzing and offering remedies for anger.

Q: What is the Stoic remedy for anger?
A: Pause, reframe judgments, recall human fallibility, consider consequences.

Q: What is "the view of the universe" exercise?
A: Picturing one's life in cosmic scale to gain proportion.

Q: What is "morning meditation on impermanence"?
A: Reflecting on impermanence of all things to reduce attachment.

Q: What is the Stoic view of fortune?
A: Fortune lifts and casts down; the wise are unaffected.

Q: What is "Fortune's wheel"?
A: Metaphor for the cyclical nature of luck and circumstance.

Q: What is the Stoic view of friendship?
A: Important and based on shared virtue.

Q: What is "the school of Stoa"?
A: The philosophical lineage from Zeno through Cleanthes, Chrysippus to Roman thinkers.

Q: Who was Chrysippus?
A: A major early Stoic; systematized the philosophy.

Q: Who was Cleanthes?
A: Zeno's successor as head of the Stoa.

Q: What is the role of Stoicism in Roman governance?
A: Several emperors, senators, and generals practiced Stoicism.

Q: What is the Stoic view of public service?
A: Engaging in society for the common good is a duty.

Q: What is the Stoic view of withdrawal?
A: Engagement is preferred, but contemplative withdrawal is acceptable when needed.

Q: What is the Stoic concept of "fate"?
A: Events occur by necessity; freedom is in how we respond.

Q: What is determinism in Stoicism?
A: The view that all events are causally determined; reconciled with human responsibility through choice.

Q: What is the Stoic compatibility of determinism and freedom?
A: Freedom is found in assent to or rejection of impressions.

Q: What is "assent"?
A: Agreeing with or rejecting impressions; the seat of freedom.

Q: What is "impression" (phantasia)?
A: A mental representation we either accept or reject.

Q: What is "the discipline of assent"?
A: Examining impressions before assenting to them.

Q: What is "the gap" (Frankl-like idea)?
A: The space between stimulus and response where freedom lives.

Q: What is "logos" further explained?
A: Both the divine reason and the structure of rational thought.

Q: What is the Stoic God?
A: Not personal; identified with nature or the rational ordering principle.

Q: What is pantheism in Stoicism?
A: The world itself is divine; God and nature are one.

Q: What is the Stoic afterlife?
A: Generally non-existent or absorption back into the cosmic logos.

Q: What is the role of physics in Stoicism?
A: Understanding the rational order of the universe informs ethics.

Q: What is the Stoic view of time?
A: Past is done; future is uncertain; present is where life occurs.

Q: Who is Pierre Hadot?
A: A modern scholar who emphasized philosophy as a way of life, with focus on Stoicism.

Q: Who is Donald Robertson?
A: Modern Stoic practitioner integrating with cognitive behavioral therapy.

Q: What is "Stoicism Today"?
A: A modern movement applying Stoic practices to daily life.

Q: What is "Stoic Week"?
A: An annual event practicing Stoicism deliberately for a week.

Q: What is CBT's debt to Stoicism?
A: Cognitive Behavioral Therapy emerged in part from Stoic insights into thought-emotion links.

Q: Who is Albert Ellis?
A: Founder of REBT, citing Epictetus's quote on thoughts as inspiration.

Q: What is REBT?
A: Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy; cognitive therapy with Stoic roots.

Q: What is Stoic resilience?
A: Equanimity built through mental training and aligned values.

Q: What is the Stoic approach to insults?
A: They harm only if we judge them as harmful.

Q: What is "the body's wear"?
A: Marcus's reminder that the body deteriorates; only the soul's virtue is lasting.

Q: What is the Stoic view of pleasure?
A: Not bad in itself but not the goal; virtue alone is the goal.

Q: What is hedonism?
A: The philosophy that pleasure is the highest good; opposed by Stoicism.

Q: What is Epicureanism?
A: A contemporaneous rival philosophy emphasizing modest pleasures and friendship.

Q: What is the difference between Stoicism and Epicureanism?
A: Both seek tranquility; Stoics pursue it through virtue, Epicureans through prudent pleasure.

Q: What is Cynicism (philosophy)?
A: Antecedent of Stoicism; rejected conventions in favor of natural living.

Q: Who was Diogenes the Cynic?
A: A famous Cynic philosopher who lived in a barrel and rejected social norms.

Q: What is the link between Cynicism and Stoicism?
A: Zeno was a student of the Cynic Crates.

Q: What is Stoic ethics' foundation?
A: Virtue is necessary and sufficient for happiness.

Q: What is "virtue is sufficient for happiness"?
A: The wise person is happy regardless of fortune.

Q: What is the Stoic view of failure?
A: An opportunity for virtue; the response defines us.

Q: What is the Stoic view of success?
A: An external indifferent; gratitude and humility appropriate responses.

Q: What is "praemeditatio futurorum malorum" again?
A: Anticipating future hardships to defuse their impact.

Q: What is the difference between fear and anxiety in Stoicism?
A: Both stem from false judgments about future events.

Q: What is the Stoic view of grief?
A: A passion to be moderated; loss is natural, response is in our control.

Q: What is "kosmos" (cosmos)?
A: The ordered, beautiful, rational whole; the universe.

Q: What is the Stoic relationship to virtue ethics?
A: Stoicism is a virtue ethics tradition with unique elements.

Q: What is comparison to Aristotle's virtue ethics?
A: Aristotle saw virtue as moderation; Stoics saw virtue as sufficient for the good life.

Q: What is "the wise person" (sage)?
A: An idealized fully virtuous person; rare or impossible in practice.

Q: What is "the proficient"?
A: Someone progressing toward wisdom but not yet a sage.

Q: What is the role of practice in Stoicism?
A: Philosophy is a way of life requiring daily practice.

Q: What are Stoic exercises (askesis)?
A: Disciplines like journaling, meditation, premeditation, voluntary discomfort.

Q: What is voluntary discomfort?
A: Deliberately experiencing hardship to build resilience and gratitude.

Q: What is "love what you have"?
A: A Stoic practice of appreciating what is rather than craving what isn't.

Q: What is the role of habit in Stoicism?
A: Virtue is built through repeated virtuous actions.

Q: What is Stoic minimalism?
A: Living simply, valuing virtue over possessions.

Q: What is the Stoic view on community?
A: We are made for cooperation; rationality is shared.

Q: What is the Stoic citizenship?
A: Of the cosmos as a whole, transcending nation.

Q: What is the role of self-discipline?
A: Foundation of all virtues; controls passions and aligns with reason.

Q: What is the role of gratitude?
A: Recognizing the gifts of life; counter to dissatisfaction.

Q: What is the Stoic morning gratitude practice?
A: Listing things to be thankful for at day's start.

Q: What is the role of imagination in Stoic practice?
A: Used for premeditation, view from above, and exemplar reflection.

Q: What is "imitate the wise"?
A: Asking what an exemplar like Socrates would do.

Q: Who are common Stoic exemplars?
A: Socrates, Diogenes, Cato, Marcus Aurelius.

Q: What is "the smoke and shadow" of fame?
A: Marcus's view that fame is fleeting and unworthy of pursuit.

Q: What is the Stoic view of revenge?
A: The best revenge is to be unlike the offender.

Q: What is the Stoic view of insults?
A: "How can a man harm me with insult unless I judge it so?"

Q: What is the Stoic view of "your soul"?
A: The seat of judgment and will; the only thing fully one's own.

Q: What is the difference between body and soul (Stoic)?
A: The body is a temporary instrument; the soul is the reasoning self.

Q: What is the Stoic view of vegetarianism?
A: Some Stoics practiced it (Musonius Rufus); others didn't; not a doctrinal requirement.

Q: What is Musonius Rufus's view on diet?
A: Simple, moderate, ideally vegetarian.

Q: What is Musonius Rufus's view on marriage?
A: A partnership in virtue; equality between spouses (radical for his time).

Q: What is Musonius Rufus's view on education of women?
A: Should be educated in philosophy equally with men.

Q: What is the Stoic view on slavery?
A: Internal freedom matters more than external; some Stoics critiqued slavery, but few abolished it.

Q: What is the irony of Marcus Aurelius?
A: He was emperor but lamented the burden of power.

Q: What is "the empty room"?
A: Marcus's metaphor for stripping away externals to find what truly matters.

Q: What is the role of brevity in Marcus's writing?
A: His writing is terse, aphoristic, and immediately practical.

Q: What is the importance of context for Stoic texts?
A: Roman context shapes examples; principles remain transferable.

Q: What is the difference between ancient and modern Stoicism?
A: Modern Stoicism often emphasizes practice over metaphysics.

Q: What is "philosophy as therapy"?
A: Hadot's reading of ancient philosophy as transformative practice.

Q: What is "spiritual exercise"?
A: Hadot's term for Stoic practices aimed at transforming the self.

Q: What is the role of community in modern Stoicism?
A: Online forums, conferences, and meet-ups foster shared practice.

Q: What is "Stoicon"?
A: An annual conference of Stoic practitioners.

Q: What is "How to Be a Stoic" (Pigliucci)?
A: A modern introduction by philosopher Massimo Pigliucci.

Q: What is "A Guide to the Good Life" (Irvine)?
A: A modern Stoic primer by William Irvine.

Q: What is "The Daily Stoic"?
A: A book and project by Ryan Holiday and Stephen Hanselman.

Q: What is the role of social media in Stoicism's revival?
A: Brought ancient ideas to new audiences; risks oversimplification.

Q: What is the critique of "bro Stoicism"?
A: A simplistic, masculinist take focused on toughness, missing the philosophy's depth.

Q: What is the Stoic view of women?
A: Capable of virtue and philosophy equal to men.

Q: What is Stoic feminism?
A: Recognition that Stoic principles support gender equality (Musonius's views).

Q: What is the Stoic view of children?
A: Beloved but ultimately on loan; preparation for loss is sober love.

Q: What is "epitedeuma" (practice)?
A: Disciplined effort in pursuit of virtue.

Q: What is "the path of the wise"?
A: Lifetime cultivation; ideal rather than completed state.

Q: What is the Stoic view of progress?
A: What matters is the pursuit of virtue, not perfection.

Q: What is the difference between Stoic and ascetic?
A: Stoicism doesn't reject pleasures, only excessive attachment.

Q: What is the role of nature in Stoicism?
A: Living according to nature is the foundation; nature is rational.

Q: What is the Stoic creation story?
A: The cosmos cycles through periods of conflagration and reformation.

Q: What is "ekpyrosis"?
A: The Stoic cosmic conflagration; periodic destruction and renewal of the world.

Q: What is the role of providence?
A: Things happen for reasons within the rational order, though not always discernible.

Q: What is the relationship between Stoicism and modern psychology?
A: Strong parallels with CBT, ACT, mindfulness, and positive psychology.

Q: What is ACT?
A: Acceptance and Commitment Therapy; values-based action with acceptance of feelings.

Q: What is the parallel between ACT and Stoicism?
A: Both emphasize accepting what's unchangeable and acting on values.

Q: What is the Stoic legacy?
A: Practical wisdom for living through any era; renewed each generation.

Q: What is the takeaway of Stoicism?
A: Focus on what you can control, cultivate virtue, accept what you can't, and live now.

Q: What is the "Stoic Test" question?
A: "What would I think and do if I were the person I want to be?"

Q: What is the modern Stoic prayer (Niebuhr)?
A: The Serenity Prayer echoes Stoic dichotomy of control.

Q: What is the importance of personal application?
A: Stoicism is meant to be lived, not just studied.

Q: What is the most accessible Stoic text for beginners?
A: Epictetus's Enchiridion or Marcus's Meditations.

Q: What is the next step?
A: Try a Stoic practice today: morning premeditation, evening review, or a journaling prompt.

Q: What is the Stoic view of pain?
A: An opportunity to test virtue; bearable when judged correctly.

Q: What is "the obstacle as opportunity"?
A: A reframe of obstacles as material for virtue's expression.

Q: What is the Stoic view of injustice?
A: Recognize what is yours to fix and act with reason and courage.

Q: What is the Stoic view of luxury?
A: Not evil but not the goal; use without attachment.

Q: What is "premeditatio malorum" daily?
A: A morning exercise envisioning challenges to come.

Q: What is the Stoic view of "good luck"?
A: An external indifferent; one's response remains the only true good.

Q: What is the Stoic view of "bad luck"?
A: Same; the response shapes virtue, not the event.

Q: What is the wisdom of "this is what I expected"?
A: Reducing surprise reduces dismay.

Q: What is "the cosmic citizen" identity?
A: Belonging to humanity broader than nation or family.

Q: What is the practice of "examining impressions"?
A: Pausing before reacting to evaluate what one is judging.

Q: What is the daily Stoic question?
A: "What is in my control today, and how will I act virtuously?"

Q: What is the role of friendship in Stoicism?
A: Friendship based on shared virtue, not utility or pleasure.

Q: What is the Stoic view of conflict?
A: Engage with reason; don't return injustice with injustice.

Q: What is the Stoic view of injustice not done by oneself?
A: Recognize one's lack of control; focus on what one can change.

Q: What is "morning manifesto" practice?
A: A short statement of intentions to set the day's direction.

Q: What is the Stoic perspective on time?
A: A flowing river; we live only in the present moment.

Q: What is the Stoic value of simplicity?
A: Reduces dependence and frees attention for virtue.