Vrei o minte de nenvins?

ncerc filosofia stoic

Membrii unei micri cu cap de peste balt (1) redau via a strvechii gndiri
stoice asociind-o cu psihologia modern pentru a ntri capacitatea de resisten
a minii. Ideile lor rein o promisiune fascinant pentru lumea afacerilor i
guvernele care abordeaz probleme globale n lumea turbulent de dup
recesiune.
Sptmna aceasta (2), liderii micrii au sponsorizat ceea ce ei au numit
Sptmna stoic, pentru a arta cum mpra ii i rzboinicii din epocile apuse
pot s ne ofere principii eterne, convingtoare, principii pe care liderii de astzi
pot s le foloseasc pentru a rmne calmi n agonia unor mprejurri potrivnice
sau n mijlocul unui succes ameitor.
Cond Nast, directorul executiv al companiei Jonathan Newhouse, jur c
filosofia stoic este esenial pentru echilibrul su interior n mijlocul unei industrii
puternic axate pe aspectul exterior. Fostul primar al oraului Vancouver, Sam
Sullivan, spune c stoicismul i-a dat puterea s ias din depresie, atunci cnd n
urma unui accident de schi a devenit tetraplegic. Fostul preedinte Bill Clinton
(care se complcea n anumite pasiuni, mai degrab ne-stoice) a cutat, dup
unele relatri, nelepciunea stoic pe tot parcursul preediniei sale.
Gnditor proeminent din lumea afacerilor, Nassim Nicholas Taleb laud filosofia
stoic n cartea sa Antifragile: lucruri care ies n ctig din dezordine, carte
despre care, unul dintre organizatorii Sptmnii stoice, Donald Robertson
spune c a mpins muli cititori curioi ctre stoicism. Robertson, terapeut de
origine scoian i un entuziast al perioadei antice clasice, a condus un atelier
despre rezistena psihologic pentru managerii de la gigantul petrolier Shell,
numit Cum s gndeti ca un mprat roman, inspirat din viaa regelui-filosof
stoic Marc Aureliu. Viaa lui <Marc> Aureliu a ntruchipat aceste cinci idealuri
stoice eseniale:

Richard Harris n rolul mpratului roman Marc Aureliu n Gladiatorul, un mare

succes comercial al anului 2000
1. Recunoate imediat ce este n afara controlului tu.
Un lider stoic i d seama c numai gndurile i inten iile sale sunt cu adevrat
n sfera sa de control; toate celelalte sunt pn la urm incontrolabile.
Oricine se afl ntr-o poziie de lider trebuie s se mpace rapid cu paradoxul
poziiei sale i anume c liderii trebuie s exercite puterea dar c adesea foarte
multe dintre cele ce se ntmpl sunt n afara controlului lor, a declarat
Robertson revistei Forbes. Cum s acceptm limitele puterii noastre fr s
cdem n pasivitate?
Robertson spune c uneori oamenii confund stoicismul cu supunerea i
consider c aceasta este o nenelegere superficial. Elevii vechiului stoicism
aveau tendina s provin din familii bogate i cosmopolite . Muli dintre ei au
ajuns s conduc imperii sau consilierii unor mari lideri din comer sau rzboi.
Poate cineva s-mi arate un singur personaj istoric stoic care a stat fr s fac
nimic? ntreab htru Robertson, a crui carte, Stoicismul i arta fericirii: un ghid
pentru studiu individual, este prevzut s apar la nceputul anului viitor (3).
Pur i simplu nu e n firea lor s fie genul de om casnic sau pre uri de ters
picioarele.

Robertson ne-a dat ca exemplu analogia lui Cato din Utica i anume ca stoicul
este asemenea unui arca care srguincios i plin de ncredere i ascute
sgeata, ntinde arcul i trage, dar odat ce sgeata a zburat din arc trebuie s
accepte c aceasta poate fi deviat sau c inta se poate mica.
Managerii stoici depun eforturi mari s inteasc bine dar trebuie s accepte
ceea ce se ntmpl cu calm.
2. Frica, furia i celelalte emoii sunt alegeri personale, indiferent de
circumstanele exterioare

Contraamiralul James Stockdale, pilot de avion stoic n marina militar a Statelor

Unite
ntr-un articol din Harvard Business Review intitulat ntrirea rezistenei,
psihologul Martin Seligman de la Universitatea din Pennsylvania pune n discu ie

conceptul su de neputin nvat, despre oamenii care supu i unor condi ii

stresante ajung n cele din urm s se prbueasc ntr-o pasivitate total.
Neputina nvat este antiteza credinei stoice n puterea interioar.
nchis ntr-o carcer vietnamez, James Stockdale a fost torturat de ctre
oponenii si, care i-au dislocat umerii din loc, i-au sfrmat piciorul de dou ori
i i-au fracturat ira spinrii. Dup ce avionul su, apar innd marinei militare, a
fost dobort, Stockdale a fost reinut timp de apte ani de ctre cei ce l-au
capturat: mai mult de patru ani n izolare i doi ani nctu at n lan uri. Stockdale
a povestit mai trziu c dei fizic su sttea nchis ntr-o celul din Hanoi mintea
i era liber i spiritul nenfrnt. Ofier de rang nalt, Stockdale a men inut ierarhia
militar n mod clandestin printre camarazii si pilo i captura i 75 ini ial, apoi
numrul lor a crescut pn la peste 460 emi nd ordine i ridicndu-le moralul.
Eliberat la sfritul rzboiului, Stockdale a primit ulterior Medalia de Onoare cea
mai nalt distincie militar i a continuat serviciu militar ca pre edinte al
Colegiului naval de rzboi.
naintea capturrii sale, Stockdale s-a fortificat mental contra greut ilor, dup
terminarea studiilor postuniversitare la Universitatea Stanford, unde profesorul
su de filosofie i-a fcut cunotin pentru prima dat stoicii, n special cu Epictet.
Epictet le spunea studenilor si c s fii victima altuia, aa ceva nu exist, a
scris mai trziu Stockdale. Poi s fii numai victima ta nsui. Totul depinde de
cum i disciplinezi mintea.
Managerul stoic nelege c orict de haotice sunt circumstan ele ce ne
nconjoar, are putere total asupra propriilor emo ii i asupra bog iei vie ii sale
interioare.
3. Triete o via axat pe principii, nu pe bog ie, distinc ii, familie sau putere
Pentru liderul stoic, scopul nu justific mijloacele. Liderii stoici rvnesc s- i
cldeasc viaa pe fundaia celor patru virtui cardinale: n elepciunea, curajul,
temperana i justiia. Dac i cldete viaa pe orice altceva ar putea fi
dezamgit cci orice n afara acestor virtui este efemer.
Aceste valori sunt greu de practicat pe pie ele agitate ca Wall Street sau Silicon
Valley. Dar omul de afaceri stoic i d seama c dac ambi ia sa este legat de
orice altceva dect de virtuile cardinale atunci este, dup cum spunea Cleantes,
ca un cine legat de o cru i obligat s mearg oriunde merge aceasta.
Asta nu nseamn c stoicii nu se bucur de lucrurile plcute, lucruri ca
aprecierea public, dragostea sau succesul financiar; nseamn doar c le
prefer, dar nu au nevoie de ele pentru a fi fericii. Filosoful adevrat, dup
cum spunea Crates din Teba, este acela care se uit la generali i la ngrijitorii
de mgari n acelai fel.

Cltoria vieii este mai important dect orice scop material deoarece cltoria
este viaa nsi. Atunci cnd te simi prins ntr-un mediu de lucru care i cere un
comportament lipsit de etic, un maestru stoic i-ar spune c este mai bine s
demisionezi dect s stai ntr-un loc care i erodeaz angajamentul fa de
principii.
Liderul stoic face tot ce este n puterile sale dar nu i va compromite principiile n
cutarea unui succes trector.
4. Oamenii care se poart urt nu merit o reac ie emo ional din partea ta
n limbajul de azi, atunci cnd spui cuvntul stoic invoci imaginea unei om rece
i aspru precum Scrooge. Dar n mod ironic, stoicismul poate duce la o mai mare
empatie fa de cei care nu sunt stoici nelegnd c nu sunt suficient de
norocoi pentru a tri o via axat pe principii. O persoan care trateaz un
stoic n mod aspru i ipocrit demonstreaz doar c se comport precum cinele
priponit la cru a lui Cleantes. i pentru c stoicul are controlul complet asupra
rspunsului su la stimulii negativi, el alege s se deta eze emo ional atunci
cnd cineva vrea s se certe cu el.
Pentru stoici, provocarea a fost ntotdeauna s triasc ntr-o societate plin de
oameni care pn la urm ajung s sufere, deoarece pre uiesc lucrurile materiale
sau statutul social, i s nu par indiferen i fa de situa ia lor ingrat, spune
Robertson, care a scris despre legtura existent dintre terapia cognitivcomportamental i stoicism. Majoritatea terapeuilor vd foarte mult suferin
uman autoindus dar trebuie s-i men in o atitudine de n elegere empatic
chair i atunci cnd clienii par a fi cei mai mari dumani ai lor.
Stoicismul este o filosofie determinist, ceea ce nseamn c practican ii ei cred
c fiecare aciune extern este rezultatul incontrolabil al unor circumstan e care
conduc la acea aciune. Aadar, dac o persoan se poart necuviincios e din
cauza a ceva disfuncional din interiorul ei, care declan eaz acel comportament;
i asta este n afara controlului stoicului. Totu i, lucrurile devin complicate n
chestiuni de crim i pedeaps.
Sistemul judiciar ar trebui s trateze infractorii ca i cum ace tia s-ar fi n elat n
mod stupid cu privire la cele mai importante lucruri din via , spune Robertson.
n principal, ar trebui s caute doar s-i reabiliteze i s-i educe sau poate s-i
descurajeze s fac ru, dar nu s-i pedepseasc de dragul rzbunrii, ceea ce
stoicii ar vedea ca pe un rspuns nesbuit i gre it dat celor care comit
nedrepti. Ne face la fel de ri ca i pe ei.
Liderul stoic rmne imperturbabil n fa a abaterilor ira ionale ale celorlal i. El nu
exagereaz iar atunci cnd este jobul lui s ia msuri orice sanc iune pe care o
ia contra autorului caut s remedieze disfunc ia ce st n spatele actului mai
degrab dect s aplice o pedeaps orbe te.

5. Mediteaz zilnic pentru a nsuflei angajamentul tu de a duce o via axat pe

principii
Fiecare zi este un nou nceput iar stoicul i limpeze te mintea prin lectur sau
cugetnd la filosofia stoic, proces pe care unii l numesc igien cognitiv sau
catharsis. n fiecare diminea, acest proces i revitalizeaz i i reaminte te de
principiile stoice. n fiecare sear l ajut s identifice gre elile fcute i s se
simt n mod sntos mndru de realizrile sale demne de laud.
Ceea ce este fascinant n aceast nou ncercare de a ridica stoicismul din praful
antichitii i de a-i reda viaa este faptul c smulge stoicismul din domeniul
teoretic i l aduce n lumea real. i n mod inten ionat, de vreme ce Epictet i
ceilali nelepi stoici i nvau pe discipolii lor c filosofia este un mod de via ,
nu doar un exerciiu academic.
n cartea sa, intitulat Filosofia pentru via i alte situaii periculoase , scriitorul
britanic Julian Evans a adunat interviuri cu figuri proeminente ale stoicismului
modern care ntruchipeaz i dau via acestor nobile idealuri. De asemenea,
organizatorii Sptmnii stoice, inclusiv Evans i profesorii de la Universitatea
din Exeter, universitate situat undeva n sud-vestul Londrei la o distan de trei
ore, i-au ncurajat pe cei peste 2 000 de participan i s triasc ca un stoic
pentru o sptmn. Organizatorii au realizat nregistrri ale medita iilor i un
ndreptar de 38 de pagini despre cum s faci asta.
mpratul <Marc> Aureliu i reprezenta stoicul ca pugilist, nu ca spadasin.
Arma spadasinului se ia i se las. Aceea a pugilistului face parte din el. Tot ceea
ce trebuie s fac este s-i ncleteze pumnii.
Stoicismul nu cere pomp i ceremonie, aa nct poate fi practicat repede i
simplu. Practicat zilnic, dezvolt brbai i femei ale cror sisteme de aprare
mental sunt autonome i instinctuale.

Carrie Sheffield este jurnalist, deintoare a unei burse Warren T. Brookes la

Competitive Enterprise. Fost cercettoare la American Enterprise Institute cu o
burs Edward Conard, ea a scris editoriale pentru The Washington Times i a
realizat reportaje din Congresul Statelor Unite pentru Politico and The Hill.
Anterior, ea a lucrat la Moody i Goldman Sachs.
Carrie Sheffield a scris acest articol despre Sptmna stoic (2) pentru Forbes
Magazine n noiembrie 2013.
http://www.forbes.com/sites/carriesheffield/2013/12/01/want-an-unconquerablemind-try-stoic-philosophy/

Un fragment din articol a fost reprodus n iunie 2014 de Stoicism Today.

https://blogs.exeter.ac.uk/stoicismtoday/2014/06/07/1787/
Traducere realizat dup textul original din limba englez de ctre Constantin.
Toate drepturile aparin autorului articolului.

(1) Autoarea american a articolului se refer la Stoicism Today din Londra,

peste ocean. http://blogs.exeter.ac.uk/stoicismtoday/
(2) Este vorba de a II-a ediie a Sptmnii stoice care a avut loc ntre 25
noiembrie i 1 decembrie 2013. http://blogs.exeter.ac.uk/stoicismtoday/stoicweek-2013/

Want An Unconquerable Mind? Try Stoic

Philosophy
Members of a brainy movement across the pond are reviving ancient stoic thought and
coupling it with modern psychology to strengthen mental resilience. Their ideas hold
fascinating promise for business and government leaders tackling global problems in a
turbulent, post-recession slump.
This week, leaders of the movement sponsored what they dubbed Stoic Week,
showcasing how emperors and warriors of bygone eras offer compelling, timeless
principles that todays leaders can use to remain calm in the throes of adversityor in the
midst of wild success.
Conde Nast CEO Jonathan Newhouse swears stoic philosophy is key to his inner stability
amidst industries heavily focused on external appearance. Former Vancouver mayor Sam
Sullivan says stoicism empowered him out of depression after a skiing accident left him
quadriplegic. Former president Bill Clinton (who indulged in some rather un-stoic
passions) reportedly sought stoic wisdom throughout his presidency.
Prominent business thinker Nassim Nicholas Taleb praises stoic philosophy in his
Antifragile: Things That Gain from Disorder, a book that Stoic Week organizer Donald
Robertson says nudged many curious readers toward stoicism. Robertson, a Scottish-born
therapist and classics enthusiast, led workshops on psychological resilience for managers
at oil giant Shell called How to think like a Roman Emperor, based on the life of stoic
philosopher-king Marcus Aurelius. Aurelius life embodied these five core stoic ideals:

Richard Harris as Roman Emperor Marcus Aurelius in the 2000 blockbuster Gladiator
1. Immediately Recognize What Is Out Of Your Control.
A stoic leader realizes that only his thoughts and intentions are truly within his sphere of
control; everything else is ultimately uncontrollable.
Anyone in a leadership role must come to terms quickly with the paradox of their
position: that leaders must wield power but that often so much that happens lies outside
of their control, Robertson told Forbes. How do we accept the limits of our power
without slumping into passivity?
Robertson said people sometimes confuse stoicism with submissiveness, but calls this a
very superficial misunderstanding. Students of ancient stoicism tended to be sons from
wealthy, cosmopolitan families. Many went on to rule empires or advise great leaders in
commerce and war.
Can you point to a single historical stoic who sat on his hands? quips Robertson, whose
forthcoming book, Stoicism and the Art of Happiness: A Teach Yourself Guide, is due
early next year. Its just not in the nature of their philosophy to be doormats or stay-athome types.
Robertson gave an analogy by Cato of Utica that a stoic is like an archer who diligently
and confidently notches his arrow and draws his bow but must accept that once his arrow
has flown it could be blown off course or its target could move.
Stoic managers take great pains to aim well but must accept what happens with total
equanimity.

2. Fear, Anger And Other Emotions Are Personal Choices, Regardless Of Outer
Circumstances.

Rear Adm. James Stockdale, stoic Navy pilot

In a Harvard Business Review article called Building Resilience, psychologist Martin
Seligman from the University of Pennsylvania discusses his concept of learned
helplessness, when people subjected to stressful environments eventually collapse into
complete passivity. Learned helplessness is the antithesis of stoic belief in inner power.
Trapped in a Vietnamese torture camp, American James Stockdales antagonizers
wrenched his shoulders from their sockets, shattered his leg twice and broke his back.
Shot down from his Navy plane, Stockdales captors held him seven years: more than
four years in solitary confinement and two years shackled in irons.
Though his body lay captive in Hanoi prison cells, Stockdale later recounted that his
mind was free and his spirit unbroken. Through clandestine channels, Stockdale, a highranking officer, maintained chain of command among his fellow captured pilots75
initially, growing to more than 460issuing orders and boosting morale. Released at
wars end, Stockdale later won the Medal of Honor, the militarys highest award, and
served as president of the Naval War College.
Before his capture, Stockdale mentally bulwarked himself for hardship after graduate

studies at Stanford University, where a philosophy professor introduced him to the stoics,
particularly Epictetus.
Epictetus was telling his students that there can be no such thing as being the victim of
another, Stockdale later wrote. You can only be a victim of yourself. Its all in how
you discipline your mind.
A stoic manager understands that no matter what chaotic circumstances surround her, she
has total power over her own emotions and the richness of her inner life.
3. Live A Life Centered On Principles, Not Wealth, Awards, Family or Power.
For a stoic leader, the ends do not justify the means. Stoic leaders hunger for and build
their lives around four cardinal virtues: wisdom, courage, temperance and justice. If a
leader builds his life around anything elsea central theme in business guru Stephen R.
Coveys 7 Habits Of Highly Effective People he could be disappointed because
everything except these virtues is ephemeral.
Its difficult to practice these values in rough-and-tumble marketplaces like Wall Street
and Silicon Valley. But a stoic businessman recognizes that if his ambition is tethered to
anything but the cardinal virtues, hes in the words of stoic Cleanthes, like a dog tied to
a cart, and compelled to go wherever it goes.
This doesnt mean that stoics dont enjoy pleasurable things like acclaim, love and
monetary success; it means that they prefer them, but they dont require them to be
happy. A true philosopher, in the words of Crates of Thebes, is one whos looking on
generals and donkey-drivers in the same light.
The journey of life is more important than any material goal because the journey is life. If
you feel trapped in a work environment that demands unethical behavior, a stoic guru
would advise, its better to quit than stay in a place that erodes your commitment to
principle.
A stoic leader does everything in her power to succeed but will not compromise her
principles in pursuit of fleeting success.
4. People Who Misbehave Do Not Deserve An Emotional Reaction From You.
In todays lexicon, say the word stoic and youll conjure up images of a cold, harsh
Scrooge-like figure. But ironically, stoicism can lead to even greater empathy for others
who arent stoic because theyre not fortunate enough to live a principle-centered life.
Someone who treats a stoic unkindly or deviously is merely demonstrating that he or she
is behaving like one of Cleanthes tethered creatures. And since a stoic has complete
control over his response to a negative stimulus, he chooses to emotionally disengage
when someone picks a fight.

The challenge for stoics has always been to live in a society full of people who
ultimately suffer because they value material things or social status, without seeming
unsympathetic to their plight, says Robertson, whos written on the connection between
modern cognitive behavioral therapy and stoicism. Most modern therapists see a great
deal of self-inflicted human suffering but have to maintain an attitude of empathic
understanding, even when their clients appear to be their own worst enemies.
Stoicism is a deterministic philosophy, which means its practitioners believe that every
external action is the uncontrollable result of circumstances leading up to that action. So
if a person behaves rudely its because of something dysfunctional inside them that
triggers that behavior; this is out of the stoics control. However, things get dicey in
questions of crime and punishment.
A criminal justice system should treat criminals as if theyre foolishly mistaken about
the most important things in life, Robertson says. It should seek mainly to rehabilitate
and educate them, or perhaps to deter them, but not to punish for the sake of retribution,
which the Stoics would see as a foolish and vicious response to those who commit
wrongs. It makes us as bad as them.
A stoic leader remains unflappable in the face of others irrational misdeeds. He does not
overreact, and if its his job, any punitive action he takes against a perpetrator seeks to
remedy dysfunction behind the misdeed rather than meting out blind punishment.
5. Meditate Daily To Revive Your Commitment To A Principle-Centered Life
Each days a fresh start, and a stoic clears his mind through reading or pondering stoic
thought, a process that some call cognitive hygiene, or catharsis. Each morning this
rejuvenates and reminds him of stoic principles. Each night it helps him identify mistakes
and feel healthy pride in worthy accomplishments.
Whats fascinating about this new push to revive stoicism from the dusts of antiquity is
that it wrenches stoicism from theoretical realms into the real world. Its by design, since
Epictetus and other stoic sages taught that philosophy is a way of life, not just an
academic exercise.
In his book, Philosophy for Life and Other Dangerous Situations, British writer Julian
Evans compiled interviews with prominent modern-day stoics that add flesh and blood to
these lofty ideals. And organizers of Stoic Week, including Evans and professors at the
University of Exeter, some three hours southwest of London, encouraged their more than
2,000 participants to live like a Stoic for a week. They created recordings of
meditations and a 38-page handbook on how to do this.
Emperor Aurelius visualized a stoic as boxer, not fencer. The fencers weapon is picked
up and put down again. The boxers is part of him. All he has to do is clench his fist.

Stoicism doesnt require pomp and circumstance, so it can be practiced quickly and
simply. Through daily practice it develops men and women whose mental defenses are
self-sufficient and instinctual.

Carrie Sheffield is a Warren T. Brookes Journalism Fellow for the Competitive

Enterprise Institute. A former researcher for American Enterprise Institute scholar
Edward Conard, she wrote editorials for The Washington Times, covered
Congress for Politico and The Hill. In a past life, she rated healthcare bonds for
Moody's Investors Service and analyzed municipal credit risk for Goldman
Sachs.
Carrie Sheffield wrote this piece about Stoic Week (1) for Forbes Magazine in
November 2013.
http://www.forbes.com/sites/carriesheffield/2013/12/01/want-an-unconquerablemind-try-stoic-philosophy/
An excerpt from the article was reproduced on 7th Jun, 2014 by the Stoicism
Today Project.
https://blogs.exeter.ac.uk/stoicismtoday/2014/06/07/1787/