How to Think Like a Roman Emperor: The Stoic Philosophy of Marcus Aurelius

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Indeed, CBT and Stoicism have some fundamental psychological assumptions in common, particularly the “cognitive theory of emotion,” which holds that our emotions are mainly determined by our beliefs.

However, the Cynic and Academic schools were often seen as representing fundamentally different assumptions about what it means to be a philosopher. In How to Think Like a Roman Emperor, cognitive psychotherapist Donald Robertson weaves the life and philosophy of Marcus Aurelius together seamlessly to provide a compelling modern-day guide to the Stoic wisdom followed by countless individuals throughout the centuries as a path to achieving greater fulfillment and emotional resilience.He urges his son to bring them to a satisfactory conclusion by assuming personal command of the army, pursuing the remaining enemy tribes until they surrender, and overseeing the complex peace negotiations currently underway. Stories about the life of Marcus Aurelius provide a human face for the philosophy and will furnish us with practical examples of Stoic strategies and techniques. As it happened, I wasn’t old enough to become a Freemason, and with my reputation around town I wouldn’t have been invited to join anyway. It involves picturing events as though seen from high overhead, as they might be seen by the gods atop Mount Olympus, perhaps. It allowed us to consider the example set by famous philosophers and whether or not they provide good role models.

The Meditations provides a window into his soul, allowing us to see how he guided himself through it all. He wants those gathered to remember their own mortality, to accept its implications, grasp its significance, and live wisely, so he whispers, “Why do you weep for me instead of thinking about the plague … and about death as the common lot of us all?Emperor Nero, by contrast, was less tolerant of political dissent from philosophers, and he executed both Thrasea and Seneca. Even today it’s not unusual for a client in therapy to arrive at the paradoxical revelation that losing their job may turn out to be the best thing that ever happened to them.

They are natural reflex reactions, our first reactions before we escalate them into full-blown passions. However, these healthy emotions aren’t entirely under our control, and we’re not always guaranteed to experience them, so we shouldn’t confuse them with virtue, the goal of life. After studying philosophy in Athens for about two decades, Zeno founded his own school in a public building overlooking the agora known as the Stoa Poikile, or “Painted Porch,” where he used to vigorously pace up and down as he discoursed on philosophy.Indeed, Seneca, as we’ll see, noted the paradox that before we can exhibit the virtues of courage and moderation, we need to have at least some trace of fear and desire to overcome. The NFL executive and former New England Patriots coach Michael Lombardi embraced it, and the philosophy began to gain more and more adherents from the world of sports. Being emotionally tough or resilient is just one small part of that philosophy, and lowercase stoicism neglects the entire social dimension of Stoic virtue, which has to do with justice, fairness, and kindness to others.

According to legend, Socrates was the first person to apply the philosophical method to ethical questions. Like Marcus, Pompeianus believes the enemy will view it as a cowardly retreat and gain confidence for future uprisings; the Senate will view it as incompetence.It was as though I had an itch at the back of my brain that I needed to scratch but couldn’t quite reach. It’s closely based on ideas presented in The Meditations of Marcus Aurelius, although I’ve paraphrased his words to turn them into a longer account that’s deliberately intended to evoke mental imagery and a more elaborate contemplative experience. Then she said something else: “ Tell me that story again,” because she wanted to continue to think about it. They would describe how they were able to remain exceptionally calm while contemplating their situation in life from a detached perspective. However, it can also be a bad thing if it becomes so pedantic or overly “academic” that it diverts us from the pursuit of virtue.