Wisdom or prudence can be gathered through learning, discussion and trial and error. The wise man is able to offer himself good counsel. As Seneca says:
A man with white hair and wrinkles hasn’t lived long – he has just existed long.
Your time is valuable, and it is the only thing that you cannot ever get back. Therefore, one must develop oneself. The Stoics believed that the person who has achieved perfect consistency in the operation of his rational faculties, the “wise man,” is extremely rare, yet serves as a prescriptive ideal for all. Progress toward this noble goal is both possible and vitally urgent.
Wisdom, for Stoics, can be referred to the nature of the good (virtue) and bad (vice), things that are indifferent (which neither benefit nor harm) and knowing how to act appropriately under different circumstances.
In essence, it is to understand the most important things in life, closely related to the meaning of the word “philosophy”: the love of wisdom.
Alienation from our fate is a common theme in the Stoic literature and is often marked by frustration. The Stoics practice amor fati, the love of fate, embracing whatever happens in one’s life.
To take ownership of our fate, we need to understand the indifferent nature of the external reality and to live in harmony with events beyond our control.
Following these four virtues: courage, justice, temperance and wisdom, we can avoid the trap of becoming inner slaves to our vices.
These are the virtues that the Stoics live by on a daily basis to improve their lives and the lives of people surrounding them, applying them on each and every situation that they find themselves in, ultimately it is a philosophy that teaches us the Art of Living.
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The Four Stoic Virtues | Stoicism as The Art of Living
This video focuses on the four stoic virtues: courage, justice, temperance, and wisdom. Stoicism is a philosophy most popularly associated with Seneca, Epictetus, and Marcus Aurelius.
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We recently finished our Ethics Week at my college. I spoke of the four virtues to my students. I enjoyed your series on them. To me, they are the best way to discuss ethics as opposed to utilitarian methods.
Awesome! That’s amazing. Great you found them useful.