Contents
Contents
- Introduction
- Contemplating death gives us meaning
- Contemplating transience reveals futility
- Acceptance creates a peace of mind
- Conclusion
Introduction
The Stoic beliefs and practices have re-emerged in the last couple of years and attracted a large following. This is for good reason, as Stoic philosophy meshes incredibly well with today’s work hard, play hard culture (perhaps it wasn’t so different back then). We’re all constantly on the move, and constantly interacting with others in such a massively over-connected world, so it’s hard to remain firmly grounded without a strong philosophical foundation in place. Well, Stoicism is here to help.
Stoicism is School of Philosophy that originated with Zeno of Citium in the 3rd Century BCE. The Stoics believed that virtue is essential to living the good life, and that life is lived virtuously when lived in harmony with nature. Stoicism advocates a life that is minimalistic and practical. This is also one of the reasons as to why Stoicism is so popular in today’s complex world.
The concept of Memento Mori is a staple of the Stoic School of Philosophy. Translated from Latin, it means ‘remember that you have to die’. It sounds morbid, but it has proven an effective concept. The Stoics were able to put this concept to great use, and the teachings regarding Memento Mori are still relevant and used globally, even today.
In this week’s post, I’ll highlight three ways the Stoics used Memento Mori to live a life of virtue.
Contemplating death gives us meaning
Ever since the dawn of humanity, the concept of death has captivated us. This is backed up by the numerous rituals, practices, and beliefs that surround death and are present in virtually every culture in the world.
The Stoics used the gravity of death as a source of motivation. The Stoic’s reflection on death served as the impetus to try and live life to the fullest. It is this reflection upon death that represents the core principle of memento mori.
As such, the Stoics would meditate upon the inevitability of death and the brevity of life. Invariably, this practice is a great tool in coming to terms with the most fundamental principle of life: you will die one day.
Truly understanding what it means to be mortal (and this can only be done with use of frequent reminders), allows us to understand the unique opportunity that has been presented to us with our gift of life.
It is natural to question our behaviours and practices when we are presented with a conclusive end in sight. This is the same reason that impels us to become more philosophically (and spiritually) inclined as we age.
The practice of Memento mori forced the Stoics to question their actions considerably earlier, so that the wisdom gained could be used as a means to calibrate one’s actions with the ideal of living a virtuous life.
In Marcus Aurelius’ immortal words:
“Do not act as if you were going to live ten thousand years. Death hangs over you. While you live, while it is in your power, be good.”
Contemplating transience reveals futility
To the Stoics, virtue and character were intricately tied up. The Stoics valued a good character more than fame and riches. One’s character, that is, the collection of moral and mental traits that define an individual’s consciousness, is at the centre of Stoic beliefs. Deliberate virtuous acts are necessary to develop a good character.
The Stoics believed that virtue is attained through self-mastery, another coveted end-point of the Stoics. Everything that stood in the way of achieving self-mastery was considered to be an impediment to the Stoic’s philosophy and therefore a vice. It’s for this reason that the Stoics rejected what the common people valued. This was further reflected in the Stoic’s detachment (apatheia) from the material world.
The act of memento mori proved a worthwhile tool to reinforce the Stoic’s apatheia. To contemplate death is to appreciate the transience and futility of worldly things and matters.
Fame, wealth, status, and one’s desires, these all represented transient worldly things seeking to ensnare man and bring him down. The virtuous Stoic refuses to be swayed by such influences and instead pursues the path of lasting virtue and goodness, resisting such temptations.
Acceptance creates a peace of mind
The Stoics actively engaged in visualising the sweeping impact that death may have on one’s life. As such, they engaged in a technique that is still relevant today: negative visualisation.
Negative visualisation consisted of the practicing Stoic imaging an adverse scenario to befall him. Such scenarios could range from a minor inconvenience such as giving up a pleasure, to a colossal tragedy such as losing a loved one. The key was to really live the moment and to experience the sense of loss that one would feel if it were to really happen.
The purpose of this morbid practice is similar to the purpose of modern exposure therapy. If the mind is gradually exposed to a repetitive stimulus (such as an adverse event) it will eventually become desensitised to the emotional upset that might occur as a result of said event.
The Stoics used this technique to form a mental bulwark against the possibility of emotional upset. This was a great technique to reinforce their apatheia. Through practice, experienced Stoics were able to maintain a great tranquility of mind, and remain unperturbed in the face of fear and anxiety. Indeed, this was a key principle to remain on the path to virtue, and hence, to living the good life that the Stoics valued so greatly.
Conclusion
The advent of the Stoicism proved a valuable addition to the collection of philosophies originating in the Greco-Roman world. The practices that the Stoics praised: self-mastery, exercising good judgment, and the detachment from the passions are practices that are still (if not more) relevant in today’s increasingly complex world. It’s no surprise, then, that the practices of the Stoics are still popular today.
By understanding and applying the Stoic’s practices that envelop the concept of memento mori, we can greatly improve several aspects of our everyday life. Indeed, to live the good life as the Stoics envisioned, it is imperative that we take time to reflect upon the transience of our life to see what truly matters to us.
Enjoyed this post? Why not sign up to our newsletter to have fortnightly philosophical insights sent directly to your inbox!
Simply enter your email address in the subscription box below.
