All of humanity aims to live life happily and satisfactorily. In the last hundred years, various researches have been carried out to solve people's unrest, anxiety and fears. There are many approaches to finding a solution in Psychology, which is the branch of science that studies human emotions and behavior. Although the ways and methods are different, the absolute aim has always been to prevent negative emotions and thoughts that prevent people from being happy.
Aurelius, one of the greatest and most important emperors of Rome, during his approximately 20-year rule, on the one hand, took care of his children. While coping with his death, he also derives his determination to manage wars from Stoicism. Aurelius says, “If an external factor upsets you, the pain you feel comes not from the thing itself, but from the value you attach to it. You have the power to lift it at any time."
Epictetus, who was born as a slave in a Greek village in Anatolia, said, "It is not the events themselves that disturb people, but their perspective on those experiences." Der.
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, which is the most effective and accepted approach today, says, "The reason for our emotions and behaviors that occur in certain situations is not the events we experience, but our thoughts about those events and the meanings we attribute to them." defends his angle.
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy is Rational Emotion Therapy developed by Albert Ellis, an American psychologist, in the mid-50s. The philosophical roots of RDT date back to the Stoic school, Epictetus and Markus Aurelius. Of course, it is not a coincidence that the discourses of Aurelius and Epictetus thousands of years ago and the CBT approach that emerged in the mid-50s overlap so much. The common perspective of these people, whose lives are full of various pains and struggles, is not Pollyannaism but a Rational perspective.
In addition, happiness and pain are things that occur in the natural flow of life. According to Stoicism, to achieve happiness it is necessary to live in accordance with nature. As Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) emphasizes, sometimes it is necessary to realize, accept and embrace instead of fighting against the flow of life and rowing against the current. ACT, live like Stoic philosophy It aims to add meaning to life even during difficult times, to live in harmony with the flow of nature and to increase Psychological Flexibility. On the other hand, when we consider the exile and turbulent life of the Roman thinker and statesman Seneca, his style of struggle and the meanings he attributed to life remind us of the Austrian-born psychotherapist Victor E. Frankl. After years of exile in Nazi camps, Frankl is one of the few people who survived the camp alive and in good health. One of the things he noticed in the Nazi concentration camp was the idea that there could be a choice in every situation. He stated that even in the worst situations people experience, spiritual freedom and independence are hidden somewhere within us.
Therefore, when I evaluate it from a professional perspective and as a result of the experiences I have gained in my own life, I see that Stoic Philosophy has shed light on us since ancient times for humanity to live happily and satisfactorily. I think that 21st century people, who often experience feelings of helplessness and anxiety, need this perspective more.
I hope you look at your life through Stoic eyes..
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