Learn to Live like a Warrior of the Mind

The literal translation of “philosopher” from the Greek is a “lover of wisdom”. In other words, a philosopher is just someone who loves to learn how to live.

Stoic philosopher Epictetus says that you must train and learn a lot about how to live to get good at living. Any philosophy is then a matter of practice; one must learn how to sculpt his life. It is an essential craft for anyone who wants to learn how to live well. Indeed, one must learn how to apply philosophy to everyday life.

The Stoics saw themselves as warriors of the mind and firmly believed that one must study philosophy to put it into practice.

As penned by author Donald Robertson in his book The Philosophy of Cognitive Behavioural Therapy: in the age of stoicism, the philosopher was a real warrior of the mind, but in modern times, “the philosopher has become something more bookish, not a warrior, but a mere librarian of the mind.”

To be a veritable philosopher, you should aim to be a warrior of the mind. It does not matter if you can recite Stoic principles; you must live them in the real world.

Epictetus asks, “If you didn’t learn these things to demonstrate them in practice, what did you learn them for?”. Indeed, Epictetus believed that the primary job of philosophy was to help people effectively meet the challenges of everyday life and to deal with life’s troubles.

Anyone can study and apply philosophy, and it is authentically practised only by those who combine the study of philosophy with its application in the world aiming to a better life for all.

Stoicism must be practised to influence the world in a better way and thus demands a great deal of personal responsibility. Every decision you make must contain a moral dimension. An excellent way to practise that is to ask yourself “What’s the best way to act in this situation?” and to make choices based on your values to increase the greater good.

It is not about preaching the stoic principles; instead it is about living by a moral code. The lessons of stoicism if practised can increase your quality of life.

Stoic philosophy helps you live in the real world and face the challenges involved. You don’t learn how to apply the philosophy by reading about it, you learn about it by living it. It is a habit that is part of everyday life.

To have a life of wisdom, one must learn how to put stoic principles into practice.