Is Stoicism the New Religion?
By: Path To Manliness
Tags: Stoicism, Stoic, Masculinity, Manliness, Pathtomanliness

Stoicism, The Religion for Modern Man?

​There’s a crisis brewing in the lives of men all over the world. I discussed this briefly in my last email when I asked why men idolize Tyler Durden. Some men who have found meaning in their lives, have done so by turning to stoicism.

Now, Stoicism isn’t a religion…. or is it? Well, that’s always going to be subjective but let’s take a closer look.

Stoicism is a way of life that is taught by ancient philosophers, most notably Marcus Aurelius, Epictetus and Seneca.

For brevity sake, the core concept of stoicism is letting go of what is outside of your control and focusing your energy on what is withing your power and ability to effect. Stoicism was founded in Athens by Zeno of Citium in the early 3rd century. Stoicism is derived from the Greek word, Stoa, meaning porch. As this is where it was initially taught.

OK, so we have an ancient teaching and essentially prophets who have shared their wisdom with people through oral teaching and written word. This sounds an awful lot like a religion, even if it’s not one. And it doesn’t even have to replace religion. The two can coexist, which is more than most ideologies can accomplish. Now why is this ancient teaching seeing a resurgence in popularity?

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Modern man has a void in their lives. Many feel betrayed by religion but let’s shelve that discussion for today. This post will never end if I entertain my A.D.D. tendencies. The point is….

The disappearance of men, particularly young men in the church has created a power vacuum. Young men are lost, disillusioned and seeking something greater than materialism and vice.

Some of my writing has leaned too heavily on the problem without offering up a solution. I suppose admitting there is a problem is the first step right? But today, I offer up a solution for a problem that I see in Twitter DMs, in casual conversation and in responses on my Instagram. (Yes, men are on Instagram. Since all the girls are there, it’s become the modern bar)

Another tangent…

Back to Stoicism. Can it bring you everlasting peace, true joy and a sense of feeling complete? It’s entirely possible. But I won’t commit to that. I will say that it will bring value to your life and offer you a newfound perspective on your problems that is liberating. This can become a powerful tool to remove stress from your life.

If you’d like to learn more about Stoicism, I highly recommend this book by Ryan Holiday called The Daily Stoic. It’s a bit of a New Testament for the Modern Religion of Stoicism. It’s an easy to read book as it has a quote and short section for each day of the year. Reading the day’s section has been a part of my morning routine for years now. It helps set your day on the right path.

I have more to say on this subject but that will have to come later. So keep an eye on my blog for new a longer and more in depth post in the future. In the meantime, if you found this email interesting, let me know. And feel free to share this with a friend. And if you want more insights into masculinity and self-improvement, sign up for my free newsletter here!