The Stoic Challenge

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Ancient Stoic insights combined with modern psychological research help us overcome—and even benefit from—everyday obstacles. Some people bounce back in response to setbacks; others break. We often think that these responses are hardwired, but fortunately this is not the case. Philosopher William B. Irvine combines key lessons from the ancient Stoics— thinkers including Marcus Aurelius and Seneca—with modern psychological techniques such as anchoring and framing to develop a surprisingly simple strategy for dealing with life’s unpleasant surprises. These include minor setbacks like being caught in a traffic jam or having a flight cancelled, as well as major setbacks, like those experienced by physicist Stephen Hawking, who slowly lost the ability to move, and surfer Bethany Hamilton, who lost an arm to a shark. By using the updated Stoic strategy, we can transform life’s setbacks into opportunities for becoming calmer, tougher, and more resilient. The Stoic Challenge is a practical guide to using centuries- old wisdom to help us better cope with the stresses of modern living.