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This is a great introduction to Stoicism for the modern world. The author takes quite a few of the concepts and updates them through a 21st century philosophic

This is a great introduction to Stoicism for the modern world. The author takes quite a few of the concepts and updates them through a 21st century philosophic viewpoint (mainly through the use of more rigorous logic behind the scenes). The best update comes with how one should deal with things one can and cannot effect. He updates this from two to three: things you have no effect on whatsoever, things you have some effect on, and things you have total control of. Earthquakes are one on example of the first - no idea of when they are coming and one just has to do her best to deal with it. The second involves dealing with other people: one can control what one says and does to another, but no control over how that person reacts. Third, one has control over oneself. There are a few ideas in there that I think don't pass modern studies of sociology/psychology - the chapter on relationships , in particular - but otherwise a very compelling read.

brc 13y ago
Those concepts are in the '7 habits of highly successful people' - but introduced as the circle of influence and the circle of concern. The idea promoted is that stress will result when you try and deal with things outside of your circle of influence, and you have to keep operating within that circle. Obviously, very few pop-self-help books like 7 habits contain genuinely new ideas, and the concept is borrowed from much older ideas. Nonetheless I think it was helpful to me when I first read it. It has a message of both keeping perspective and also reducing useless stress, but at the same time telling you that the only way to take action is to increase the amount of influence you have.
benrhughes 13y ago
I really dislike his transformation of the dichotomy into a trichotomy. It takes a simple, deep insight and muddies it. The middle category is just a subset of "things not completely in our control", all of which we should be indifferent to. That aside, I found Irvine to be a great introduction to Stoicism, even if he misses some of the depth and grace of Epictectus. I think I would have had a much harder time getting into the Roman stoics if I hadn't started with this book.

brc 13y ago

Those concepts are in the '7 habits of highly successful people' - but introduced as the circle of influence and the circle of concern. The idea promoted is that stress will result when you try and deal with things outside of your circle of influence, and you have to keep operating within that circle. Obviously, very few pop-self-help books like 7 habits contain genuinely new ideas, and the concept is borrowed from much older ideas. Nonetheless I think it was helpful to me when I first read it. It has a message of both keeping perspective and also reducing useless stress, but at the same time telling you that the only way to take action is to increase the amount of influence you have.

benrhughes 13y ago

I really dislike his transformation of the dichotomy into a trichotomy. It takes a simple, deep insight and muddies it. The middle category is just a subset of "things not completely in our control", all of which we should be indifferent to. That aside, I found Irvine to be a great introduction to Stoicism, even if he misses some of the depth and grace of Epictectus. I think I would have had a much harder time getting into the Roman stoics if I hadn't started with this book.