7. STRENGTH: Keep Your Head up When Everything Goes Wrong

The West Must Rediscover Its Compass

The ideas of the Greeks were passed on to the Romans, who developed a philosophy called Stoicism. It is relevant to those who want to be grounded in reality and work for the common good. Stoic philosophy contains some ideas that belong to an outdated worldview, but also things that are timeless.

It is in many ways embedded in Christianity. Many of the Christian church fathers, and probably St Paul, were influenced by the Stoics. Luther, Melanchthon and Erasmus had one thing in common: all three liked the writings of Cicero, which contain many Stoic ideas.

Alf Ahlberg wrote: ”The humanist tradition is based above all on a fusion of Stoicism and Christianity”. He argued that the Western humanist tradition has been shaped by a number of religions, philosophies and epochs. It developed during the Middle Ages, the Renaissance, the Reformation and the Enlightenment. Its ancient roots lie in Judaism, Christianity, Greek philosophy and Stoicism. He wrote that this is ”the great line of our culture, on whose existence and vitality its whole future depends”.

The synthesis of Stoicism and Christianity is the origin of a precious treasure: the belief in human rights. This idea has matured and developed throughout history. This was mainly done by Cicero in antiquity, and then by Christian philosophers such as Thomas Aquinas in the Middle Ages, and Locke and Kant in the Enlightenment.

There are times when the West seems to have completely lost its moral compass. That is when we need to reconnect with our historical and spiritual roots.

Not Callousness!

A common misconception is that stoicism leads to an emotionless, cold state of mind. While it can certainly be taken too far, its essence is self-awareness and self-control. In fact, Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) can be seen as a modern heir to stoicism.

Stoicism isn’t about suppressing emotion but about understanding, accepting, and managing it. Taken to extremes, it can harden into contempt for weakness and a cold heart — but in balance, it nurtures resilience and clarity.

Training Exercises for the Soul

The ancient Stoics were inspired by the philosophy of Socrates, which included the idea that it is better to suffer wrong than to do wrong. They saw him as an example of how to live in a stormy world with inner peace and without corrupting one’s soul.

The Stoics believed that man’s most precious possession was the integrity of the soul. This means that external things such as success and wealth are less valuable. This can be compared with Jesus’ statement: ”What does it profit a man if he gains the whole world but loses his soul?”

The Stoic Epictetus saw God as a primal force that creates an inner strength in the soul. The Serenity Prayer is rooted in his philosophy.

Most of what happens in the world is beyond our control, but what we can control are our reactions, said Epictetus. We can control are our opinions, desires and aversions. For a Stoic, it is important to maintain an inner peace of mind that is independent of external circumstances. You must not allow yourself to be enslaved by base thoughts.

”We have nothing to fear but fear itself”, said Franklin D. Roosevelt. The ability to feel fear is, of course, absolutely vital. We live in a dangerous world and if we couldn’t feel fear, we would put ourselves in dangerous situations unnecessarily. What Roosevelt warned against is a fear that impairs judgement. Dangers and threats must be assessed with a balanced mind that neither overreacts nor cowardly closes its eyes to reality. We must be careful that fear does not lead to delusion, tunnel vision or blindness.

The trials and tribulations of everyday life can become exercises in keeping your balance. Epictetus gave the following advice to someone visiting a bathhouse (in the Roman Empire around 100 AD):

According to Stoicism, it is important to be able to think negatively and try to imagine unpleasant surprises. This may sound like pessimism, but it is actually optimism. It’s like saying to yourself: ”Even if I encounter difficulties and setbacks, I have an inner readiness to deal with the problems”.

For a Stoic, it is particularly important to reflect on one’s mortality and to be grateful for the life one has. This puts the world into a truer perspective.

It is important, however, that these Stoic exercises are not overdone. It should not lead to emotional coldness, indifference and an inability to care. Feelings of frustration and anger can be important motivators. The main thing is that anger does not become a pleasure and an unrestrained habit.

Power Does Not Always Corrupt

It is often said that power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely. However, it seems that there is one exception and that is the emperor and stoic Marcus Aurelius. He had unlimited power to do whatever he wanted, but he tried hard to resist the temptation.

A Stoic sets limits to himself and his actions – not everything that can be done should be done – and has enough self-discipline to respect those limits. Power does not provide freedom from the burden of following principles.

”Beware of being a tyrant,” Marcus said to himself. ”So be honest, good and upright, love justice, be pious, be kind and loving, and be steadfast in the discharge of duty.”

Those who have power over others must first have self-awareness and self-control. This philosophy of life is relevant to politicians, civil servants, police officers, managers and others whose duty it is to serve a higher ethic and the common good.

Why be honest if it is more profitable to be corrupt? This was Glaucon’s challenging question in The Republic. Socrates’ answer was illuminating. A healthy body has value in itself. The same is true of the soul. The soul of the unjust is sick, while the soul of the just is healthy. Inner health has an intrinsic value, even if it is not always ”profitable”.

Justice is the defence against the idea that might is right. There are those who say they are fighting for justice, when in fact they are fighting for power and revenge. This is what happens when one lacks inner justice. The struggle for justice is both an inner and an outer struggle.

Anger can be the driving force to fight against injustice, but what about hate? It is important to learn to distinguish between these emotions. Hate can cause suffering to others and it can seriously damage your own intellect. It is wise to make this a rule of life: Anger may be OK, but hate is not. It is a matter of setting limits for yourself and learning not to cross them.

Hope When Everything Seems to Go Wrong

The Christian belief in life after death can lead to a pious escape from the world, but it doesn’t have to be that way. On the contrary, it can become a source of inner strength. Hope protects us from emptiness and cynicism.

Heavenly hope gives the feeling of having a home. It creates a natural stoicism that is not forced or contrived. Even if everything goes wrong, all is not lost. Hope becomes an inner source, which is less dependent on circumstances. The heavenly hope can therefore also create an earthly hope. Bonhoeffer wrote: