The Beginner's Guide to Stoicism: Tools for Emotional Resilience and Positivity by Matthew J. Van Natta
Stoicism is an ancient Greek and Roman philosophy, and lately it has had a big revival. Matthew Van Natta came to it while looking for relief from his own anxiety, and he writes about it as something to practise in daily life rather than study. This 2019 book is short and easy to read. It covers a little history and then works through Stoic ideas with quotes, reflection questions and exercises.
The central idea is one you may already know: some things are within our control and many aren't, and a lot of distress comes from fighting what we can't change. Van Natta also explains how the Stoics thought about our judgements of events, and how changing the judgement can change how we feel. He points out the link with cognitive behavioural therapy, which grew partly out of these ideas.
Readers who already know the original writers, like Epictetus, Seneca and Marcus Aurelius, sometimes find it a bit light, and it leaves out much of the deeper philosophy. As a gentle first step, though, it does the job well.
How it connects to my work:
Many of my clients carry a lot of worry about things outside their control, and the Stoic habit of pausing to ask what's actually ours to deal with can be a real relief. In hypnotherapy we often work on how we respond to events rather than the events themselves, so there's a natural overlap.
Why you might enjoy it:
If you've seen Stoic quotes online and want a plain, practical introduction without wading through ancient texts, this is a good one to try.
Have you read it, or do you have a favourite Stoic writer? Let me know in the comments.
Want to read more?
Reader impressions on r/Stoicism
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