Ideas (not at all) New - About Stoicism and Therapy

Although it is unnecessary to us marvel at how ancient wisdom remains as current and applicable today, it's nice, after all, to find occasionally really valuable ideas are conveyed, in one-way or another, for thousands of years. That is if you can avoid becoming depressed that seem to have had a relatively small impact on the development of the individual. It is possible for the most avid of reading and knowledge covering a book of ancient philosophy to prove that require a special effort of concentration, yet they are difficult to read, these books really worth it, because it is likely to contain among the high compression ratios of good ideas in written material.

The tendency to ignore the less accessible books is truly sinful if the ancients and this is reflected in the way in which ideas of ancient philosophers tend to all be reformulated in various ways, throughout history. Those who just give them attention, get them to convert ideas attaching new content in movements almost invariably producing added value. A good example is cognitive behavioral therapy, in particular, and therapeutic practices generally borrow a serious vision as Stoics. Meaning that we have today when it comes to stoicism in common speech (strongly, strongly against the vicissitudes of life) limit the range of meanings of the term some ideals doctrine without remembering the recommended practices to achieve them.

The main doctrine of the Stoics was that the lack of real control over the exterior, the only way is beneficial adaptation adaptation perceptions and beliefs. Stoics moderation cherished above all and believes that the only truly free man is wise who surpassed the vices and passions. But did not understand moderation as we tend to understand today as repression, but as a natural consequence of adopting perceptions and judgments correct. Felt strong emotions of any kind, derived from erroneous perceptions and judgments, and that the issue of false impressions lead invariably to eliminate harmful behaviors themselves.


Cognitive behavioral therapy is one of the most popular current modern psychotherapy techniques, it proved to be among the most effective in treating a series of psychiatric disorders such as anxiety or substance abuse power and. Therapeutic techniques of cognitive-behavioral therapy based on the principle that eliminating unwanted behavior is most effectively achieved after understanding the mechanisms of thought that favors them. The founders of the school, heavily influenced by Stoicism, Stoic and maximum range from "People are affected not events but their views on events" to develop a therapeutic process during which reconfiguration theoretical beliefs lead to feelings and behaviors reconfiguration. Method has fewer real applications in psychopathology, where beliefs are relatively difficult to deconstructed, but help millions of people each year to overcome various emotional habits harmful.

Beyond therapeutic practices, such as Marcus Aurelius's writings and Roman Stoics Seneca, have an influence on modern history through the influence they have on people who shape from Washington and Jefferson contemporary leaders such as Bill Clinton and former Chinese premier Wen Jiabao. In a world monopolized by ideologies and philosophies New Age, is how gratifying it can be to see that good ideas of antiquity still persist.