Nowadays, our definition of a stoic is largely divorced from the actual ideology of Stoicism. When we describe someone as stoic, we mean that they do not show emotion. We mean they are entirely unmoved by both prosperity and adversity. However, this does not wholly reflect the values of classical Stoic thinkers. Not those of Zeno of Citium, who founded the school of thought, nor Seneca, nor Epictetus, nor the Roman emperor Marcus Aurelius. These thinkers advocated not the bottling of emotion, but a mastery over it. Through several practices, they posited that one should learn to transform one’s perception of their life and the world. To focus on what one can control rather than what remains out of one’s hands. And one such practice is that of negative visualization.
Stoic Thinking
The four virtues of Stoicism are wisdom, courage, justice, and temperance. These are thought to come from Plato’s Republic. Classical Stoics believed in nothing higher than these virtues, and prescribed a cultivation of them for a life lived well.
They also encouraged their followers to take control of how they respond to events in their lives. “It isn’t events themselves that disturb people,” Epictetus says in his Discourses and Selected Writings, “but only their judgements about them.” Marcus Aurelius makes a comment to the same effect when he says in his Meditations, “If you are distressed by anything external, the pain is not due to the thing itself, but to your estimate of it; and this you have the power to revoke at any moment.”
Negative Visualization
That’s a nice idea, isn’t it? That we should all simply choose not to be unhappy or frustrated when things go poorly in our lives. Unfortunately, humans are predisposed to act based on their emotions. Most of history can be explained by this fact. So how do we keep ourselves from falling victim to this predisposition?
As with anything, one must practice. One must form habits. And a tool that one can use to do so is negative visualization.
Seneca first put forward the ideas for this practice in his Letters from a Stoic, and Marcus Aurelius furthered them in his own writings. In order to practice negative visualization, one should regularly imagine bad events that may eventually come to pass. One should imagine the loss of the people and things they hold most dear.
This may seem like a recipe for horrible emotions and panic attacks. However, this practice should occur at a controlled time and environment. And instead of freaking out over these potential futures, one should play them out.
Really and truly consider how you might handle these horrible events. How could you work to overcome these losses? Have you overcome similar losses in the past? How would your life change?
Not only do Stoic thinkers believe that this helps one develop a preparedness for the future; they also think that this helps one remember to feel gratitude for the things they may one day come to lose.
Anxiety and Intrusive Thoughts
I have struggled deeply with anxiety throughout my life. I expect to write about this more on my blog, so I will not delve too much into the subject right now. Relevant to the topic at hand, though, I often have intrusive thoughts throughout the day. Unwelcome thoughts that bring me great anxiety. I visualize future embarrassments, failures, and losses. Unintentionally, in an uncontrolled manner.
Negative visualization has helped me to improve in this regard. When the thoughts come unbidden at night, I can set aside time to work through them. And when they come again during the day, they hold less power.
This practice brings me discomfort in the moment. At first, it seems counterintuitive to intentionally force yourself to visualize uncomfortable circumstances. Nonetheless, this Stoic practice has helped me take a few steps forward in my journey towards a better life, unfettered by anxiety. I hope it does for you, too.
– AJG
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