Not really.
-
“You have power over your mind — not outside events. Realize this, and you will find strength.” (Meditations, 12.36)
-
“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.” (8.47)
-
Choose not to be harmed — and you won’t feel harmed. Don’t feel harmed — and you haven’t been.” (4.7)
Stoicism is not about control others or outside events.
“ Stoicism is the practice of living in harmony with nature by mastering one’s mind, accepting the things we cannot control, and acting with virtue — courage, justice, wisdom, and self-discipline — regardless of external circumstances.”
Stoicism is about not being enslaved by emotions and influences outside of ourselves, outside circumstances, people and events. These we cannot control or to a certain extend we can perhaps control but true wisdom is knowing that we can only 100% and fully control ourselves. This is where the power truly is.
He was very successful in his philosophy as he remained unaffected by these events and still continued to rule with great achievement and went down in history as a noteworthy leader.
Whoever said this did not know the true nature of stoicism to begin with and thought it was about control the behaviour of others.
And besides a quick google search showed me that this betrayal was never verified, nor did Marcus himself write anything about it but the conclusions on this are very mixed, some said it was mentioned only centuries later and others that it were rumours and gossip by his enemies.
Historians say the following—
“ * Their marriage lasted over 30 years and produced 13 children — Marcus never divorced her, which he could have easily done if he believed the rumors.”
They also say these accounts where politically motivated. In any case his philosophy was successful by my standards.
I like stoicism a lot, it basically frames you as the sole governor of your own inner state, and that your entire well-being is within your own hands and you can be in complete control of your state of happiness and well-being despite any and all outside circumstances and events. These you will not allow to affect you as your inner life is directed solely by yourself. This is also true in nature itself. None makes you feel bad about anything. Only your reaction to whatever is happening does.
Human nature is created from within. In theory… practical may be a different story
but soon you will have GLM Stoicism.
The stoic philosophy leads to unshakable inner-stability…