CBT and the Stoics

Stoic CBT Greek Philosophy What do you think of the points made in the article at the end of this file (Anxious? Depressed? Try Greek philosophy)? What are the main points of stoic philosophy and how might they affect the way you think about your life. Provide concrete examples. I think the points made in the article are as relevant today was they were in ancient Greece. The Greeks were truly pioneers in critical thinking and laid the foundation of Western thought.

The quest of trying to understand the world in its entirety without supernatural causes can be applied to the person and their behaviors just as well as it can be to the natural world. The Greeks understood that beliefs were malleable and could be reconstructed to represent a more accurate portrayal of reality. The article mentions: "Ellis, like the Greeks, suggested that our emotions always involve beliefs or interpretations of the world.

Our interpretations may often be inaccurate, irrational or self-destructive, and this will make us emotionally sick." Therefore, once one recognizes the fact that they may have a belief that is grounded in reality or that is causing ill consequence the opportunity emerges in which that belief can be changed; "if we decide our life philosophy is no good, we can choose to think differently." However, even in Greek life there were those who didn't necessarily believe that people had the power to change.

People today argue the range of control that an individual may have over their own life and the choices they make. This is one of the central debates that has lasted millennia and science has just begun to paint a more comprehensive picture of how the brain functions are the source of will. The Stoics believed that humans had little control; much like materialist or pre-determinist of the contemporary period. The article states: "The Stoics were aware of how little we control in life.

None more so than Epictetus, a Stoic philosopher of the first century AD, who grew up a slave in the Roman Empire (his name means "acquired"). He divided all of life into two categories: the things we control and the things we don't. We don't control the economy, the weather, other people, our reputation, our own bodies. We can influence these things, but we don't have complete control over them.

The only thing we do have control over is our own thoughts and beliefs, if we choose to exercise control." However modern practitioners have had success in being able to assist.