Upcoming events and opportunities
Stoic Week, Stoicon, Month of Gratitude, and more!
It’s that time of year again…every autumn brings the season of Stoicism when Stoics (and the Stoic-curious) from all over the world come together to learn, discuss, and practice Stoic ideas. There is a lot going on, with many opportunities to meet other people who find this ancient philosophy useful for their 21st century lives. But before I tell you about that, I want to pause for a moment and recognize the passing last week of my friend Dan Lampert, a.k.a., StoicDan.
StoicDan was a reliable philosophical presence throughout my home state of Florida, where he led multiple in-person and online groups on Stoicism (Orlando Stoics, Tampa Stoics, and Daytona Stoics), as well as groups on minimalism American Transcendentalism. From his home base of Orlando Dan consistently facilitated dialogue about Stoicism for local business groups and educational institutions. He was a practical philosopher who shared ancient wisdom with people from all walks of life. He will be missed.
Stoicon (October 18)
Don’t forget to register for Stoicon, which is coming up on Saturday, October 18! We have a roster of incredible presenters on the topic of engaged citizenship, including:
James Romm - Seneca and Nero: The Ultimate Test
Mick Mulroy - What Can the Stoics Teach Us About Citizenship?
A Conversation with Brigid Delaney
Diane Kalen-Sukra - What Would a Stoic Say? Civil Discourse in an Age of Outrage
Lisa Hill - The Stoic Tradition of Engaged Citizenship
Panel: Reason in Society - featuring William O. Stephens, Kelli Rudolph, Aldo Dinucci, Jacob Klein
Panel: Stoic Civic Engagement in Action - featuring Meredith Alexander Kunz, Allie Nava, Leonidas Konstantakos, Ross Paton
Lightning talks by Benny Voncken, Alexander Zock, Sofia Koutlaki, Jamie Ryder, Kristy Kaufmann, Scott Corey, Cal Heath, Rebecca Simmons, and Dominic Byrne
Tickets are by donation and all proceeds support Modern Stoicism’s mission to share Stoicism around the world. Get your tickets here.
Stoic Week (October 27 - November 2)
Stoic Week began in 2012 as a global online experiment trying to see if people can benefit from living like a Stoic for a week. Over the past decade, the results have come in loud and clear: yes, many people do feel better when living like a Stoic! Over 40,000 people have participated in Stoic Week, with a consistently positive impact to their wellbeing. Here are some of the things previous participants have said:
“I am calmer, I accept many disagreeable things with good spirits. No so easily hurt”
“Having a clear list of daily exercises has been very useful, and this week has started to make these a daily habit”
“Putting personal difficulties with Health and treatment into perspective, managing pain and other people’s sadness”
“It has made me think, question and discuss, until now, half-formed ideas”
“The guidance of Stoicism makes me happy”
“Being involved daily gave me the opportunity to realise how positive and worthy my life has been and how prepared I am for whatever life presents in the future”
Best of all, the course is FREE and open to everyone. Many people return to do Stoic Week every year, but we also welcome participants with no prior knowledge of Stoicism. Register here.
Stoic Week for Schools
Given the success of Stoic Week for adults, Modern Stoicism has also created a version for teens: Stoic Week for Schools (originally called Stoic Week for Students). This course is designed to be taught in schools or other educational settings, but it’s also a great option for parents to do with their children. Unlike Stoic Week, there is no registration required. The materials are available online year-round and can be downloaded for immediate use. However, if you are participating in Stoic Week yourself, this is a great time to have your teenager do Stoic Week for Schools alongside you.
Stoic Fellowship Month of Gratitude (November)
The Stoic Fellowship—well-known for hosting a Month of Service every April—is starting a new tradition this year with the Month of Gratitude in November. This is a perfect time to pause weekly and/or daily to give thanks for life and everything in it. TSF recommends personal or group reflection for four progressive weeks of gratitude practice:
Week 1 - appreciating simple daily pleasures like morning coffee or birdsong
Week 2 - recognizing others’ virtues and kindnesses
Week 3 - identifying life lessons from mentors and people we’ve met (inspired by Marcus Aurelius’s Book 1)
Week 4 - finding gratitude even for life’s challenges
More information will be available soon on the Stoic Fellowship website.
Stoicism Today
Stoicism Today is the online journal for Modern Stoicism and the voice of the modern Stoic community. We publish a wide range of articles on the theory and practice of Stoicism in the 21st century, ranging from book reviews to personal essays to scholarly interpretations of Stoic ideas. I recently took over as editor and am always looking for interesting contributions! If you write about Stoicism, check out our submissions page and consider submitting a piece for Stoicism Today.
Photo credit: Christin Hume
RIP Dan, I had seen his posts for many years. A very active member of the Stoic community.
I was sorry to hear about Dan's passing. He attended our very first Australian Stoicon-X event, online, in 2020. He was very active and always reaching out to a wide range of communities.