Esteban Barturen

Chuck Clendenen

I became interested in Stoicism in about 2007 as a general philosophy that meshed well with Deism, my religious philosophy. Deism is non-dogmatic and has no moral code of its own. The Stoic pursuit of virtue was a good fit for me. I signed up for the Stoic Essential Studies in late 2008, but my busy schedule made too many demands on my time. My Stoic studies continued but along an unstructured path. Stoicism is still strongly woven into the fabric of my life. I may never become a sage, but I will always be a student and a philosopher.

Thomas Dixon

Jesse Duncan

I discovered stoic philosophy while watching a PBS documentary on the Empire of Rome. A quote stuck with me and I began looking up the information online. In my own life, I focus a lot on logic and looking at how an obstacle can be beneficial and used to my advantage so reading that these are fundamentals in Stoicism attracted me to learn more.

Menkius Edwards

Matthew Foster

Mark Hutchins

Frank Miles

Somewhere many years ago I encountered the Enchiridion. The simple injunction to live in accordance with the laws of nature and to seek control over only that which is mine has proved to be the most profoundly practical teaching I have yet encountered.

Paul O'Brien

Thomas Smith

Although I have an undergraduate degree in philosophy from Regis U and the Pontifical Lateran U in Rome, Stoics were not given adequate attention. Like many, I dismissed them as passionless and merciless. Lately, I have been reading Marcus Aurelius and found a kindred spirit. Stoics can be joyful, active, emotional, and faithful friends/family members. They focus on what can be controlled or influenced and expend little time, attention, affections on what cannot be changed.

Seth Stewart