Stoicism and Risk

Welcome to The Stoa Letter, the newsletter on Stoic theory and practice.

🏛️ Theory

Stoicism forces us to rethink the concept of risk.

We define risk as exposure to danger. The relevant question Stoics should focus on when thinking about risk is: what kind of danger matters?

For the Stoic, what matters is internal risk: anything that can damage our character. They don’t care about external risk – the loss of health, reputation, or pleasure. Happiness is found in how we manage our responses to the world and how we shape it – not in how the external world itself takes shape.

That’s the radical claim of Stoic philosophy. By internalizing it, we can be immune to external risks and intolerant of internal ones. In other words, they keep a cool mind when they make the right decision – and don’t hope everything outside their control comes together.

That said, it’s important to recognize the close connection between the internal and the external. 

Let’s take a concrete example: health risks. 

All of us put our health at risk by making ordinary decisions. Many of us don’t follow a calorie-restriction diet, we drive to events, and put ourselves at risk of catching a cold whenever we socialize. In each case, the Stoics don’t care much about the “external risk.” These risks are often justified because we’re social creatures – and that demands we get outside.

On the other hand, some health risks are not worth it. At some point, eating becomes overeating, driving becomes risky driving, and ordinary behaviors become unhealthy.

What matters is balancing health risks against the parts of life. Stoics don’t put a premium on bodily health. But living well involves managing health well.

Seneca once quipped that a book's length doesn't determine its value.". Some excellent books are short, others long. Our job, as authors of our lives, is to ensure we do our best to find the right length.

🎯 Action

Consider one external risk you’re shying away from and another where you’re acting imprudent. Find the right balance.

🔗 Links

🌿 Seneca reminds us of the nature of risk in Letter 71:

📺️ We’ve been uploading new shorts to our youtube channel. Check them out here:

🏛️ Listen to Michael and I discuss risk here:

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