All philosophies have their own answer to how one should approach the quest for a serene life, each with varying degrees of success when applied to practical matters. The personal development space has seen two different mindsets gain significant traction in recent years: Stoicism and positive thinking.

While they couldn't be more different from each other - imagine the disgust of a believer in manifestation being asked to contemplate their mortality! - these philosophies also share some similarities. In what follows, I will give a brief introduction to each school of thought, then I will compare and contrast their key aspects. I will also show how a Stoic vs a positive thinker would approach a real life situation and discuss how their beliefs might influence the outcome of their actions, as well as their happiness.

I will then leave it up to you to decide which one has a higher chance of bringing you that coveted inner peace and which one you are better off following. Who will win the battle of Stoicism vs. positive thinking? Let's find out!

A Very Short Primer on Stoicism

Stoicism appeared in Ancient Greece and was championed by prominent figures from all walks of life such as:

• Epictetus - a former Roman slave, 
• Marcus Aurelius - a Roman emperor, and 
• Seneca - a Roman statesman who controlled enough wealth to qualify as the first billionaire in history. 

The Stoics believed that living in harmony with nature and serenely accepting realities beyond our control were the secrets to living a tranquil life. They argued that one should embrace negative emotions and events by mentally preparing for future adversity, rather than resisting them. By doing so, one would be better equipped to deal with them if they actually happened and would suffer less as a result. For a Stoic, exercising self-control, finding joy in simple pleasures and behaving virtuously and rationally were mandates for a fulfilling existence.

A Glimpse into Positive Thinking

Positive thinking is a contemporary philosophy often associated with the New Age movement, which emerged in the late 20th century. It shares significant overlap with the Law of Attraction and with manifestation (which you've probably heard of ad nauseam if you have a pulse and you have been browsing the Internet during the last decade).

Positive thinking emphasizes the power of the human mind and our ability to shape our own reality through the conscious choice of our thoughts. While this has merit in itself, as discussed in 'The Happiness Advantage' by Shawn Achor, a lot of practitioners take it a step too far and land in the realm of toxic positivity instead.

Proponents of positive thinking believe that visualizing oneself as successful, content, and fulfilled will turn these outcomes into reality. They posit that individuals can surmount challenges by sustaining a positive attitude towards life and a proactive demeanor.

Stoicism vs. Positive Thinking: Resemblances

Despite their differences, Stoicism and positive thinking have a few things in common:

• Both philosophies stress the importance of mastering one's emotions and controlling one's thoughts, but they differ in their advice about which emotions to focus on: positive thinking is biased towards avoiding negative emotions, while Stoicism treats positive and negative emotions as being equally worthy of attention.
• Both Stoicism and positive thinking highlight the value of maintaining a positive outlook on life and finding joy in everyday experiences. They both state the importance of spotting the silver lining in any situation and keeping an open mind towards opportunity even in times of trouble.
• Both mindsets share a preference for living in the present moment and avoiding unproductive anxious thoughts about the future, as well as rumination about the past.
• Aside from this, they both encourage us to be content with what we have, and to practice gratitude rather than endlessly chasing more.

Stoicism vs. Positive Thinking: Divergences

There are a few significant differences between positive thinking and Stoicism that you should be aware of. Here are the most prominent of them:

• Stoics, unlike positive thinkers, advocate for embracing negative emotions rather than suppressing them or trying to distract oneself from them. They even devised an exercise called 'premeditatio malorum' in which the Stoic student takes a few minutes to ponder what could go wrong and how it would make them feel. The purpose of this practice is to increase resilience in the face of adversity by reminding yourself that things might not always go your way. Aside from reducing the shock of bad things happening, this Stoic meditation can also prompt us to think of mitigation strategies we might have overlooked.
• Positive thinking maintains that individuals can shape their own reality through their thoughts, regardless of the actual circumstance, while Stoicism emphasizes that some aspects of our existence lie completely outside of our sphere of influence and that we would do well to accept that which we cannot change.
• Stoicism teaches that living a good life is not a function of external events, since it hinges on an individual's virtuous behavior and nothing else. In other words, bad things happening to a Stoic do not diminish their character as long as their behavior remains morally upright. On the other hand, positive thinking treats the discomfort of adversity as something to be avoided, which hints at the fact that a positive thinker believes that negative events diminish their experience of reality.

A Stoic vs. a Positive Thinker in a Real-Life Scenario

Imagine a Stoic and a positive thinker, each of them the leader of a team facing a mission-critical deadline. They have just found out that a key team member has given their two week notice, leaving the team with a significant skill gap. How does each of them handle this setback?

The Stoic's Reaction

The Stoic leader accepts the situation, despite the fact that it requires them to do more work to adjust to it. They understand that the resignation of their colleague is something that was outside of their control, so they do waste any time lamenting their ill-fortune. (The phrase "why does this always happen to me?" never crosses their mind.) They assess the situation rationally and carefully consider the available resources, as well as the remaining tasks. They prioritize ruthlessly and find the best course of action to meet the deadline by giving up on the less important tasks in the project. 

The Positive Thinker's Reaction

The positive thinker remains optimistic despite the bad news, believing that the team can rise to the challenge and still complete the project without the help of their colleague. At the beginning of each day, they email a positive affirmation to the team members to increase morale, in the hopes that they will work harder to make up the gap for the colleague that is leaving. They encourage the team to visualize the successful completion of the project and the sense of accomplishment it would bring, while turning a blind eye to the necessary increase in working hours.

In case the previous corporate parable didn't clarify it for you, let's address this head on:

Which One Is Better? Positive Thinking or Stoicism?

Unsurprisingly, I lean towards Stoicism in this debate and I will explain why. Negative emotions and events are an unavoidable part of reality, no matter how hard you try to ignore them. This is not to say that you should not remain optimistic and confident in your ability to surmount any obstacle you might face, as long as you don't fall prey to cheerful self-deception.

You are better served by looking reality in the eye, examining the facts in front of you and making a decision that takes everything into account, not just the aspects that fit your desires.

Furthermore, since Stoicism values rationality above all else, there is no contradiction between its teachings and the recent scientific discoveries that a positively primed brain leads to better outcomes. (The health benefits of being happy are likewise well-documented.)

The beauty of philosophy (as opposed to gospel) is that it is able to adjust its thinking when new scientific information arises, so even if you are a Stoic, you are strongly encouraged to incorporate these new findings into your daily life.

As long as you remember to see the entire picture and you don't shy away from the discomfort of the negative aspects of life, a little positive thinking can go a long way. Do you agree?

PSSST! If you've enjoyed this post or learned something, you might like the one I wrote about Stoicism vs. the Law of Attraction!