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What did the ancient school of Stoicism teach about handling emotions?
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Greek philosophy
Herm of the ancient Greek philosopher Socrates, from a Greek original, second half of the 4th century bce; in the Capitoline Museums, Rome.
The ancient Greek school of Stoicism taught that the ideal state of mind was apathy, meaning a freedom from emotions and passions like pain, fear, desire, and pleasure. Early Stoics, including Zeno of Citium, believed these passions should be entirely eradicated.1
Stoicism emphasized the importance of reason and virtue as the only true goods, asserting that external circumstances and emotional responses could not harm one's true self. While later Stoics sometimes distinguished between different types of emotions, the core teaching was to remain tranquil and guided by reason, unaffected by external events or internal feelings. This approach aimed for a mind free from emotional disturbance and a life of moral certainty.213