Why Did The Stoics Suppress Feelings?

That’s wrong.

There is no evidence in Stoic writings that the Stoics advised for emotional suppression.

This is a misunderstanding.

You see,

To other people, the Stoics looked like these overly-reasoned beings that were bothered by no one and nothing.

Today, we call this inner strength.

Some even argued that Stoicism = no emotion.

But we know Epictetus was sarcastic. Seneca was affectionate and loved his wife and son (whom he lost). And Marcus Aurelius bore 13 children and diefied his wife and she died.

(We also have strong evidence to believe that Chryssipus—a successor of Zeno, founder of Stoicism—died because… he laughed too much.)

The Stoics never said to suppress emotions. They said to “train them with reason”.

They distinguished emotions into two categories:

1. Hamrful Passions (Pathe)

2. Healthy Passions (Eupathiai)

Harmful passions are feelings that arise due to false judgements about something.

For example, anger is a false judgement that someone threatened or harmed something of value to us—and we want to pay them back.

Here’s how anger works in practice:

1. Impression: Someone insults you, disrespects you, harms you, or betrays you.

   • Example: Your colleague interrupts you rudely.

2. Judgment: You assent: “I’ve been wronged. This is an evil. He deserves punishment.”

3. Desire: You form the impulse to strike back, hurt, or retaliate.

4. Passion: Anger: the heated, irrational surge.

The Stoics said the real error is at step 2: thinking you’ve suffered an actual evil.

Now, this is where the Stoics intervene and use the train-emotions-with-reason technique:

Stoics: “Do you control whether or not someone interrupts you?”

You: No.

(Someone’s actions come from the character and upbringing.)

Stoics: “Does your life change because someone interrupted you?”

You: No.

(You still have your ability to respond well. Moreover, preferred indifferent things (family, lover, health, wealth, friends) are intact.)

Stoics: “You see: no real harm was inflicted. Your best response now is to explain the other person you can’t discuss like that, or leave. These are under your control.”

On the other hand, eupatheiai are good emotions that are produced when your judgments are true.

These emotions are welcomed and make our lives more pleasurable—because they are sincere, moderate, and aligned with nature.

There are 3 categories of these good emotions:

1. Joy (χαρά, chara)

   • The rational counterpart to irrational pleasure.

   • Not delight in fleeting things, but joy in virtue, in right action, in harmony with nature.

   • Example: Feeling joy because you acted justly, not because you won applause.

2. Caution (εὐλάβεια, eulabeia)

   • The rational counterpart to irrational fear.

   • A wise, measured awareness of real evils (moral failings, vice, loss of integrity).

   • Example: Guarding yourself against temptation, without panic or dread.

3. Wishing/Good Will (βούλησις, boulēsis)

   • The rational counterpart to irrational desire.

   • A directed, reasoned aspiration toward genuine good—virtue, wisdom, justice.

   • Example: Wishing to help a friend, not craving their approval.

In short:

• Passions enslave.

• Eupatheiai liberate.

• Both are emotional states—but one is based on false judgment, the other on truth.

That’s why the Stoic sage doesn’t feel less than others. He feels better.

See you next week, friend, for the next topic!
Ioannis Sintoris or Said the Stoic

PS. Want me to break down another irrational feeling—like fear, lust, envy, or jealousy—in my next email? Just hit reply and tell me which one.