Are Stoics Unemotional? Exploring the Truth Behind the Philosophy

Understanding Stoicism: What It Really Is

Stoicism is often misunderstood. You hear "stoic" and immediately think: cold, robotic, emotionally shut down. But is that really what Stoicism teaches? Not quite. Actually, not at all.

At its core, Stoicism is a philosophy of resilience. It emerged in Ancient Greece and found its strongest voice in Rome with thinkers like Seneca, Epictetus, and Marcus Aurelius. These guys weren't trying to suppress emotion entirely—they were aiming to master it.

The Stoic Ideal: Emotional Mastery, Not Emotional Absence

Stoics believe emotions should be guided by reason. They don’t reject feelings; they just don’t want feelings to control their actions. There's a difference, and it's huge.

Let’s say your coworker messes up a project. A typical reaction? Anger. A Stoic reaction? A pause, maybe a sigh (they’re human), and then a thoughtful response. That’s not emotionless—it’s emotionally intelligent.

Why the Misconception? Stoic ≠ Stone-faced

Alright, so why do so many people think Stoics are devoid of emotion?

Pop Culture and the “Tough Guy” Myth

Movies and media tend to show Stoicism as stone-cold silence in the face of disaster. Think: the lone cowboy, the unsmiling hero. But that’s Hollywood, not philosophy.

Real Stoicism isn’t about bottling things up. In fact, Epictetus often encouraged self-reflection and emotional awareness—just not the kind that spirals into chaos.

Misreading the Classics

Another reason: reading Marcus Aurelius without context. His Meditations sound pretty grim at times—lots of talk about death, pain, impermanence. But again, that’s reflection, not repression. He was writing to keep himself grounded, not to convince himself to feel nothing.

Do Stoics Feel Love, Joy, or Sadness?

Short answer: yes. Absolutely.

Stoics and Love

They weren’t monks. Stoics like Seneca wrote about friendships, family bonds, and even romantic attachments. But they emphasized something modern psychology echoes: don’t tie your happiness entirely to things outside your control. Relationships matter, but how you handle them matters more.

Stoics and Grief

Here’s where it gets tricky. When someone dies, a Stoic doesn’t pretend not to feel pain. They just try not to be destroyed by it. They accept grief, but they don’t indulge in despair. It’s subtle. And it’s damn hard.

Joy and Pleasure? Still on the Menu

Yeah, Stoics could laugh. They could appreciate a good meal, a beautiful sunset, a song. But they'd say: enjoy it, just don’t need it to be okay.

Modern Stoicism: Emotional Intelligence in Disguise?

Fast forward to today. Stoicism is having a serious revival (just check Reddit or YouTube). But now, it's blending with concepts from psychology and self-development.

Stoicism and CBT: Cousins, Basically

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), one of the most effective modern therapies, owes a lot to Stoicism. Both say: your thoughts affect your feelings, and you can train your mind. That’s not suppression—it’s transformation.

If you’re journaling your thoughts, challenging irrational beliefs, or pausing before reacting... you’re kinda being Stoic. Without even realizing it.

The Emotionally Literate Stoic

Modern Stoics aren’t avoiding emotions—they’re dissecting them. They feel fully, then decide how to act. It’s not a lack of feeling; it’s just not letting the feeling drive the car.

So... Are Stoics Unemotional?

You know what? Maybe at first glance, they seem that way. Especially if you're used to big emotional expressions. But dig deeper, and you'll find it's not about shutting down—it's about showing up with calm, clarity, and courage.

Actually, wait—maybe it’s not even about calm all the time. Marcus Aurelius had bad days. Seneca got angry. They struggled. But they tried. And that’s kind of the point.

Final thought? Stoics aren’t unemotional. They’re just not emotionally reckless. And maybe that’s something we could all use a little more of.

Is 165 cm normal for a 15 year old?

The predicted height for a female, based on your parents heights, is 155 to 165cm. Most 15 year old girls are nearly done growing. I was too. It's a very normal height for a girl.

Is 160 cm too tall for a 12 year old?

How Tall Should a 12 Year Old Be? We can only speak to national average heights here in North America, whereby, a 12 year old girl would be between 137 cm to 162 cm tall (4-1/2 to 5-1/3 feet). A 12 year old boy should be between 137 cm to 160 cm tall (4-1/2 to 5-1/4 feet).

How tall is a average 15 year old?

Average Height to Weight for Teenage Boys - 13 to 20 Years

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Is 5.7 a good height for a 15 year old boy?

Generally speaking, the average height for 15 year olds girls is 62.9 inches (or 159.7 cm). On the other hand, teen boys at the age of 15 have a much higher average height, which is 67.0 inches (or 170.1 cm).

Can you grow between 16 and 18?

Most girls stop growing taller by age 14 or 15. However, after their early teenage growth spurt, boys continue gaining height at a gradual pace until around 18. Note that some kids will stop growing earlier and others may keep growing a year or two more.

Can you grow 1 cm after 17?

Even with a healthy diet, most people's height won't increase after age 18 to 20. The graph below shows the rate of growth from birth to age 20. As you can see, the growth lines fall to zero between ages 18 and 20 ( 7 , 8 ). The reason why your height stops increasing is your bones, specifically your growth plates.