Someone who is stoically calm will make decisions not based on panic, anger or need … to please others.
A pushover, on the other hand, will let the wishes, coercion, or misconduct of someone else dictate their actions. While both types of people may act in some way, their actions will stem either from clear and rational thought or from the impulse to retaliate immediately.
Stoicism is commonly misconceived to be a philosophy that promotes passivity. That’s not true… Stoicism promotes justice, courage, and experience-based knowledge. It also encourages individuals not to add their own anger to difficult circumstances, and does not demand that you submit to mistreatment.
Calm Is Not Silence
Sometimes people call a person calm because they do not object. But in reality, they may be displaying this attribute due to fear, fatigue, dependency, or a learned behaviour of trying to keep their peace. Silence does not necessarily indicate wisdom…
A stoic calm is different. It comes from first trying to understand what has happened, and then deciding how to best react. In the Enchiridion 5, Epictetus states that it is not simply the things themselves that disturb us, but rather the judgments we place on those things.
The first interpretation of any event does not need to be the final decision.
