Stoicism can be boiled down into 4 key virtues, representative of the whole philosophy. When put into practice with intent and reason, one inevitably sees improvement in their character and life.

#1: Courage

Courage is the building block for the rest of these virtues. If you lack courage, if you don’t stand steadfast in your beliefs, if you behave in a spineless manner, you aren’t able to carry out the remaining virtues. Courage leads the charge in one’s pursuit of becoming a better stoic.

As Marcus Aurelius wrote in Meditations, “You have power over your mind, not outside events. Realize this, and you will find strength.”

#2: Justice

The virtue of justice, to the stoics, meant doing the right thing. To live according to nature, to be selfless, to do what you believe is right in every circumstance, to do these things in your life is to carry out justice.

“Just that you do the right thing. The rest doesn’t matter.” – Marcus Aurelius

#3: Temperance

Temperance means to do the right amount of the right things. It is to not over do things, or sometimes to abstain all together. Temperance applies well to all the other virtues. One must not be too courageous to the point where it is stupid, for example. Virtues aren’t uncompromising and absolute. One must decide what is the right amount of each virtue. Thus, temperance requires self-reflection and awareness.

“How to act: never out of compulsion, out of selfishness, without forethought, with misgivings.” – Marcus Aurelius

#4: Wisdom

Wisdom is the constant pursuit of knowledge. To be wise one must understand there is much more they don’t know than the amount they do know. To be wise one must be willing to look foolish in order to learn.

“He that is perfectly wise is perfectly happy.” – Seneca

All of these virtues complement each other. To understand the right amount (temperance) of the right thing (justice) and to be courageous enough to act on it, one must be wise.