If you mean in the Ancient Greek sense of the word it’s a fine philosophy to try to live by,..then yes. But the modern meaning of being long-suffering and uncomplainingly taking anything that life and society throws at you..no!

After back surgery, my doctor laid my recovery squarely to my "Germanic stoicism" I did not understand and could npot fgure out if i was being insulted or praised, so I looked it up.
Stoics have always believed that the goal of all inquiry is to provide a mode of conduct characterized by tranquillity of mind and certainty of moral worth.
Well, that's me all right, certainty and moral worth, after so many years of sheer horneriness and moral laxity.

Years ago my wife happened to read a encyclopedia-style description of the classic Greek Stoics and noticed how close their worldviews were to mine. I looked it up and she was/is right. I have considered myself a Stoic ever since.

I highly recommend the Enchiridion of Epictetus for a short (maybe 100 pages) read of the principles of Stoicism.

The Epistles (letters) of Seneca to Lucilius are another excellent (if a little longer) presentation of the material.

English translations of both are available for free download anytime.
The Enchiridion: [gutenberg.org]
The Letters of Seneca: [gutenberg.org]

I'm an atheist, too most of my life. I don't know much about stoics but I do know the older I get, prefer the company of my animals.

Two hens, two mixed breed dogs, four cats and two mares. And the wildlife on our 40 acres too.

Unconditional love and I love it. They keep me company, their needs are few, they don't disrespect and gossip, they give love back freely.

Some good points, but I prefer not to ascribe to any particular philosophy.
I have little regard for the most of it, or philosophers, in general.

I don't need alternatives to religion to exist peacefully and positively in this world and do my best to leave it better than I received it. So no.

I really don't know much about it. I try to take the rough with the smooth as best I can - that's about it.

I very much relate to where they say it's less about what happens and more how we respond. I'm finding in my life that's been making a big difference. As I started listening, it was no surprise to me that they bring up Buddhism and behavioral therapy -- both have made an impact on me.

I have always enjoyed reading the Stoics. Seneca is my favourite. Marcus Aurelius is a bit high-minded for me. Seneca has a wry humour I enjoy. In one of his letters he goes on about rising above petty annoyances and freeing your spirit so that nothing is important, then goes on to say that he is really going to have to move house because the people upstairs are driving him mad with their noise.

St. Paul was schooled in Athenian philosophy, and I've heard it claimed that the Stoic mindset entered Christianity through the Pauline epistles, as when he writes "...I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content" in Philippians 4.

I'm a Stoic. My experiences taught me to take many things in stride. It seems like the best option for me.

Thanks for your responses lovely people. Those who 'don't need' any philosophy to guide your life....good on you. I bet you have discovered your own direction and way of living.

I live in a country where religion doesn't factor much and I see children and their parents growing up with no direction and are quick to blame and take offence. I am certainly not saying you can't have a moral compass without religion but I believe many atheists in my country (Australia) are losing their kindness and are grappling with an increasingly materialistic and isolating lifestyle. I believe schools, should be teaching citizenship and mental health. I would prefer it didn't label itself Stocism as there is no need. We can take the good principles from any philosphy but expecting people to live honourably without any guidance is unrealistic. Stoicism does it for me which is why I embrace it.

Stoicism principles help me with my mental health. eg Learn from the past, prepare for the future and live in the present. It embraces gratefulness and being of service to others, acceptance and striving to be the best sort of person you can be. These are principles reflected in modern day mental health theories like Acceptance, Commitment Theory. Perhaps they're a no brainer for enlighted educated people but they certainly make my life richer.
Thanks again.
Brenda

Why can't we just live without subscribing to a philosophy or looking for meaning? We're making life more complicated than it is because our brains are more imaginative than every other creature on Earth, who never contemplate this stuff and get by just fine.

Along with Buddhism and Hedonism, Stoicism is a mature attempt to deal with the challenge of living. Aspects of all three can be found in the New Testament, which an ugly amalgam of a primitive and barbaric tribal mythology with some of the wisdom of the classical world. I think that any of the "good stuff" in the Bible can be found better expressed earlier and elsewhere.

I was not aware of that. Thanks! It will be fun to learn more of Stoicism. I think I have a leg up on that.

Me

The problem is that stoicism is not atheist. They believe in the 'Logos", which created, sustains, and controls the whole Universe and every aspect of our lives. Their conception of "Logos" is almost identical to the god of western religions, and, specially, to the god of the Reformers (John Calvin, etc.)
In fact, so similar is the Logos to the god of Christians, that in the gospel of John the logos is 100% identified with the 3rd person of the trinity: "In the beginning was the Word [Greek: Logos], and the Word was with God, and the Word was God..."
This similarity or identification Logos = god, was one of the reasons early Christianity adopted Stoicism and rejected its rival school of philosophy, epicureism. [One of the most important stoic thinkers, Seneca, was considered by many to be a christian (though in fact he was not.)

I got a few phone apps on Stoic outlook that I'm getting some enjoyment from. Nothing in them indicates what test I must pass to count myself as a Stoic. But I suspect with all the bullsh*t I've weathered, there could be at least a few comforting words of advice or understanding in them.

Nah, I lean more towards Epicureanism.

I had recently discovered Youtube videos about Stoicism and wanted to learn more. I have yet to actually delve into it.

My husband was a Stoic.

nope. i don't want to be an ic or an ist... atheist just describes my not believing in any gods and has no other attached philosophy. not so, stoicism. sometimes, not often, i am asked for my philosophy of life. i don't see why i should have to have one. can i not meet life's challenges (and joys) as i find them? i have a memory. i can learn what's poisonous, figuratively as well as literally, and what's beneficial, likewise. i think more or less logically, as limited by my species and how much sleep i've gotten (or not). i don't need to be recalculating constantly, not consciously anyway.

g

The main things about it are to not be afraid of misfortune; the fear is almost always worse than the actual event (but not always!). When it DOES happen--and it sometimes does--one simply deals with it.
Also, mortality and how small and insignificant we really are...religion tries to blow us up into this godling-type entity much more important than we are. (At our best we can be pretty amazing, but gods we most certainly are not and never will be.) Knowing this is liberating; we are free to simply live our lives and find happiness as best we can.
Another thing the importance of being a good person, not because some "god" threatens us if we aren't, but because we're happier when we do the right thing (unless you're a sociopath or psychopath or in some other way unhinged).
Finally, being anti-materialistic and constantly practicing poverty. I hate greed and ego-driven ambition. That's stoicism. When I DO withhold help to a needy person I feel terrible about it, because that's often been me. There is no point hoarding wealth to inflate the ego...we all go to a common grave.
All that said, as an agnostic, I DO think anything's possible, so maybe we ARE held accountable in some kind of afterlife, etc., and it'd be nice if we were rewarded and "punished" in equal measure to the way we lived our lives--reincarnation comes to mind--but that's beside the point. Virtue is it's own reward.
I don't know if that's textbook "stoicism" but that's how I understand it.
My blueprint for living a good life is the Desiderata. I haven't compared it to Stoic principles, whatever they actually are, but I have a feeling it's very much so in spirit.

I've been pretty stoical all my life. Since before I even knew what it was!