A lot of people believe that the Stoics were like robots who encouraged everyone to suppress everything they felt. In reality, they treasured wisdom and virtue, and the use of reason to work one’s way through difficulties rather than allowing emotions to rule them.
Retirement is a difficult transition that can be quite tumultuous for people to navigate. As such, let’s take a cue from the Stoics with bits of wisdom that you can use to help you cope gracefully through the growing pains associated with this new phase of life.
1. “Get busy with life’s purpose, toss aside empty hopes, get active in your own rescue, and do it while you can.”
Marcus Aurelius is one of my favorite Stoic philosophers, and I’ve taken great comfort and guidance from his works throughout my life. This quote is from his Meditations (3:14), and it encourages people to use whatever time, energy, and resources they still have available to pursue the things that are most important to them.
Many people live as though they have all the time left in the world to do what they like or passively wait for all the pieces to fall into place at the “right time” instead of actively going after them to achieve their goals. If there are things you’d like to achieve in your retirement, there’s no time like the present to dive in and make them a reality.
2. “It’s not by strength or speed or swiftness of body that great deeds are done, but by wisdom, character, and sober judgment.”
This is a quote from Marcus Tullius Cicero’s book How to Grow Old, which was written in 44 BCE. It reminds us that many of the greatest deeds we can do in life don’t necessarily depend on having a youthful, strong body, but instead on using our minds and the character we’ve developed over several decades of living.
It’s a good one to keep in mind if you ever feel “useless” now that you aren’t working, or if you aren’t as physically swift or capable as you once were. You can create great works of craft, music, or literature with slow, steady progress and many years’ worth of accrued skill and mastery.
Similarly, you can help others in times of need because you’ve learned how to maintain calm and perspective in a crisis. Elders have always been society’s leaders because they have the wisdom, calm judgment, strength of character, and will to provide guidance and get things done properly.
3. “Let us cherish and love old age; for it is full of pleasure if one knows how to use it. Fruit tastes most delicious just when its season is ending.”
Seneca wrote this in a letter to his friend Lucillus around 64 CE, when he was in his late sixties. Rather than seeing his elder years as a torment or decline, he embraced the aging process and aimed to make those later years as fulfilling as possible — and encouraged his dear friend to do the same.
Most of us have had very little time to live slowly and intentionally during our working years. There has always been frenetic activity around us, and a never-ending to-do list to attend to. Retirement offers us the opportunity to recycle or burn that list and prioritize the things that bring us real joy instead.
4. “Let no one be slow to seek wisdom when he is young, nor weary in the search of it when he has grown old. For no age is too early or too late for the health of the soul.”
Epicurus founded Epicureanism, which teaches that the highest good one can aim for is a tranquil, peacefully pleasant life free of pain or fear. This is actually in stark opposition to Stoicism, which focuses on calm strength, virtue, and living in harmony with nature. That said, this quote is worth including in our list because it reminds people that it’s never too late to pursue education, wisdom, and soul-deep personal development.
It’s important to remember that retirement doesn’t mean forced lethargy and deterioration while watching daytime TV drivel. Instead, it offers immense opportunities to delve into all the subjects and do as much personal growth as you like. When have you ever had such free time to pore through books at the library, or prioritize spiritual pursuits during your working years?
5. “You pray for good health and a body that will be strong in old age. Good — but your rich foods block the gods’ answer and tie Jupiter’s hands.”
These are wise words by Aulus Persius Flaccus, who was a Roman poet, Stoic, and satirist. It reminds us that it’s all well and good to hope and pray that we remain strong and healthy well into our elder years, but all the prayers in the world won’t do a thing if you sabotage your health with less-than-ideal life choices.
The Stoics focused on nutrition over pleasure when it came to food choices, and made a point to never overindulge. They also appreciated physical exercise for the sake of building endurance and maintaining health, rather than vanity.
Although some people may be inclined to live on a steady diet of lasagna and ice cream in their retirement, it’s best to balance that out with plenty of vegetables, whole grains, and whatever exercise fits your unique needs and makes you feel strong and healthy.
6. “Old age has no extravagant banquets, no tables piled high, no wine cups filled again and again, but it also has no drunkenness, no indigestion, and no sleepless nights!”
This is another quote by Cicero, and it puts a lot in perspective if you feel like you aren’t having as much fun in your later years as you did in your youth. Things may be calmer now than the wild parties in your past, but that also means that you’re dealing with less stress and drama as well.
By retirement age, few of us have to worry about things like unplanned pregnancies or how housemates will react to us having eaten all the pudding. When we look back at the things we reveled in during our youth, most of us remember stupid drunken antics, hangovers, and lasting repercussions from both over-indulgence and questionable choices we made. Retirement may be significantly more sedate, but it’s also much more peaceful!
7. “The impediment to action advances action, what stands in the way becomes the way.”
It shouldn’t be much of a surprise that this is another Marcus Aurelius quote, since he’s the source of so much valuable wisdom and guidance. The way I’ve always interpreted this quote is that obstacles we come across can become great opportunities for growth, development, and creative problem-solving. In contrast, allowing ourselves to give in to whatever is blocking our path can make that obstacle the foundation for our future.
When we read stories about great things people have done, almost all of them have involved surmounting one obstacle or another. In fact, by doing so, they may realize a great destiny. Retirement can bring about changes that may feel like frustrations or hindrances, but they don’t have to if we change our perspective. Each one offers the chance to move around, over, or through it, rather than just plopping down on it and accepting that there’s no choice but to do so.
8. “Nothing highly honored here is eternal, nor can a man take anything with him when he dies.”
A Greco-Syrian writer named Lucian of Samosata wrote this around 160 CE. While he was a cynic and a satirist who often mocked Stoicism for its occasional hypocrisy and dogmatic leanings, this quote embodies Stoic views as far as attachment to personal objects and wealth is concerned.
The Stoics recommended that people appreciate items they use rather than loving them, and avoid emotional attachment to things that are essentially ephemeral. After all, we can’t take worldly possessions with us when we go.
In contrast, living a life in service to others ensures that the legacy one leaves behind is one of lasting good for many. Let go of attachment to “things,” including wealth and expensive items. Instead, aim to use your retirement to do as much good as you can, for as many as you can, while you can.
Final thoughts…
One of the main reasons why many people find retirement challenging is that they see it as a firm step on the road towards their inevitable end. It’s easy to forget about mortality when we’re busy with work, but after retirement, many people struggle to feel useful anymore.
The quotes shared here can help exponentially in reminding everyone that the end of the daily grind isn’t the end of life itself! Retirement is an amazing opportunity to enjoy life without as much stress or constant output, with a focus on rest, creativity, and service to others.
