The Stoic Question: Philosophy and Psychology Stoicism and Anger Live
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Apr 7, 2026 Phil Yanov, facilitator of Stoic events and community conversations, joins to explore Stoic approaches to anger and moderation. They discuss why anger is seen as irrational, how it differs from raw affect, and practical pauses to interrupt escalation. Topics include Stoic psychotherapy, cognitive reappraisal, bodily cues, social mediaâs role in rage, and Marcus Aureliusâ techniques for tempering anger.
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Ancient Stoics Had Practical Psychological Techniques
- Stoic practice includes many concrete psychological techniques that modern books often omit.
- Robertson notes Marcus Aurelius documents daily exercises and Chrysippus wrote an early psychotherapy On the Passions.
Anger Is Raw Affect Escalating Into Irrational Passion
- Stoics view anger as a rapid escalation from a natural raw affect into a full passion that hijacks the whole mind.
- Donald Robertson explains raw affect is natural but the cognitively mediated passion is irrational, impairs reasoning, and is therefore unhealthy.
Anger Is Shaped By Culture Not Just Biology
- Anger varies greatly across cultures and often functions as a learned coping strategy, not a fixed natural response.
- Robertson outlines dignity, honour, and face cultures and ties cultural shaping to expression and rates of anger.