The twelfth annual Stoic Week took place in November 2024. This year, the main research questions were around the relationship between Stoicism and the dysfunctional attitudes that can lead to people becoming vulnerable to depression and anxiety.

This year we asked participants to complete two questionnaires about dysfunctional attitudes, as well as the usual questionnaires about well-being and their degree of Stoicism. We were interested in answering these questions:

• To what extent is Stoicism associated with low scores on these dysfunctional attitudes?
• To what extent does the practice of Stoicism reduce someone’s vulnerability to depression and anxiety?
• What else could we learn from Stoic Week 2024?

 

This report attempts to answer these three questions. Further details are contained in the appendices. If you are interested in a 17 minute audio summary of this report (produced with the assistance of Notebook LM), then it is freely available here

https://notebooklm.google.com/notebook/733d3673-5f27-406c-a6b6-40902329f24e/audio

• Association of Stoicism with low vulnerability to depression and anxiety

A good case can be made for expecting that Stoicism might reduce people’s vulnerability to depression and anxiety. Were we to run through each day of the material of Stoic week, we can argue a credible case for Stoicism reducing vulnerability to both depression and anxiety.

Day 1 – Control

The dichotomy of control helps people focus on what is up to them – their actions and thinking – and to focus less on what is not up to them. So people will ruminate less about things in the past, and worry less about the future or what other people will do. Rumination and worry are two processes strongly linked with depression and anxiety, respectively.

Day 2 – Emotions

Stoic mindfulness and Stoic Cognitive therapy are variations on mindfulness and CBT, both of which have independently been shown to reduce vulnerability to depression and anxiety. Stoicism pays particular attention to being aware of thoughts that trigger negative emotions. The STOIC framework (LeBon, 2023, Stoic Week 2024) is specifically designed to help with real-time resilience.

Day 3 Virtue

When people cultivate key virtues – wisdom, courage, self-control and justice – you would expect life to go better for them, hence reducing vulnerability to depression.  Courage helps people overcome anxiety and achieve things that are worthwhile. Self-control enables people to do things they will not later feel anxious about or regret. Justice means people will foster good relationships, enhancing their well-being. Wisdom means people do the right thing ethically, reducing worry and rumination; it also helps them balance short-term and long-term interests, and selfish versus altruistic reasoning, all of which is likely to have a positive impact on well-being and resilience.

Day 4 Caring for ourselves and others

Developing self-care is likely to be very beneficial in reducing vulnerability to depression. Extending our care to others, such as in random acts of kindness, has also been shown to increase mood and a sense of well-being.

Day 5 Seeing the Bigger Picture

The View from Above can help people get a sense of perspective. Mantras such as “this too shall pass” have been known to be very helpful to people when depressed.

Day 6 Stoic it Up!

Embracing the Stoic Value system fully adds an extra layer to resilience. Most of the things we are anxious and depressed about – how others see us, finances, even the well-being of others, are “preferred indifferents.” What is of most value, according to Stoicism, is developing and using our good character, which is under our control.

Day 7 Toolkit

Developing a Stoic Toolkit and Stoic habits can help people reduce their vulnerability to anxiety and depression. A morning preview of the day, as in Meditations 2.1 (repeated throughout Stoic Week) is a valuable part of such a routine. The Stoic evening review,  included in every day of Stoic Week, can help participants develop a “growth mindset” where they learn from mistakes and set an intention to do better the next day. The STOIC framework facilitates the development of a Stoic mindset throughout the day.

• Previous research suggests Stoicism can help people be more resilient.

In 2020, we found a very high positive association between Stoicism and resilience – a correlation coefficient of .53 between SABS 5.0 and the Brief Resilience Scale. After a month of Stoicism, participants’ resilience increased by a significant 13%[i]

Using the Dysfunctional Attitude Scale (DAS) (Beck, Brown et al, 1991) and the Anxiety Attitude and Belief Scale (AABS), (Brown et al., 2000) we were able to evaluate the association between dysfunctional attitudes and Stoicism (as measured by the SABS 5.0).

This correlation with depression-vulnerability turned out to be -0.65, an extremely high negative association. A slightly lower but still significant negative association was found between Stoicism and vulnerability to anxiety (-0.44).

Delving deeper, the SABS items that correlated most negatively with depression vulnerability (DAS) were:

SABS Item No.	SABS item wording	DAS Correlation
32	I need to be well thought of by others in order to be happy. (reverse-scored)	-.63
41	If things don’t go well for me, I can’t lead a good life (reverse-scored	-.6
56	If things don’t go well for my family, I can’t lead a good life. (reverse-scored)	-.53
59	It is possible to lead a happy life even when we have lost success or wealth.	-.53
23	I cannot really be harmed by what other people say.	-.52

 

Table 1 – Stoic items most associated with resilience to depression

 

The SABS items that correlated most negatively with the anxiety vulnerability (AAAS) were:

SABS Item No.	SABS item wording	AAAS Correlation
31	I pay attention to my judgements about good or bad things or people as I am making them.	-.63
41	If things don’t go well for me, I can’t lead a good life. (reverse-scored)	-.6
48	Even when I can’t do anything more about a problem I still worry about it a lot. (reverse-scored)	-.53
19	I spend quite a lot of time dwelling on what has gone wrong in the past. (reverse-scored)	-.53
32	I need to be well thought of by others in order to be happy. (reverse-scored)	-.52

 

Table 2 – Stoic items most associated with resilience to anxiety

 

• Reducing vulnerability to depression and anxiety through doing Stoic Week

Overall vulnerability to depression reduced by 13.3% and vulnerability to anxiety reduced by 12.5% in Stoic Week, both significant improvements.

The following depression-related items showed most improvement:

 

	Item	Wording	% reduction
	21	I cannot be happy unless most people I know admire me.	26
	24	If I make a foolish statement, it means I am a foolish person.	24
	34*	I don’t need the approval of other people in order to be happy.	23
	40	People will reject you if they know your weaknesses.	22
	26	My life is wasted unless I am a success.	21
	22	If I ask a question, it makes me look inferior.	21
	4	If I do well, it probably is due to chance; if I do badly, it is probably my own fault.	21
	37	If someone disagrees with me, it probably indicates they do not like me.	21

 

Table 3 – DAS items that improved the most during Stoic Week

Question 34 is reverse-scored, meaning that a high score for each item is dysfunctional. So, a negative percentage change is a good thing. For example, after completing Stoic Week, there was a 26% reduction in people concluding there were a failure as a person just because they failed at work.

The following anxiety-related items showed most improvement.

Item	Wording	% reduction
10	Even though certain negative events are very unlikely to happen in general, they are more likely to happen to me.	22
16	It is essential to avoid being disapproved of by other people.	21
12	An unusual physical sensation in your body is likely to be a sign that something is seriously wrong with you.	20
1	If there is a chance of being evaluated while doing something, it is better to avoid it altogether.	20
2	In general, it is better to keep things the way they are than to take the risk of making things worse.	17
8	The way to avoid problems is not to take any risks.	17
4	You should not get involved in something if you’re not sure that you can manage it.	15
13	It is better not to rock the boat than to make changes.	15

 

Table 4 – AABS items that improved the most during Stoic Week

A negative % change means that people were less inclined to agree to these statements, which is a good thing as each of these statements make people more prone to anxiety disorders. For example, people were 22% less likely to think that negative events were more likely to happen to them, having completed Stoic Week.

4)What else could we learn from Stoic Week 2024?

Details of the course contents, measures used and further statistical findings are provided in the appendices.  Some observations:

• The average rating for Stoic Week 2024 was 8.5 (out of 10) compared to 8.3 in 2023 and 8.0 in 2022. (Appendix B)
• The new features were appreciated and in general there was a lot of positive feedback about Stoic Week 2024 , such as:
  • Thanks a lot for the opportunity to participate in such a memorable event. It was a super interesting experience, and I really enjoy to take part of it.
  • Gave me an awareness of what stoicism is actually about and how it could fit into a contemporary life rather than some badly summarised versions in newspapers and film.
  • It really helped to pull the theory together into a practical framework. I felt much calmer and my family noticed a difference (Appendix C)
• Over 70% of participants were relative novices – they stated that they “know a bit (or less)” about Stoicism. (Appendix B)
• A large majority of participants (over 80%) had not taken place in last year’s Stoic Week, meaning that Stoic Week continues to introduce thousands of new people to Stoicism. (Appendix B)
• Participants felt they had learnt a lot about Stoicism – increased knowledge was 23% – and identified more as being Stoic through taking part in Stoicism. Nevertheless, most recognised they were not an expert and even at the end of Stoic week only 17% fully considered themselves to be a Stoic, whilst 63% said they were more a Stoic than not a Stoic. (Appendix B)
• Stoicism, as measured by the SABS, once again had a highly significant correlation with a variety of well-being measures (Appendix J)
• For the twelfth year running, participants in Stoic Week reported on average a significant increase in well-being, as measured by a variety of well-being measures, after taking part in Stoic Week (Appendix I).
• The SABS items that increased the most during Stoic Week (Appendix F) were:

 

 

3	If bad things happen to you, you are bound to feel distressed.*	24.1%
29	I spend quite a lot of time dwelling on what has gone wrong in the past.*	19.3%
38	When a negative thought enters my mind, I remind myself that it is just an interpretation of the situation	19.1%
48	Even when I can’t do anything more about a problem, I still worry about it a lot.*	18.3%
33	I spend quite a lot of time worrying about the future.*	18.3%
4	Having good understanding and good character is all that is required in order to be happy.	17.8%
23	I cannot really be harmed by what other people say.	17.8%

 

*=reverse-scored, the score indicates a decrease and hence an improvement.

 

 

Appendices

Appendix A Course Content

 

Stoic Week is an e-learning programme developed by the Modern Stoicism team. Participants are invited to “live like a Stoic” for a week, undertaking an e-learning course and potentially interacting with other students through on-line forums.  In 2024 the training consisted of a booklet, available on-line and also in pdf form, short instructional videos, and a discussion group on Teachable. Materials were written and facilitated by Tim LeBon and Eve Riches, with support from the Modern Stoicism team including some much-valued volunteers who helped out with moderating the discussions, and others who translated the handbook into a variety of languages.

Innovations for 2024 included use of a graphic to illustrate the main theme of the day, and use of a “STOIC” framework to encourage during on Stoicism throughout the day, as well as daily reminder of a key Stoic quotation, Meditations 2.1, and its connection with the day’s topic.

As well as providing a useful resource for participants who wish to learn about how to practice Stoicism, this and other Modern Stoicism programmes are aimed at increasing what we know about the potential benefits of Stoicism. To this end, participants were asked to fill in a set of questionnaires at the beginning and end of the course. These included the SABS 5.0, a questionnaire designed by the Modern Stoicism team to measure someone’s degree of Stoicism, and three standard well-being questionnaires we have used in previous Stoic Weeks. In 2024 two questionnaires related to vulnerability to depression and anxiety were included.

The theme for each day was as follows:

 

 

Appendix B Demographics

 

Number of Participants taking part

It’s hard to ascertain exactly how many people take part in Stoic Week.

4753 people signed up for Stoic Week on Teachable, so that is a reasonable estimate as to how many people took part (though some people may have signed up and then not followed this up, especially as the event is free – conversely some people have taken part without signing up in Teachable, for example if they were sent a copy of the Handbook by a friend).

Of these, only a proportion attempted the questionnaires.at the start of Stoic Week. 4177 people completed the questionnaires at the time of writing this report.

Of these only a proportion completed the questionnaires at the start of Stoic Week –  1636 although 74 denied consent for their data to be stored, leaving 1562 participants for provided data.

 

Gender

 

Gender        Year	2024 %	2023 %	2022 %	2021 %	2020 %
Male	55	53	54	60	57
Female	43	45	44	39	42
Other	<1	<1	<1	<1	.6
Decline to state	<1	<1	<1	<1	.6

 

Table B 1- Gender

There were more men than women participating, 55% compared to 43%.

 

 

Why did people take part in Stoic Week?

 

The above WordCloud from Stoic Week 2024 indicates that people wanted to learn about Stoicism so they can practice being Stoic in their life.

 

Age of Participants

 

Participants’ ages were spread equally between the ages of 36 and 65.

Where did Stoic Week 2024 participants live?

Country	2024	%	2023
United States	580	37	513
United Kingdom	387	25	297
Canada	135	9	109
Australia	116	7	126
Germany	74	5	81
Spain	49	3	55
Netherlands	46	3	49
New Zealand	30	2
Ireland {Republic}	23	1	22
Italy	22	1	21
Mexico	20	1	24
Total	1,482		1,297

 

Table B2 – Countries taking part in Stoic Week with 21 or more participants, 2024

Following patterns observed in previous years, most participants came from USA, and UK then Canada and Australia.

 

Previous Stoic Week experience

A large majority of participants (over 80%) had not taken place in 2023’s Stoic Week, meaning that Stoic Week continues to introduce thousands of new people to Stoicism.

Knowledge of Stoicism

Participants were asked to rate their knowledge of Stoicism at the start and end of Stoic week from 0 (none) 1(Novice), 2 (I know a bit) 3 (I know quite a lot but am not an expert) 4 (expert).

At the start of Stoic Week 2024 they rated themselves as follows, with an average score of 2 (“I know a bit”):

By the end of Stoic Week, participants rated themselves on average with a knowledge of 2.5 (between “I know a bit” and “I know quite a lot but am not an expert”), an increase of 23% in knowledge of Stoicism.

 

How Stoic were participants?

Counting only participants who completed Stoic Week, the average score at the start of Stoic Week 2024 was 2.0 (Neutral or don’t know). The average score at the end of the Stoic Week 2024 was 2.4 (between Neutral or O don’t know) and “More not a Stoic than a Stoic), the increase in being more Stoic being 18%. 63% considered themselves more a Stoic than not, compared to just under 40% before Stoic week.

 

 

How long did people spend each day doing Stoic Week?

Participants were asked how long on average they spent on Stoic Week – the average was 40.4 minutes compared to 36 minutes in 2023.

On average, responders to the end of Stoic Week completed 6.5 days out of 7 (slightly more than in 2023).

 

How highly did participants rate Stoic Week 2024?

 

Participants were asked to rate Stoic Week on a rating 0-10.

The average rating was 8.5 compared to 8.3 in 2023 and 8.0 in 2022.

More participants gave Stoic Week 2024 the maximum rating (10) than any other single rating.

 

Appendix C – Qualitative Feedback

 

The qualitative feedback given at the end of Stoic Week was once again very positive.

Sample comments from Participants at end of Stoic Week 2024

The graphics and lessons were helpful and all of the guest speakers were really informative.

 

I did this with a group of women I meet once per month.  We are going to share our experiences at our next meeting.

 

Very enjoyable and thought provoking. Thanks to all those who help make it happen.

 

Learning to care for myself and the concept of the way I select indifferents establishes the virtues and my character.

 

The graphic was good, daily review and integration of 2.1, how one day built on the next.

Thanks a lot for the opportunity to participate in such a memorable event. It was a super interesting experience and I really enjoy to take part of it. … I see the stoic way like to run a marathon (a lot of preparation) and once in the race you need to find your way to reach your goal.

 

All the graphics are great, daily cards, videos, STOIC framework, the archer illustration of things we can/we do not control, but also the written materials and ‘further readings.’

 

The STOIC Framework was nice. I generally hate forced acronyms, but this one works.

 

I liked how Stoic week makes it easier to understand how to live the philosophy on a day to day basis. And the STOIC model is just genius. I am finding it really helpful.

 

My husband has noticed a change for the better in my conversation. He has seen improvement in my attitude. He is thrilled!

 

Gave me an awareness of what stoicism is actually about and how it could fit into a contemporary life rather than some badly summarised versions in newspapers and film.

 

The most important benefit for me personally was developing a greater sense of inner calm and resilience. Stoic Week helped me cultivate a mindset focused on what I can control and let go of unnecessary worries over things I cannot. This shift has made me more patient and less reactive, especially in challenging situations.
For those around me, this change has been beneficial because I’ve become a better listener and more present. Instead of getting caught up in minor frustrations, I’m able to approach problems with a clearer mind, which has positively affected my relationships and communication with others. Additionally, sharing some of the Stoic principles with family and friends has sparked meaningful conversations, helping them also look at challenges from a fresh perspective.
Overall, the experience has fostered a positive ripple effect, encouraging a calmer, more focused, and intentional way of interacting with others.

 

The week has opened a door and enabled me to take the first steps through it.
Upon entering it has allowed me to look at the thoughts of others as well as look at my own approach to life which has elements of stoicism.
It has now given me the opportunity to consider if/how I wish to move forward.
Thank you
It really helped to pull the theory together into a practical framework. I felt much calmer and my family noticed a difference

 

I recommended it to colleagues, and I know 3 who also participated and really benefited from it

 

For me, the most important thing was to look at stoicism not just a thought, but an action.

 

I felt I was more calm, happy, and relaxed, and I was able to respond to those around me in a calmer and kinder way.

 

It was great to get an insight into the practice of Stoicism, but I was surprised how it aligned and complemented some CBT therapy that I had. Very pleased.

 

I really enjoyed it. I was working at an election poll worker during this week and it definitely helped me sail through difficult situations. Stoicism passed the acid test big time!

 

This stoic week gave me a practical way to implement everything I’ve been learning for the past few years. Like a teacher guiding a student on how to use a skill they’ve acquired. This week has also made me realise the importance of reaching out to other modern Stoics (or aspiring ones) and help each other.

 

Enjoyed being part of a WhatsApp group organised by a family member to enhance our experience of the Week. That gave me direction, encouragement and support. I sensed that some others were finding inspiration and that was encouraging
I do feel buoyed and hopeful that I will read more widely from the attached booklist and make use of the learnings from this week.

 

The Tuesday lesson helped me become more aware of my immediate emotions. I like the idea that we are being given a choice on whether we want to board the train or not. It gave me some sort if increased feeling of autonomy. I am more in control over my reactions than I thought.
The most important benefit was to be more in control of myself in some situations as well as to have skills and competencies in dealing with people: I think that other people, namely colleagues in the workplace, could benefit too as I was calmer and well disposed at glossing over certain problems and issues.
Another benefit concerns the opportunity to be part of a community, reading and knowing others’ positions, perspectives, stories and experiences, which is helpful when applying Stoicism.

 

I enjoyed it very much. Modern Stoicism is a great community.

 

Participating in Stoic Week has helped me manage my emotions more effectively, benefiting both my own well-being and my relationships with others. By practicing the ‘dichotomy of control,’ I found myself less reactive and more understanding in challenging situations, which made my interactions calmer and more positive. My increased self-awareness also allowed me to be more present with loved ones, as I learned to focus on what truly matters and to let go of unnecessary worries.

 

I really liked the Stoic graphic for Stop, Time Out, Observe, Identify, and Choose. I also really liked the Minding the Gap video, and the transcendence audio and videos. I think it was helpful to learn how the topics for each day could be integrated in considering Marcus Aurelius’s quote.

 

Stoic week came at a time when I have been experiencing quite a bit of anxiety over the US election. So I had specific issues that I could work with right now. The benefit of Stoic week for me was creating space and time to really think about Stoic ideas and how they applied to my life. I especially appreciated the ability to download the morning and evening meditations and the others. They really helped me get some perspective.

 

1. I’ve become more resilient. Learning to focus on what I can control and accept what I can’t has made me calmer and less stressed in challenging situations. I think others around me have noticed this too – I’m not as reactive, and I can handle problems without getting as flustered.
   2. My emotions feel more balanced. The Stoic exercises taught me to reframe situations and manage my reactions better. I’m not letting things get to me as much, and I think this stability has improved my relationships. People close to me can probably sense that I’m more even-tempered.
   3. I see my daily life with fresh perspective. Stoicism has helped me appreciate things more and turn setbacks into learning experiences. I feel like I’m focusing more on what really matters to me, and that’s given me a sense of purpose and positivity that’s hard to miss. I hope it’s inspiring for those around me, too.
   4. I’ve become a better listener and communicator. Practicing patience and empathy has changed the way I communicate. I’m more thoughtful in my conversations, which I think others appreciate. It feels like my interactions are more meaningful and trusting.
   5. I’ve built a stronger sense of community. Knowing that others were taking part in Stoic Week too gave me a feeling of shared purpose. I loved the discussions we had about the Stoic principles we were learning. These conversations have brought me closer to people in a way I hadn’t expected.

 

 

Stoic week provided the reset I was in need of.  It made me examine what I’m doing well, what I should improve on, and how I can live a more Stoic life.  I spent more time walking, more time in nature, improved my journalling techniques, and spent much more time reading, which I’m grateful for.

 

This was my first time participating in Stoic Week, but I had read about enough philosophers and philosophies to know that Stoicism resonates with me.  It was a great experience to be able to identify and consider central principles, and consider how within a random week I could recognize them and activate them in my life.  I do want to be an excellent person, and I appreciate the tools that had been arranged for my collection this week.
Just because a framework was provided ahead of each day, I did find myself paying attention and aware of my experiences and responses.  I felt more thoughtful about my life activities, and it felt good.
I didn’t participate in online responding, but did download the workbook, and record thoughts and observations there, for my own analysis.  Thank you for that option that felt comfortable in this first experience.

 

It gave me tranquillity. It taught easy-to-apply lessons everyday and I was able to remember and apply the quotes, the content and the trainings in most situations during the week. In somewhat difficult appearing situations it helped me a lot to stay calm and reevaluate things. Especially the view from above gave me the chance to reflect on the importance of things.

 

Great Course!  Lots of re-enforcement for me.  The STOIC Framework was the most valuable for me.  It gave me simpler, more direct, way to access a Stoic thought process.  As I said in the comments it helped me to expand the space between impulse and response.  I call it:  “Stepping into the Gap.”  My thought process changed from: “don’t react!” to “How can I respond and be Stoically virtuous?”  Powerful stuff!  Thank you!

Beyond that, the daily does of Stoicism in a digestible portion.  It really helped to put Stoicism in the forefront as I proceed through my day.

 

(I especially liked) The Stoic framework, the videos and essays (both in the curse and the additional resources) especially (Eve’s) Mind the Gap and Massimo’s discussion of indifferents.

 

The most important benefit has been to discover that Stoicism is a philosophy that I can apply daily and specifically on a permanent basis to regular situations that I may encounter on any activity.  Also, this pragmatic aspect emphasizes the idea that beyond reading, studying, meditating; Stoicism is practice by doing.
Another important benefit has been that the Stoic Week helped me to increase Care; the one I give to myself and the one I devote to others.  Increasing Care increases wellbeing.
I learnt a lot more about Stoicism and how it is interpreted. Previously, I had read Aurelius, Seneca and Epictetus but never appreciated the contents meaning as fully as the quotations that the course explained. Thank you.

 

Sense of community for me from the course comments. Mind the gap was the most helpful for how I interact with my teenagers.

 

Engagement in an international activity of like-minded people, who, for the most part, are seeking to improve the world by becoming better individuals themselves.

 

Learned so much from Donald Robertson’s video on emotions, and the STOIC framework is a game changer. All content was of high quality and very useful.

 

I’m a full-time carer and often my life feels out of control, but I am often trying to anticipate and control things that are beyond my control. Participating in Stoic Week again has reset my thinking and I’m feeling more able to deal with the issues that can arise in my role. I feel more at peace, and that has a positive influence on me and my family.

 

For a course that is offered for free I think this was incredible.  The daily nudge to do the work was well received.

 

I like that I am now far more aware of things around me and consciously thinking about my emotions and treating people better.

 

Very practical advice and such a great philosophy to integrate into life to help us all live a bit better. The challenge is to consistently apply it but every time I do manage to Stoic it Up, I get a buzz and hope that I can do it again.

 

Although I’ve read some material relating to Stoicism in the past, I didn’t have a good understanding of the underlying principles before completing Stoic week. The way that the information was presented was extremely helpful, as were the practical exercises. For me, however, the explanations about the underlying concepts – presented in an in-depth and yet accessible way – was the highlight.   In relation to how it helped me, I think that the concept of only concerning yourself with what you can control was very beneficial. In relation to those around me, the concept of the circles of care helped me to choose to do something a family member wanted me to do.

 

I was surprised about the benefits I got from this single week. I didn’t know what to expect. But it was great. I think for me there were two big things that made up the benefit.
1. The “Dopamine detox”. I made a dopamine detox before but I didn’t really get any benefits out of it because it was hard and uncomfortable. But the dopamine detox in this week was backed by philosophy and therefore I even had fun while staying away from some high dopamine sources. And in the end, even the work I had to do was entertaining.
2. The 4 virtues. I am studying Stoicism over a year now but I didn’t pay that much attention to the 4 virtues. But in the Stoic week I learned a lot about them and got to know how valuable they actually are.

 

I was more structured with my morning, afternoon, and evening routines which I already used. It provided me with fantastic tools, such as the STOIC framework, which I’ve put up on my device backgrounds to remind me of how to handle things well. It was also fantastic to be able to read/engage with other people who are in a similar position to me and have similar values. Overall, it was a pleasure to learn and practice with everyone this past week, and I’m incredibly grateful to the instructors for their valuable time, insight, and wisdom.

 

Perhaps unexpectedly, one of the main benefits (and something that definitely boosted my moods) was how the format and accessibility of the week’s course helped me to ‘get back into’ learning. This is something I had craved but just hadn’t been able to get my mind to cooperate on. I appreciated the fact that it assumed no prior knowledge, and I found that the structure of the course (including being broken down into segments) really worked for me. I even made two types of notes – unheard of! – and have bookmarked some more of the free courses that I found on Donald Robertson’s website.

Regarding the course content, I found that ‘Minding the Gap’ really resonated with my desire for good character development and is something I’m now committed to implementing day-to-day. I loved the simplicity and visualisation of Eve’s train metaphor 🙂

Thank you so much!
My husband says I’m kinder and less critical of myself and other people. And I complain less.
For myself I feel I’ve got more peace of mind.
I was particularly pleased with the ‘care’-day when I actually contacted someone and replied in a kind way to someone else instead of complaining about that person. By doing so, I immediately solved a problem that otherwise would have haunted me for quite some time.

 

It definitely was one of the calmest weeks in my life. I managed to be more patient, caring, and wise in handling difficult situations without conflicts. Thank you for enlightening a way to a peaceful world to me.

 

High quality content and videos
Interesting discussions with other participants in the comment section
Answers from Stoicism experts in the comments!

 

I liked all the new material added since last year. Experts from Modern Stoicism, like Tim, Eve, Brittany, Kathryn and Massimo being Instructors.

 

Really focusing on Meditations 2.1 throughout the week helped me to have it more readily available during challenging or upsetting situations. I also found the STOIC acronym and the stoic archer to be helpful reminders that the practice of Stoicism is an ongoing effort and an extremely active effort.

 

We spoke about it around the dinner table with the whole family gathered.
Also being reminded to think and choose like a stoic. And sometimes even realise that you would have acted like a stoic naturally, without knowing it’s a stoic way to be.

 

Participating in Stoic Week helped me develop a more grounded mindset, allowing me to respond more thoughtfully when facing challenges in daily life. This shift led to a greater sense of resilience and calm, which has positively impacted my interactions with those around me. I feel that my family, friends, and colleagues (especially my family) have noticed that I am more present and less affected by external stressors, making me a more supportive and understanding presence in their lives. I believe the principles of Stoicism have helped me build a foundation for long-term emotional balance and clarity, which benefits both my personal and professional relationships.

 

Even though it was not an easy week in terms of time – (work, international visitors etc) I felt that I was learning about a framework that sits well with me and I want to learn more.
My partner was interested to see what I was engaging with and joined the week as well! That was a lovely surprise and it means that we can support each other to continue learning and practising together.

 

I gained new and more subtle insights during this year’s Stoic Week, relative to last year when it was like an explosion of big ‘wow’ moments. So this year the benefit has been reinforcing the good habits I learned last year and reminding myself of what is more subtle or challenging that I should be working on. The focus on the STOIC behaviours framework this year has been especially helpful in lowering my anxiety and encouraging me to step back for a moment to re-frame a situation.

 

I was able to see that I had been more angry than I realised and so I was able to reduce it a lot. I also was able to care less about what others think and their reactions whilst also seeing how anti-social I was and consciously working on being more social

 

 

I absolutely loved stoic week. It was great to cover one topic per day, it deepened my understanding especially concerning the „what is up to me“part. It came to understand that there is a huge difference between understanding something on the cognitive level vs really understanding something on a deeper level

 

 

 

 

Appendix D  The Dysfunctional Attitudes Scale

 

 

The Dysfunctional Attitude Scale (DAS) was designed to measure the intensity of dysfunctional attitudes, a hallmark feature of depression

 

A high score indicates a higher vulnerability to depression and other problems.

 

This was called Attitudes and Beliefs Scale D during Stoic Week with the following instructions:

The statements below describe people’s attitudes and beliefs. Select the option that best describes how much you agree or disagree with the statement. Your answer should describe the way you think most of the time. 

– Totally disagree

– Disagree very much

– Disagree slightly

– Neutral

– Agree slightly

– Agree very much

– Totally Agree

Note – items in italics are reverse-scored (these are functional attitudes)

1. If you cannot do something well, there is little point in doing it at all.
2. An unpleasant event does not make me sad. I make myself sad by what I tell myself.
3. One should look for a practical solution to problems rather than a perfect solution.
4. If I do well, it probably is due to chance; if I do badly, it is probably my own fault.
5. A person doesn’t need to be well liked in order to be happy.
6. To be a good, moral, worthwhile person, I must help everyone who needs it.
7. A person cannot survive without the help of other people.
8. If I try hard enough I should be able to excel at anything I attempt.
9. Whenever I take a chance or risk I am only looking for trouble.
10. I should be happy all the time.
11. If people whom I care about do not care for me, it is awful.
12. A person cannot change their emotional reactions even if they know they are harmful to them.
13. I should be able to please everybody.
14. I can find greater enjoyment if I do things because I want to, rather than in order to please other people.
15. I can take responsibility only for what I do, not what other people do.
16. I can find happiness without being loved by another person.
17. Even though a person may not be able to control what happens to them, they can control how they think.
18. People who have good ideas are more worthy than those who do not.
19. I cannot trust other people because they might be cruel to me.
20. If I fail at my work, then I am a failure as a person.
21. I cannot be happy unless most people I know admire me.
22. If I ask a question, it makes me look inferior.
23. I may be able to influence other people’s behaviour but I cannot control it.
24. If I make a foolish statement, it means I am a foolish person.
25. A person should do well at everything they undertake.
26. My life is wasted unless I am a success.
27. If people consider me unattractive it need not upset me.
28. I must be a useful, productive, creative person or life has no purpose.
29. I ought to be able to solve my problems quickly and without a great deal of effort.
30. If I don’t set the highest standards for myself, I am likely to end up a second-rate person.
31. It is shameful for a person to display their weaknesses.
32. People should have a reasonable likelihood of success before undertaking anything.
33. My own opinions of myself are more important than other’s opinions of me.
34. I don’t need the approval of other people in order to be happy.
35. A person should be able to control what happens to them.
36. If I demand perfection in myself, I will make myself very unhappy.
37. If someone disagrees with me, it probably indicates they do not like me.
38. If I am to be a worthwhile person, I must be truly outstanding in at least one major respect.
39. I am nothing if a person I love doesn’t love me.
40. People will reject you if they know your weaknesses.
41. I should always have complete control over my feelings.
42. No one can hurt me with words. I hurt myself by the way I choose to react to their words.

 

The average score at the start of Stoic Week was 118.8.

A score of below 80 placed you in the bottom 10% of respondents (lower vulnerability to depression).
A score between 80 and 96 placed you in bottom 10-25% of respondents.
A score between 96 and 116 placed you in the 25% to 50% range of respondents.
A score between 116 and 139 placed you in the 50% to 75% range of respondents.

A score between 139 and 163 placed you in the 75%  to 90% range of respondents.

A score of 163 or above placed you in the top 10% of respondents. (higher vulnerability to depression)

For further information see https://psycnet.apa.org/record/2023-10298-001

 

Dysfunctional Attitudes Item	Correlation with SABS	% Change over Stoic Week
1.     If you cannot do something well, there is little point in doing it at all.	-0.35	-17.7%
2.     An unpleasant event does not make me sad. I make myself sad by what I tell myself.	-0.36	-14.3%
3.     One should look for a practical solution to problems rather than a perfect solution.	-0.40	-11.6%
4.     If I do well, it probably is due to chance; if I do badly, it is probably my own fault.	-0.05	-20.8%
5.     A person doesn’t need to be well liked in order to be happy.	0.04	-13.9%
6.     To be a good, moral, worthwhile person, I must help everyone who needs it.	0.04	2.4%
7.     A person cannot survive without the help of other people.	-0.42	1.1%
8.     If I try hard enough I should be able to excel at anything I attempt.	-0.13	1.0%
9.     Whenever I take a chance or risk I am only looking for trouble.	-0.44	-13.4%
10.  I should be happy all the time.	-0.44	-2.3%
11.  If people whom I care about do not care for me, it is awful.	-0.39	-11.3%
12.  A person cannot change their emotional reactions even if they know they are harmful to them.	-0.16	-11.5%
13.  I should be able to please everybody.	-0.35	-19.4%
14.  I can find greater enjoyment if I do things because I want to, rather than in order to please other people.	-0.37	-13.1%
15.  I can take responsibility only for what I do, not what other people do.	-0.45	-16.0%
16.  I can find happiness without being loved by another person.	-0.25	-18.6%
17.  Even though a person may not be able to control what happens to them, they can control how they think.	-0.41	-13.1%
18.  People who have good ideas are more worthy than those who do not.	-0.46	-11.5%
19.  I cannot trust other people because they might be cruel to me.	-0.50	-15.5%
20.  If I fail at my work, then I am a failure as a person.	-0.45	-14.2%
21.  I cannot be happy unless most people I know admire me.	-0.35	-25.6%
22.   If I ask a question, it makes me look inferior.	-0.46	-21.1%
23.   I may be able to influence other people’s behaviour but I cannot control it.	-0.22	-14.5%
24.  If I make a foolish statement, it means I am a foolish person.	-0.44	-23.9%
25.  A person should do well at everything they undertake.	-0.45	-6.5%
26.  My life is wasted unless I am a success.	-0.22	-21.3%
27.  If people consider me unattractive it need not upset me.	-0.30	-18.0%
28.  I must be a useful, productive, creative person or life has no purpose.	-0.25	-12.7%
29.  I ought to be able to solve my problems quickly and without a great deal of effort.	-0.37	-13.3%
30.  If I don’t set the highest standards for myself, I am likely to end up a second-rate person.	-0.30	-7.8%
31.  It is shameful for a person to display their weaknesses.	-0.43	-13.7%
32.  People should have a reasonable likelihood of success before undertaking anything.	-0.50	-5.6%
33.  My own opinions of myself are more important than other’s opinions of me.	-0.29	-14.2%
34.  I don’t need the approval of other people in order to be happy.	-0.08	-22.9%
35.  A person should be able to control what happens to them.	-0.48	-16.2%
36.  If I demand perfection in myself, I will make myself very unhappy.	-0.39	-4.9%
37.  If someone disagrees with me, it probably indicates they do not like me.	-0.48	-20.7%
38.  If I am to be a worthwhile person, I must be truly outstanding in at least one major respect.	-0.46	-13.4%
39.  I am nothing if a person I love doesn’t love me.	-0.11	-14.9%
40.  People will reject you if they know your weaknesses.	-0.50	-21.9%
41.  I should always have complete control over my feelings.	-0.35	-5.9%
42.  No one can hurt me with words. I hurt myself by the way I choose to react to their words.	-0.36	-19.8%

 

Table D Dysfunctional Attitude Scale item correlations with Stoic Attitudes  and Behaviours and change during Stoic Week

Appendix E  The  Anxiety Attitude and Belief Scale

This was called Attitudes and Beliefs Scale A during Stoic Week with the following instructions:

This inventory lists different beliefs that people sometimes hold. Please read each statement carefully, decide how much you believe what is stated, and select the number corresponding to how much you agree. Please try not to think too much about each item–people are different, so there is no right or wrong answer. To decide how much you agree with a statement, simply keep in mind what you are like most of the time.

– Totally disagree

– Disagree very much

– Disagree slightly

– Neutral

– Agree slightly

– Agree very much

– Totally Agree

	1.     If there is a chance of being evaluated while doing something, it is better to avoid it altogether.
	2.     In general, it is better to keep things the way they are than to take the risk of making things worse.
	3.     Thinking about bad things that have happened to other people could cause the same thing to happen to you.
	4.     You should not get involved in something if you’re not sure that you can manage it
	5.     If you imagine something bad happening, then it is up to you to make sure that it doesn’t come true.
	6.     One should always be on the lookout for trouble that might be developing.
7.     When making a decision, it is better to play it safe rather than risk making the wrong choice.
8.     The way to avoid problems is not to take any risks.
9.     You should not allow yourself to be seen losing control of yourself in any way
10.  Even though certain negative events are very unlikely to happen in general, they are more likely to happen to me.
11.  Anticipating the worst outcome prepares you for the worst.
12.  An unusual physical sensation in your body is likely to be a sign that something is seriously wrong with you.
13.  It is better not to rock the boat than to make changes.
14.  Planning every detail in advance is the only way to avoid unpleasant surprises.
15.  I It is unwise to proceed with something unless you have all of the possible information you might need.
16.  It is essential to avoid being disapproved of by other people.

 

This scale is also known as the Anxiety Attitude and Belief Scale (AABS), Developed by GP Brown et al. in 2000, is a tool designed to assess enduring attitudes and beliefs that indicate a psychological vulnerability to anxiety problems. This scale aims to measure how individuals’ beliefs and attitudes may contribute to their anxiety levels. A high score indicates a higher vulnerability to anxiety problems.

The average score at the start  Stoic Week was 52.8.

A score of 36 or lower placed you in the bottom 10% of respondents (lower vulnerability to anxiety)
A score between 36 and 44 placed you in bottom 10-25% of respondents.
A score between 44 and 52 placed you in the 25% to 50% range of respondents.
A score between 52 and 61 placed you in the 50% to 75% range of respondents.

A score between 61 and 70 placed you in the 75% to 90% range of respondents.

A score of 70 or above placed you in the top 10% of respondents. (higher vulnerability to anxiety).

Reproduced with permission of the authors: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/cpp.1928

 

	Anxiety Attitudes Item	Correlation with SABS	% Reduction over Stoic Week
	1.     If there is a chance of being evaluated while doing something, it is better to avoid it altogether.	-0.32	19.7%
	2.     In general, it is better to keep things the way they are than to take the risk of making things worse.	-0.33	17.2%
	3.     Thinking about bad things that have happened to other people could cause the same thing to happen to you.	-0.23	13.5%
	4.     You should not get involved in something if you’re not sure that you can manage it	-0.25	15.2%
	5.     If you imagine something bad happening, then it is up to you to make sure that it doesn’t come true.	-0.09	9.2%
	6.     One should always be on the lookout for trouble that might be developing.	-0.10	8.0%
7.     When making a decision, it is better to play it safe rather than risk making the wrong choice.		-0.36	12.2%
8.     The way to avoid problems is not to take any risks.		-0.36	16.9%
9.     You should not allow yourself to be seen losing control of yourself in any way		-0.09	8.0%
10.  Even though certain negative events are very unlikely to happen in general, they are more likely to happen to me.		-0.41	21.9%
11.  Anticipating the worst outcome prepares you for the worst.		0.07	2.5%
12.  An unusual physical sensation in your body is likely to be a sign that something is seriously wrong with you.		-0.29	20.3%
13.  It is better not to rock the boat than to make changes.		-0.37	15.0%
14.  Planning every detail in advance is the only way to avoid unpleasant surprises.		-0.21	8.0%
15.  I It is unwise to proceed with something unless you have all of the possible information you might need.		-0.21	6.3%
16.  It is essential to avoid being disapproved of by other people.		-0.49	21.2%

 

Table E– Anxious Attitude and Belief Scale correlations with SABS 5.0 at start of Stoic Week and Reduction Over Stoic Week

 

 

Appendix F Stoic Attitudes and Behaviour Scale 5.0 (SABS 5.0)

 

#	Item	Reversed?	Average score start of Stoic Week 2024 7= totally Stoic) All participants	Correlation with DAS Start of Stoic Week	Correlation with AABS Start of Stoic Week	% Increase by end of Stoic Week 2024 Completers
1	I think about my life as an ongoing project to become a better person.	No	6.1	-0.21	-0.17	3.1%
2	It can sometimes be a good thing to become angry at people.	Yes	3.7	-0.08	-0.01	13.3%
3	If bad things happen to you, you are bound to feel distressed.	Yes	3.4	-0.34	-0.28	24.1%
4	Having good understanding and good character is all that is required in order to be happy.	No	4.3	-0.16	-0.06	17.8%
5	Viewing other people as fellow-members of the brother/sisterhood of humankind helps me to avoid feeling angry and resentful.	No	5.3	-0.33	-0.26	11.3%
6	The universe is benevolent in its overall plan.	No	4.2	-0.18	-0.13	10.0%
7	I regularly spend time reflecting on what is most important to enable me to live a good and happy life.	No	5.3	-0.27	-0.19	8.1%
8	Bad luck could stop me being happy.	Yes	4.3	-0.47	-0.33	15.8%
9	I do the right thing even when I feel afraid.	No	5.0	-0.29	-0.23	6.2%
10	It is my duty to help others.	No	5.5	-0.08	-0.08	3.9%
11	Sometimes a controlled experience of anger can be helpful in resolving conflicts with others	Yes	3.1	0.00	0.02	6.4%
12	I usually do the right thing.	No	5.4	-0.23	-0.17	4.3%
13	I do not act on urges when it would be unwise to act on them	No	4.5	-0.30	-0.18	13.2%
14	I am committed to helping humanity in general.	No	5.4	-0.22	-0.17	6.1%
15	I treat everyone fairly.	No	5.4	-0.25	-0.15	7.5%
16	To flourish as a human being all you need is good character and understanding of what really matters in life	No	5.2	-0.20	-0.06	11.9%
17	If things don’t go well for my friends, I can’t lead a good life.	Yes	5.2	-0.45	-0.26	5.7%
18	I take active steps to reduce the suffering of others.	No	5.0	-0.17	-0.16	6.4%
19	I spend quite a lot of time dwelling on what has gone wrong in the past.	Yes	3.8	-0.42	-0.39	19.3%
20	It is possible to lead a happy life even after the death of someone we love.	No	5.9	-0.44	-0.32	5.0%
21	The universe embodies wisdom.	No	4.8	-0.16	-0.09	4.7%
22	When making an important decision I ask myself “What really matters here?”	No	5.4	-0.41	-0.30	8.3%
23	I cannot really be harmed by what other people say.	No	4.8	-0.52	-0.32	17.8%
24	The universe is a living thing.	No	5.0	-0.16	-0.09	0.8%
25	I need quite a lot of money in order to be happy.	Yes	4.8	-0.48	-0.33	8.5%
26	When I have a problem, I am good at taking constructive action in a timely manner.	No	4.9	-0.32	-0.31	8.2%
27	We can’t really control other people.	No	6.2	-0.33	-0.23	3.1%
28	There is a rational and orderly plan in the universe and in the causes of events.	No	3.9	-0.12	-0.02	8.9%
29	When making a significant decision I reflect on what a good role model would do.	No	4.6	-0.25	-0.15	11.8%
30	Nothing except our judgements and voluntary actions are truly under our control in life.	No	5.9	-0.34	-0.19	6.5%
31	I pay attention to my judgements about good or bad things or people as I am making them.	No	5.1	-0.27	-0.16	8.5%
32	I need to be well thought of by others in order to be happy.	Yes	4.6	-0.63	-0.38	10.6%
33	I spend quite a lot of time worrying about the future.	Yes	3.6	-0.47	-0.43	18.5%
34	It is good to think about life as an ongoing journey towards becoming a better person.	No	6.2	-0.24	-0.14	1.8%
35	I am committed to helping my friends.	No	5.7	-0.18	-0.15	3.6%
36	I pay attention to my thoughts about what I intend to do before I act on them.	No	5.2	-0.32	-0.21	6.2%
37	I want to become a better person ethically.	No	6.3	-0.14	-0.04	0.9%
38	When a negative thought enters my mind, I remind myself that it is just an interpretation of the situation.	No	4.6	-0.45	-0.28	19.1%
39	It is right to feel intense and overwhelming grief after a significant loss	No	2.2	-0.11	-0.07	2.4%
40	I view other people as fellow-members of the brother/sisterhood of humankind.	No	5.3	-0.31	-0.25	6.1%
41	If things don’t go well for me, I can’t lead a good life.	Yes	4.8	-0.60	-0.42	10.3%
42	I can’t control how I feel.	Yes	4.9	-0.47	-0.34	5.2%
43	I need to be in good health in order to be happy.	Yes	3.7	-0.46	-0.32	11.5%
44	I am committed to helping my family.	No	6.1	-0.16	-0.12	0.6%
45	Every day I spend some time thinking about how I can best face challenges in the day ahead.	No	4.6	-0.22	-0.11	12.6%
46	Our voluntary actions are among the only things truly under our control in life.	No	5.8	-0.26	-0.16	4.8%
47	As long as you have the right attitude, you can lead a good life even in the most difficult circumstances.	No	5.7	-0.39	-0.25	5.2%
48	Even when I can’t do anything more about a problem, I still worry about it a lot.	Yes	3.3	-0.46	-0.42	18.3%
49	I care about the suffering of others	No	5.8	-0.09	-0.07	2.0%
50	I often do what I feel like doing rather than doing what I believe to be the right thing.	Yes	4.4	-0.29	-0.24	4.6%
51	Our judgements are amongst the only things truly under our control in life.	No	5.7	-0.31	-0.16	5.0%
52	I see my happiness as fully compatible with caring for other people.	No	5.3	-0.14	-0.13	4.5%
53	The best idea is to give up trying to control people and instead focus on our own actions and our judgements and character.	No	6.3	-0.37	-0.23	1.3%
54	There is no overall plan to the universe.	Yes	3.5	-0.12	-0.06	6.4%
55	I think about what the ideal wise and good person would do when faced with misfortunes in life.	No	4.6	-0.26	-0.12	10.4%
56	If things don’t go well for my family, I can’t lead a good life.	Yes	4.4	-0.53	-0.37	4.8%
57	I am committed to helping in my local community.	No	4.7	-0.19	-0.17	8.6%
58	It does not help me to get angry	No	5.6	-0.18	-0.10	1.0%
59	It is possible to lead a happy life even when we have lost success or wealth.	No	5.5	-0.53	-0.36	8.9%
60	We can sometimes influence how others behave, but we can’t completely control other people.	No	6.3	-0.32	-0.21	3.8%
	Total Score		296.4

 

Table F – Stoic Week participant scores for  SABS 5.0 comparisons 2024

 

Instructions to Stoic Week participants

For each of the above items, please mark on a 7-point Likert scale whether you agree with it from Strongly Agree (7) to Strongly Disagree (1) as follows:

Strongly Agree 7

Agree 6

Slightly Agree 5

Neither agree nor disagree 4

Slightly Disagree 3

Disagree 2

Strongly Disagree 1

 

Please respond according to what you yourself think, not what you think the answer ought to be or what you ought to think.

SCORING

To obtain the scores for reverse-coded items, subtract the score from 8 (e.g., a score of 7 becomes 1).

The higher the score, the more Stoic your attitudes and beliefs are. The possible scores range from 60 (minimum Stoic) to 480 (maximum Stoic).

The Average SABS score for all participants at the start of Stoic Week 2024 was 295.

A score of:

346 or above would place someone in the top 10%

323 or above would place someone in the top 25%

297 or above would place someone in the top 50%

269 or below would place someone in the bottom 25%

241 or below would place someone in the bottom 10% in terms of your degree of Stoicism

 

Appendix G: The Satisfaction with Life scale

 

The SWLS is a short 5-item instrument designed to measure global cognitive judgments of satisfaction with one’s life. This scale is widely used as part of the measure of Subjective Well-being (also known as happiness).

Question                                                                                                                                                               Theme

Q1. In most ways my life is close to my ideal                                                                                                                            Life is ideal

Q2. The conditions of my life are excellent                                                                                                                               Externals met

Q3. So far, I have got the important things I want in life.                                                                                                         Needs met

Q4. I am satisfied with my life                                                                                                                                                Satisfaction

Q5. If I could live my life over, I would change almost nothing                                                                                           Acceptance

 

Using a 1-7 Likert scale, users score between 35 (extremely satisfied) and 5 (extremely dissatisfied)

 

#	Item	Average score start of Stoic Week 2024 (all)	% change Stoic Week 2024 (completers)
1	In most ways my life is close to my ideal.	4.6	14.3%
2	The conditions of my life are excellent	5.0	10.8%
3	So far, I have got the important things I want in life	5.1	11.3%
4	I am satisfied with my life	4.9	11.9%
5	If I could live my life over, I would change almost nothing	3.8	18.9%
	Overall	23.5	12.7%

Table G –  Stoic Week 2023 participant scores for  Satisfaction with Life

 

The average score at the start of Stoic Week 2024 was 23.5

A score of 14 or lower places someone in the bottom 10% of respondents.
A score of between 14 and 19 places someone in the 10-25% range of respondents
A score between 19 and 25 places someone in the 25-50% range of respondents

A score of between 25 and 28 places someone in the 50-75% range of respondents.
A score of 31 or above places someone in the top 10% of respondents.

The SWL scale was developed by Ed Diener, Robert A. Emmons, Randy J. Larsen, and Sharon Griffin as noted in the 1985 article in the Journal of Personality Assessment. See http://internal.psychology.illinois.edu/~ediener/SWLS.html

 

Appendix H:  The Flourishing Scale

 

The Flourishing Scale is a brief 8-item summary measure of the respondent’s self-perceived success in important areas such as relationships, self-esteem, purpose, and optimism. The scale provides a single psychological well-being score.  This scale was developed by Ed Diener and associates to measure a broader conception of well-being than purely subjective life satisfaction and the presence of positive and absence of negative emotions.

 

 

#	Flourishing Scale Item	Average score Start of Stoic Week 2024 (all)	% Change Stoic Week 2024 (completers)
1	I lead a purposeful and meaningful life.	4.9	11.7%
2	My social relationships are supportive and rewarding.	5.0	10.7%
3	I am engaged and interested in my daily activities.	5.2	9.6%
4	I actively contribute to the happiness and well-being of others.	5.3	8.2%
5	I am competent and capable in the activities that are important to me	5.6	5.9%
6	I am a good person and live a good life.	5.5	5.8%
7	I am optimistic about my future.	5.1	10.9%
8	People respect me.	5.3	7.0%
	All Items	41.9	11.7%

 

Table G1 -Stoic Week 2024  participant scores for  Flourishing

 

Reference: Diener, E., Wirtz, D., Tov, W., Kim-Prieto, C., Choi, D., Oishi, S., & Biswas-Diener, R. (2009). New measures of well-being: Flourishing and positive and negative feelings. Social Indicators Research, 39, 247-266.  http://internal.psychology.illinois.edu/~ediener/FS.html

 

The average score at the start of Stoic Week 2024 was 41.9

A score of 31 or lower places someone in the bottom 10% of respondents.
A score of between 31 and 37 places someone in the 10-25% range of respondents
A score between 37 and 43 places someone in the 25-50% range of respondents

A score of between 43 and 47 places someone in the 50-75% range of respondents.
A score of 51 or above places someone in the top 10% of respondents.

Appendix I:  The Scale of Positive and Negative Emotions (SPANE)

The SPANE is a 12-item questionnaire that includes six items to assess positive feelings and six questions to assess negative emotions. For both the positive and negative items, three of the items are general (e.g., positive, negative) and three per subscale are more specific (e.g., joyful, sad). Along with the Life Satisfaction Scale, the presence of positive and absence of negative emotions forms the other part of Subjective Well-being.  Users are asked to select a number between 1 (very rarely or never) and 5 (very often or always) to indicate how often they have experienced the emotion in the last 4 weeks.

 

#	SPANE Scale Item	Average start score 2024  (all)	% Change over Stoic Week 2024 (completers)
1	Positive	3.6	11.7%
2	Negative	-3.0	-20.5%
3	Good	3.7	12.5%
4	Bad	-2.6	-18.9%
5	Pleasant	3.6	10.6%
6	Unpleasant	-2.6	-17.2%
7	Happy	3.4	10.0%
8	Sad	-2.6	-18.3%
9	Afraid	-2.3	-17.6%
10	Joyful	3.1	12.3%
11	Angry	-2.5	-17.9%
12	Contented	3.4	12.9%
	SPANE POSITIVE ITEMS	20.9	12.4%
	SPANE NEGATIVE ITEMS	-15.7	-18.5%

 

Table H1 –  Stoic Week participant scores for SPANE

 

Reference: Diener, E., Wirtz, D., Tov, W., Kim-Prieto, C., Choi. D., Oishi, S., & Biswas-Diener, R. (2009). New measures of well-being: Flourishing and positive and negative feelings. Social Indicators Research, 39, 247-266.  http://internal.psychology.illinois.edu/~ediener/SPANE.html

The average score at the start of Stoic Week 2024 was 5.2 (all participants).

A score of -5 or lower places someone in the bottom 10% of respondents.
A score of between -5 and 0 places someone in the 10-25% range of respondents
A score between 0 and 5 places someone in the 25-50% range of respondents

A score of between 5 and 11 places someone in the 50-75% range of respondents.
A score of 15 or above places someone in the top 10% of respondents.

Appendix J:   Changes in Well-being during Stoic Week 2024

 

Living like a Stoic” in Stoic Week has previously seen significant increases in well-being. Would this still prove to be in 2024?

 

 

Stoic Week   Measure	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017	2016	2015
Increase in Flourishing	10%	10%	9%	11.5%	11%	7.5%	8%	10%	10%	10%
Increase in Satisfaction with Life	13%	12%	12%	14.5%	13%	11.5%	12%	14%	15%	15%
Increase in Positive Emotions	13%	12%	12%	13%	11%	9.5%	9.5%	11%	10%	10%
Reduction in Negative Emotions	19%	25%	20%	21%	19%	17%	14%	14%	14%	14%
Increase In Stoic Attitudes and Behaviours	9%	9%	10%	11%	9%	8%	10%	9%	11%	13%

 

Table I1 Overall Findings Stoic Week 2024 – Impact of taking part in Stoic Week

 

Table I1 above shows the comparative increases in wellbeing and other measures for the last 9 years of Stoic Week.  Once again, participants experienced a significant increase in every measure of wellbeing, compared to the start of Stoic Week.

Appendix K  Correlations of Scales

 

Measure	Name	SWL	SPANE	FLOURISH	AABS	DAS	SABS 5.0
SABS 5.0	Stoic Attitudes and Behaviours	0.40	0.53	0.57	-0.44	-0.65	1.00
DAS	Dysfunctional Attitudes Scale	-0.28	-0.45	-0.41	0.65	1.00	-0.65
AABS	Anxious Attitudes & Beliefs Attitudes Scale	-0.30	-0.40	-0.41	1.00	0.65	-0.44
FLOURISH	Flourish (Diener)	0.71	0.75	1.00	-0.41	-0.41	0.57
SPANE	Positive and Negative Emotions (Diener)	0.62	1.00	0.70	-0.40	-0.45	0.53
SWL	Satisfaction with Life Scale (Diener)	1.00	0.62	0.71	-0.30	-0.28	0.40

Table K1 Correlations between scales at the start of Stoic Week 2024

Appendix L:   Completion Rate for Stoic Week 2024

Stoic Week	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017	2016	2015
No of participants at start (valid questionnaires)	1636	1569	1327	1369	1608	1725	3702	2870	1803	2503
Valid questionnaires completed at end	436	450	372	459	527	416	852	689	270	726
Completion Rate	26%	29%	27%	33%	30%	24%	23%	24%	15%	29%

 

Table L1 Comparison of completion rates in Stoic Weeks over time

The completion rate of 26% may seem low, but for a free e-learning event it is actually high – 5-15% has been quoted as an industry average (See https://elearningindustry.com/what-makes-the-completion-rates-of-online-courses-so-low-and-how-improve-it)

825 people attempted the end of Stoic Week questionnaires.

Of these, only a proportion completed the  end of Stoic week questionnaires  -436 in 2024.

When we calculate the improvements from taking part in Stoic Week, we match email addresses or pseudonyms with participants at the start of week, so some of the 436 are excluded. In 2024, we ended up with 354 matched participants

 

 

[i] https://modernstoicism.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/SMRT-2020-Results-1.0.pdf.