The Summer of Beauty: A Stoic Reflection
Episode #373
This summer has been, for me, the summer of beauty.
What I mean by that is, this summer in my household, we have focused on making our home beautiful. Painting. Lawn care. Home decorations. Feng shui, if you will. It’s not that we were negligent of these things in the past—though you can listen to my earlier reflections on lawn care and decide for yourself—but this year, we’ve paid extra attention to them.
And it got me thinking: what role does beauty play in a Stoic life?
Stoicism and Beauty: Cosmos as Beautiful Order
The long and short of it is that Stoicism supports the creation of beauty.
Beauty is beauty. In fact, the Greek word cosmos means beautiful order. The Stoics saw themselves as part of the cosmos. They didn’t worship it, but they understood it as something we are woven into—something we should emulate in our lives through reason and virtue.
Beautiful order is what we are all a part of, and it is how we should aim to conduct ourselves.
But it’s not as simple as saying, “Create beauty everywhere, at any cost.”
Premium subscribers will receive a new Stoic story later this week — a personal lesson about having humility in the gym. Stay tuned.
Beauty Without Virtue: A Stoic Warning
Consider the story of The Picture of Dorian Gray. A young man has a beautiful portrait of himself painted. He becomes obsessed with that painting. I won’t spoil the entire story, but let’s just say his obsession leads him to sacrifice his character for the sake of maintaining his physical beauty.
That is not what Stoicism teaches.
Stoicism supports the creation of beauty only if it aligns with virtue and reason. It teaches detachment from externals—wealth, reputation, and yes, even beauty itself. Your lawn. Your home. Your face. Your possessions. They are all indifferent in the Stoic sense.
However, beauty, when approached wisely, remains valuable.
Beauty as Reflection of Nature and Reason
First, beauty is a reflection of nature and reason. The Stoics held nature in high esteem. After all, they taught that we should live in accordance with nature.
Creating something beautiful—a garden, a home, a painting—is not just an aesthetic act. It is a way of harmonizing with nature. Marcus Aurelius writes:
“Dwell on the beauty of life. Watch the stars, and see yourself running with them.”
(Meditations 7.47)
Creating beauty can be a virtuous act if it cultivates discipline, care, mindfulness, or contemplation. Think of gardening, painting a room, or designing a peaceful space in your home. These are mindful acts, requiring patience and care.
And if your creation brings peace or joy to others—without attachment or pride—it can express virtue through temperance, wisdom, and justice.
Detachment: The Stoic Core
A Stoic gardener enjoys the process, not just the result. Imagine you spend ten hours perfecting your garden, and the next day a storm destroys it.
What would Epictetus say?
“Don’t seek for everything to happen as you wish, but rather wish that everything happens as it does, and your life will flow well.”
Plant the seeds. Tend the soil. Enjoy the beauty. But accept its impermanence.
Beauty vs Vanity
Beauty often drifts into vanity, especially personal beauty. When you create beauty, guard against inflating your ego. The motivation should be to create beauty virtuously—not to impress others or cling to an identity built upon possessions.
If you create beauty for peace, discipline, and harmony, it is the right use of externals. If you create it for ego, reputation, or vanity, it easily drifts into vice.
In Sum
A Stoic would tell you:
Create beauty, but do it virtuously.
Do it without attachment, no matter how difficult that may be. Create beauty in harmony with nature, letting your artistry reflect your inner order rather than feeding your outer vanity.
Or, to put it poetically:
Let your garden be a practice, not a prize.
Create beauty. Observe it. Share it. But never become attached to it.
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