Book · 2013
Stoicism and the Art of Happiness
by Donald Robertson
A psychotherapist walks Marcus Aurelius's own notebook back through the classical texts he was quoting from memory.
What does Reddit think of Stoicism and the Art of Happiness?
Donald Robertson appears to be active in r/Stoicism himself, and one reply reads like a fan closing out a reading list in real time: "I just finished your book and picked up stoicism and the art of happiness!" (↑69) That kind of direct author presence is unusual in this dataset, and it probably explains why 23 of 25 tracked mentions sit in a single subreddit. The single-best-book endorsement (↑49) is specific rather than gushing: the commenter picks this over other Stoicism primers because it "heavily cites writings and commentary made throughout history," calling it one of the more complete treatments of the philosophy as a lived practice. r/philosophy's lone mention (↑34) goes further, quoting Robertson directly on the common misreading that Stoics suppress emotion, which is closer to academic engagement than a recommendation. It usually shows up paired with A Guide to the Good Life and Meditations in reading-order lists, rarely alone.
Community feedback & reader fit
Themes
- · Historical primary-source citation as a differentiator among Stoicism primers
- · The misconception that Stoicism means suppressing emotion
- · Reading-order placement alongside Meditations and A Guide to the Good Life
- · Author presence and direct engagement inside r/Stoicism
Common praise
- + The strongest endorsement (↑49) picks it as the single best Stoicism book specifically because it "heavily cites writings and commentary" rather than paraphrasing.
- + r/philosophy's lone mention (↑34) quotes Robertson's own argument against the suppress-emotion misreading, treating the book as a source worth citing directly, not just recommending.
- + Robertson appears to reply in r/Stoicism threads himself, and at least one reader's response (↑69) reads like real-time engagement with the author, not detached fandom.
Common criticism
- − Twenty-three of twenty-five mentions sit in a single subreddit, so this data can't say much about how the book lands outside an audience already committed to Stoicism.
- − It's almost never recommended alone; every displayed excerpt pairs it with A Guide to the Good Life, Meditations, or The Practicing Stoic, making it hard to tell if Reddit sees it as the entry point or just part of a set.
Who it's for
Want citations, not just a modern author's paraphrase of Marcus Aurelius? The ↑49 comment picks this over other primers for exactly that reason. New to Stoicism entirely, expect to see it listed next to A Guide to the Good Life rather than instead of it, so budget for both. Already decided Stoics are just emotionally repressed? r/philosophy's excerpt has Robertson arguing that's a mistranslation problem, not a philosophy problem. Committed r/Stoicism regulars treat it as a working reference worth returning to, not a one-and-done read.
Mentions over time
Top subreddits
Which Reddit comments matter for Stoicism and the Art of Happiness?
The most relevant excerpts across the subreddits where this book is mentioned — opinionated, argued takes first, then top-upvoted mentions. Click through to read the full thread.
“There are a number of excellent books on the subject, I'll enumerate some below: - A guide to the good life - William Irvine - Marcus Aurelius' Meditations - Epictetus' discourses - Seneca's Essays - Stoicism and the art of happiness - Donald Robertson - How to Think Like a Roman emperor - Donald R…
“Tons of things. cognitive behavioral therapy. Parts of christanity. Neostoicism. There are modern people who claim to be stoics, some even in academia, but the connotations of what it means to be one aren't entirely the same anymore. Philosophy schools in the classical sense aren't really how modern…
“Gotta say seeing you reply here is awesome. I just finished your book and picked up stoicism and the art of happiness!
“If I had to read just one book on Stoicism, I would read Stoicism and the art of Happiness. I love that it heavily cites writings and commentary made throughout history. From what I can tell, it's one of the most complete treatments of Stoicism as a philosophy and lifestyle. That said, I read it af…
“Yes, one of the basic insights of modern cognitive-behavioural therapy is that people often try to avoid having certain thoughts by resorting to crude ineffective coping strategies like "thought suppression" (which you described) or distraction (such as focusing on something else instead). We know…
“Hey! Always important to remember you're **practicing** Stoicism, you're not a 'sage'. You won't instantly be a perfect Stoic and that's fine, no need to beat yourself over it. Practicing Stoicism is hard and takes a lot of time, if it is indeed ever possible to 'perfect'. I think it's worth rememb…
“This helped me with going a little deeper: in 'stoicism and the art of happiness' Donald Robertson writes: "It is a common misconception that the Stoics were into repressing emotions. That is arguably just due to problems of translation and interpretation. (...) Marcus Aurelius' remark about bei…
“Two great books that I found helpful were Stoicism and the Art of Happiness by Donald Robertson and The Practicing Stoic by Ward Farnsworth.
“Thank you for being honest about where you are with regards to stoicism. Modern stoicism is a framework that you can use to approach life. Absolutely, you can use Stoicism in the scenarios that you described above. The application of socialism in the scenarios would lead to a lifetime of mental tr…
“Imo starting with Meditations is like giving algebra to a 3rd grader, I’d suggest reading something that has less of a curve like stoicism and the art of happiness by Donald Robertson before heading into the diary of the emperor of rome
“>Can I (23F) Practice stoicism if I have anxiety and mental health problems Absolutely, yes. You could start with something by Donald J Roberston, who is a psychologist and writes books about Stoicism, from a mental health perspective. [Stoicism and the Art of Happiness](
“I unfortunately don't have a single one: * Epictetus's *Discourses* * Marcus Aurelius's *Meditations* * Seneca's *Letter from a Stoic* Among non-classical books, I enjoy reading Robertson's *Stoicism and the Art of Happiness*, Farnsworth's *The Practicing Stoic*, and Hadot's *The Inner Citadel* (I…
“The Practicing Stoic is a good book but it's mistitled if anyone thinks it's going to give some sort of detailed instructions for practice. It's just a themed selection of quotes, but a very good one. If you are looking for something a little more instructional, consider: \- Massimo Pigliucci "Liv…
“Here is my short list of books that I usually recommend as starting points (most of these are found in the FAQ as well): * Stoicism by John Sellars is an introductory-lev…
“So you've fallen into what I call the "Irvine Trap" - Stoicism is **not** about focussing on "what you control". Bluntly; you appear to lack an understanding of foundational concepts core to the philosophy - I recommend The Practicing Stoic by Farnsworth and Stoicism And The Art Of Happiness by Ro…
Convinced? Pick up Stoicism and the Art of Happiness
Readers also mention
Books that share discussion threads with Stoicism and the Art of Happiness — counted from the comments, not curated.
Guides featuring Stoicism and the Art of Happiness
Ranked best-of lists and editorial guides where this book's tracked mentions place it.
Stoicism and the Art of Happiness — frequently asked
Is Stoicism and the Art of Happiness the best book to start with?+
One r/Stoicism reader (↑49) says yes, if you're only going to read one, citing how heavily it cites primary historical sources and commentary. It's more often recommended alongside A Guide to the Good Life than in place of it, though, so treat that endorsement as a strong opinion rather than settled consensus.
Does Stoicism and the Art of Happiness address the idea that Stoics suppress emotion?+
Yes, directly. r/philosophy's lone displayed mention (↑34) quotes Robertson arguing the suppress-emotion reading is largely a translation and interpretation problem, not what the ancient Stoics actually meant. It's the most substantive engagement with the book's actual argument in this dataset.
Does the author of Stoicism and the Art of Happiness show up in its own Reddit threads?+
It looks that way. One r/Stoicism reply (↑69), "I just finished your book and picked up stoicism and the art of happiness!", reads as a direct response to Robertson participating in the thread, which would explain why this book's discussion concentrates so heavily in that one subreddit.