Ancient wisdom

David Von Drehle could hardly believe his eyes. There was his new neighbour, washing his girlfriend's car. The neighbour, Charlie White, was 102.

White and Von Drehle became friends. Now Von Drehle has written a book about the retired doctor.

When Charlie was only eight, his father died in an accident. But Charlie never complained about how terribly unfair this was.

Instead, he decided he could get through anything, no matter how awful. He also decided that it was not the length of your life that mattered, but what you did with it.

Von Drehle saw Charlie as a believer in StoicismA philosophy that originated in the ancient world and still has many adherents today. Stoics seek to control their emotions and preserve their happiness in the face of adversity.. This ancient Greek philosophy focuses on living a good life. It says you should control your feelings and follow the laws of nature and reason.

It also says you should be wise and fair, and avoid envy and worry. It teaches us to see the difference between things that are in our power and those that are not.

You cannot control events or other people. But you can choose hope rather than despairThe complete loss of hope. and love rather than hate.

Born in 1905, Charlie lived through huge changes. But his Stoical attitude helped him see the good side of them.

He started out as a general doctor. But the invention of antibioticsMedicines that fight bacterial infections. in the early 1940s convinced him that only specialists had a real future.

Instead of thinking his career was over, he looked for a new skill to master. And as a wartime doctor in the US Army, he decided to become an anaesthetistA doctor who gives patients medicines that make them unable to feel pain before surgery. . So, Von Drehle writes, "He returned home as a pioneer in a new and rapidly growing specialty."

After Charlie's death, his family found a sheet of paper with his rules for life. They included:

"Think freely. Practise patience. Smile often. Forgive and seek forgiveness.

"Feel deeply. Tell loved ones how you feel.

"Be soft sometimes. Cry when you need to. Observe miracles."

Should we all become Stoics?

Yes: Like Charlie, we are living through turbulent times and massive changes. AI could upset all our career plans. Stoicism teaches us to be positive: an uncertain future is not necessarily a bad one.

No: We cannot control our emotions any more than we can control fate, and our attitude to life depends on the mindset we were born with. Trying to be something you are not is a waste of time.  

Or... Stoicism can be very helpful to some people. The principles of Alcoholics Anonymous are very similar, emphasising the importance of knowing what you can and cannot change.