Report on Stoic Week 2023 Tim LeBon

The eleventh annual Stoic Week took place in November 2023. The main research questions
were around the relationship between Stoicism and meaning and purpose in life.

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

1) To what extent is meaning in life associated with Stoicism?

2) To what extent does the practice of Stoicism enhance a sense of meaning in life?
3) What else could we learn from Stoic Week 2023?

This report attempts to answer these three questions. Further details are contained in the
appendices.

1) Association of meaning in life with Stoicism

There is a good case for thinking that Stoicism might increase a sense of meaning and
purpose in life. After all, Stoicism provides a unifying framework and a purpose – to live
according to nature, to live as an excellent human and to play one’s best role in the universe.

Previous Stoic week research on the topic was limited to one item in the Flourish
questionnaire, namely

“I lead a purposeful and meaningful life”.

In Stoic Week 2022, there had been a high correlation between this item and Stoicism (of .5 ,
The average score for this item in the Flourish sale also increased 13% through taking part
in Stoic Week in 2022. So prior to Stoic Week 2023, there was some, very limited, support for
the hypothesis about meaning in life and being Stoic.

Using the Mundane Meaning Measure (MMM) (Brown et al,, 2008) we were able to evaluate
the association between meaning in life and Stoicism (as measured by the SABS 5.0) using a
more thorough, 36 item scale (see Appendix D for more details about this scale.

This correlation turned out to be 0.62, an extremely high positive association – and greater
than the .5 from the single item measure.

Delving deeper, the SABS items that correlated most highly with the Mundane Meaning
Measure were the following items

SABS SABS item wording

Item MMM
No. correlation
26 When I have a problem, I am good at taking constructive action in 0.54
 a timely manner
I spend quite a lot of time dwelling on what has gone wrong in
19 the past. (reverse-scored) 0.52
I spend quite a lot of time worrying about the future. (reverse-
33 scored) 0.52
Even when I can’t do anything more about a problem, I still worry
48 about it a lot. (reverse-scored) 0.49
When making an important decision I ask myself “What really
22 matters here?” 0.44
If things don’t go well for me, I can’t lead a good life (reverse-
41 scored) 0.42
When a negative thought enters my mind, I remind myself that it
38 is just an interpretation of the situation. 0.40

Table 1 – Stoic items most associated with meaning

The MMM scale is divided into 4 subscales, which correlated with the SABS as follows

Integration of
Purpose Action identification circumstances Coherence
0.53 0.47 0.54 0.48

Table 2 – Correlations of dimensions of meaning with Stoicism

Each dimension correlated highly with Stoicism, with no significant difference between
them.

2) Increase in meaning in life through doing Stoic Week

Overall meaning in life as represented by MMM increased by 14.5% in Stoic Week, a large
increase.

The following MMM items increased the most

No Item Change

I see a clear path forward for myself into the

23 24.40%
future.
 17 I am living up to my potential. 21.90%

4 I feel like I have a mission in life. 21.60%

36 I have a definite direction in my life. 20.10%

24 I feel like I am in limbo. (reverse-scored) 19.90%

30 I have a strong sense of purpose. 19.60%

28 My sense of who I am in life is clear. 19.40%

Table 3 - MMM items that improved the most during Stoic Week

Looking at the four dimensions of the MMM, purpose increased the most, by nearly 19%

Dimension Meaning Increase

1 Purpose 18.7%
2 Action Identification 9.7%
3 Integration of Circumstances 13.8%
4 Coherence 14.4%

Table 4 - Changes in MMM dimensions s during Stoic Week

3)What else could we learn from Stoic Week 2023?

Details of the course contents, measures used and further statistical findings are
provided in the appendices. Apart from the significant correlation af meaning and
life and Stoicism, and increased meaning in life, discussed above, these were some
key findings :-
  Negative emotions reduced a lot during Stoic Week 2023, “Feeling negative”
– reduced by 29% , feeling sad by 27%, feeling bad and feeling angry by 24%,
feeling afraid by 21%. (appendix H)

 Positive emotions also increased – feeling joyful and contented both by 14%,
for example. (Appendix H)

 Stoicism, as measured by the SABS, once again had a highly significant

correlation with a variety of well-being measures (Appendix J)

 For the eleventh 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).

 Participant’s knowledge of Stoicism increased during Stoicism by 18%– as

self-reported by a single item (appendix B).

 The SABS items that increased the most during Stoic Week (Appendix E)
were:

Even when I can’t do anything more about a problem, I still worry

48 about it a lot.* 20.8%
Having good understanding and good character is all that is
4 required in order to be happy. 18.8%

33 I spend quite a lot of time worrying about the future.* 18.3%

43 I need to be in good health in order to be happy.* 16.7%

3 If bad things happen to you, you are bound to feel distressed.* 16.3%

23 I cannot really be harmed by what other people say. 16.2%

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

 Over 70% of participants were relative novices – they stated that they “know
a bit (or less) ” about Stoicism. Likewise , most participants had not part in a
previous Stoic Week. (Appendix B)
 There is a continuing trend of increased female participation – up to 44%
though still more men are taking part in Stoic Week (53%) (Appendix B)
 Most participants still come from USA, and UK. Notably, 126 participants
were located in Australia in 2023, compared to only 79 in 2022. (Appendix B)
 The average rating for Stoic Week 2023 was 8.4 (out of 10) compared to 8.0 in
2022. (Appendix B)
 There was a lot of positive feedback , such as “"Feeling reinvigorated to be a
better person by living more Stoically. Reminding myself of the practical
things I can do every day to stay on track." (Appendix C)
Appendices
Appendix A Course Content

Stoic Week is an e-learning programme developed by the Modern Stoicism team. In

2023 the training consisted of a booklet, available on-line and also in pdf form and
also short instructional videos and a discussion groups 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.

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. 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 3 standard well-being
questionnaires we have used in previous Stoic Weeks . The innovations from 2021 ,
such as short daily videos, editable pdfs and simplified language were retained. The
theme for each day was as follows:-

Monday: Control Tuesday: Emotions Wednesday: Thursday: Caring

Character and for Ourselves and
Virtues Others

Friday: Seeing the Saturday: Stoic it Sunday: Creating

Big Picture Up! Your Stoic Toolkit
Appendix B Demographics

Gender

Gender 2023 2022 2021 2020

Year % % % %
Male 53 54 60 57
Female 45 44 39 42
Other <1 <1 <1 .6
Decline to state <1 <1 <1 .6

Table B 1- Gender
Why did people take part in Stoic Week?

The above WordCloud from Stoic Week 2023 indicates that people wanted to learn
about Stoicism so they can practice philosophy in their daily life.
Where did Stoic Week 2023 participants live?

Country 2023 % 2022 %

United States 513 32 409 31%

United 297 19 18%

234
Kingdom

Australia 126 8 79 6%

Canada 109 7 118 9%

Germany 81 5 50 4%

Spain 55 3 33 2%

Netherlands 49 3 37 3%

Mexico 24 2 30 2%

Ireland 22 1 2%
26
{Republic}

Sweden 21 1 16 1%

Switzerland 21 1 (less than 16)

Table B2 - Countries taking part in Stoic Week with 21 or more participants, 2023

Following patterns observed in previous years, most participants came from USA,
and UK.. Notably, 126 participants were located in Australia, compared to only 79 in
2022.

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 2023 they rated themselves as follows, with an average
score of 1.95 (between Novice and “I know a bit”)

At the end of Stoic Week, participants rated themselves on average with a

knowledge of 2.4, an increase of 18%.
How much did participants identify with being a Stoic?

Participants were asked “To what extent do you consider yourself to be a Stoic?” at
the start and end of Stoic Week

The average score at the start of Stoic Week 2023 was 2.35, similar to previous years.
The average score at the end of the Stoic Week 2023 was 2.8 , the increase in being
more Stoic being 17% (slightly more than previous years)

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 36 minutes in 2023, compared to 40.5 minutes in 2022

On average, responders to the end of Stoic Week completed 6.4 days out of 7 (same
as 2022).
How highly did participants rate Stoic Week 2023?

Participants were asked to rate Stoic Week on a rating 0-10. The average rating was
8.4 in 2023 compared to 8.0 in 2022.
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 2023

"Feeling reinvigorated to be a better person by living more Stoically. Reminding

myself of the practical things I can do every day to stay on track."

"Loved it"

Very valuable. Really enjoyed it.

Please keep it running.

I managed to get a few people to try it this year. I think they enjoyed it.

Second time was a great refresher so I didn't feel it was such a struggle to grasp the
ideas but could focus more on applying the teachings to my day to day life.

If believe Stoicism has made a major impact in my life especally in regards to how I
manage my emotions and react to potential stressors.

This was such a great experience. Thank you for pulling it together!

Really inspirational. Liked mixture of exercises and formats

Thoroughly enjoyable and lifechanging!

Awesome! Thank you for making it available for free!

I appreciate the time and effort everyone involved put into this. I would suggest
exploring how you can better get the word out about Stoic Week 2024 and get people
signed up earlier. I didn't hear about it until the first day. Some online communities
like r/Stoicism were mostly unaware of this until some people mentioned it late.

The materials were excellent and thanks for all the work you put into this.

I felt part of something big thank you.

Interesting and fun - great toolkit of resources

It was very helpful. I will continue to practice the things I have learned and it will
make a different in my life. Thank you,

This was my eighth time, tenth time? I don't know. But every year it resets my
outlook and my mood.
I find myself inching closer to accepting the possibility that I live in a benevolent
universe. This concept was hard for me after my heavily positivist training as a
science student in the 70s. I can feel myself growing into a new way of looking at
things now.

I also appreciated the team members discussing their own experiences

Just a big thank you for championing Stoicism and offering this course. I got so
much out of it. I'll recommend next years' to friends and family.
Appendix D The Measure of Mundane Meaning Scale

The Measure of Mundane Meaning Scale (Brown, Roach, Irving, & Joseph, 2008) is
designed to measure personal meaning in life.

The minimum score is 0 and the highest score is 3600

The average score at the start of Stoic Week 2023 (for the first 1450 respondents) was
2167

A score of 1350 or lower would place someone in the bottom 10% of respondents.
A score of between 1351 and 1720 would place someone in the 10-25% range of
respondents
A score between 1721 and 2180 would place someone in the 25-50% range of
respondents

A score of between 2181 and 2650 would place someone you in the 50-75% range of
respondents.
A score of 2980 or above would place someone in the top 10% of respondents.

No Item Start End Change

1 I can picture what my life might be like far

into the future. 49.3 60.6 18.7%

2* Other people seem surer than me of where

they are going in life. 54.2 62.1 12.7%

3 I have developed new ways of looking at

myself through my life experiences. 75.2 82.0 8.4%

4 I feel like I have a mission in life. 50.6 64.5 21.6%

5* I’m not certain that my life will amount to

anything. 59.7 73.5 18.8%

6 I can trust my intuition about how to handle

ordinary affairs. 64.7 73.3 11.6%

7 I know what’s important in my daily life. 70.3 80.3 12.4%

8 I have been able to find benefit from even my
negative experiences. 67.1 76.2 11.9%

9 I feel that my life is going somewhere. 57.0 69.8 18.3%

10* The life I am now leading is not the one I was

meant to lead. 77.9 73.9 -5.4%

11* I have lost sight of my goals. 63.3 76.1 16.7%

12* I don’t know what to expect from day to day. 68.5 76.7 10.7%

13 I have confidence when dealing with

everyday matters. 67.5 75.5 10.5%

14 There is a feeling of coherence to my life. 58.9 71.0 17.0%

15 My life has a sense of continuity. 62.3 72.7 14.3%

16^ I’ve lost the “thread” that used to run

through my life. 65.2 77.5 15.9%

17 I am living up to my potential. 46.5 59.4 21.9%

18 The story of my life is unfolding in a

satisfying way. 55.3 67.6 18.3%

19* I have trouble feeling a part of my everyday

roles. 67.8 78.1 13.3%

20* I often find myself at a loss for what to do

next. 66.9 78.0 14.2%

21* Somehow my life has gone off track. 68.3 81.6 16.3%

22 I don’t have to think very hard about what I

need to do from moment to moment. 57.3 65.7 12.7%

23 I see a clear path forward for myself into the

future. 48.9 64.7 24.4%

24* I feel like I am in limbo. 61.6 76.8 19.9%

25 I have been able to fit all my life experiences

into my life story. 54.7 67.1 18.5%
 26 I have been able to make sense of difficulties
that I have experienced in my life. 65.0 73.6 11.7%

27* I need to stop and think before doing even

ordinary things. 75.2 78.3 4.1%

28 My sense of who I am in life is clear. 56.8 70.5 19.4%

29 I have come to terms with events that have

happened to me in my life. 65.2 75.2 13.4%

30 I have a strong sense of purpose. 53.2 66.1 19.6%

31* I can’t trust my instincts in everyday matters. 65.6 67.1 2.2%

32 Once I get up in the morning, I already have

an idea of what I intend to do that day. 63.2 73.2 13.7%

33 I have been able to put the past behind me

and move on in my daily life. 60.1 71.9 16.4%

34 I have a definite idea of my day-to-day

priorities. 65.3 76.0 14.1%

35* I’m not sure how the parts of my life fit

together. 68.7 78.3 12.3%

36 I have a definite direction in my life. 53.7 67.2 20.1%

Table D1 - Mundane Meaning item scores and change during Stoic Week

Items marked with asterisk are initially reverse-scored. The scores indicated have
been adjusted, so a higher score means higher meaning

The start and end scores are an average of the participants who completed
questionnaires at the start and end of Stoic Week (n=450)

No Item Correlation
with SABS
5.0 at start of
Stoic Week

1 I can picture what my life might be like far into the 0.24
 future.

2* Other people seem surer than me of where they are going 0.29
in life.

3 I have developed new ways of looking at myself through

my life experiences. 0.43

4 I feel like I have a mission in life. 0.46

5* I’m not certain that my life will amount to anything. 0.40

6 I can trust my intuition about how to handle ordinary 0.40

affairs.

7 I know what’s important in my daily life. 0.48

8 I have been able to find benefit from even my negative 0.52

experiences.

9 I feel that my life is going somewhere. 0.47

10* The life I am now leading is not the one I was meant to
lead. 0.24

11* I have lost sight of my goals. 0.39

12* I don’t know what to expect from day to day. 0.29

13 I have confidence when dealing with everyday matters. 0.45

14 There is a feeling of coherence to my life. 0.48

15 My life has a sense of continuity. 0.44

16* I’ve lost the “thread” that used to run through my life. 0.36

17 I am living up to my potential. 0.41

18 The story of my life is unfolding in a satisfying way. 0.47

19* I have trouble feeling a part of my everyday roles. 0.38

20* I often find myself at a loss for what to do next. 0.40

21* Somehow my life has gone off track. 0.37

22 I don’t have to think very hard about what I need to do
from moment to moment. 0.30

23 I see a clear path forward for myself into the future. 0.42

24* I feel like I am in limbo. 0.39

25 I have been able to fit all my life experiences into my life

story. 0.42

26 I have been able to make sense of difficulties that I have

experienced in my life. 0.49

27* I need to stop and think before doing even ordinary

things. 0.26

28 My sense of who I am in life is clear. 0.50

29 I have come to terms with events that have happened to

me in my life. 0.48

30 I have a strong sense of purpose. 0.53

31* I can’t trust my instincts in everyday matters. 0.16

32 Once I get up in the morning, I already have an idea of

what I intend to do that day. 0.42

33 I have been able to put the past behind me and move on

in my daily life. 0.48

34 I have a definite idea of my day-to-day priorities. 0.46

35* I’m not sure how the parts of my life fit together. 0.41

36 I have a definite direction in my life. 0.50

Table D2 - Mundane Meaning item correlations with SABS 5.0 at start of Stoic
Week
Appendix E Stoic Attitudes and Behaviour Scale 5.0 (SABS 5.0)

Average % Average % Correlation

score start Increase score Increase with
of Stoic by end start of by end meaning
Week of Stoic Stoic of Stoic
2023 Week Week Week
# 7= 2023 2022 2022
Reve totally 7=totally
Item rsed? Stoic) Stoic)
I think about my life as
an ongoing project to
become a better
1 person. No 6.0 5.0% 6.0 6.2% 0.25
It can sometimes be a
good thing to become
2 angry at people. Yes 4.1 11.1% 4.0 12.4% 0.07
If bad things happen to
you, you are bound to
3 feel distressed. Yes 3.5 16.3% 3.3 20.1% 0.29
Having good
understanding and
good character is all
that is required in
4 order to be happy. No 4.4 18.8% 4.1 22.6% 0.15
Viewing other people
as fellow-members of
the brother/sisterhood
of humankind helps
me to avoid feeling
5 angry and resentful. No 5.2 9.0% 5.1 11.3% 0.27
The universe is
benevolent in its
6 overall plan. No 4.0 11.2% 3.9 12.3% 0.18
I regularly spend time
reflecting on what is
most important to
enable me to live a
7 good and happy life. No 5.1 9.5% 5.1 11.8% 0.37
Bad luck could stop me
8 being happy. Yes 4.3 13.4% 4.1 15.6% 0.37
I do the right thing
9 even when I feel afraid. No 5.0 10.3% 5.0 8.0% 0.38
 It is my duty to help
10 others. No 5.6 5.4% 5.6 5.8% 0.27
Sometimes a controlled
experience of anger can
be helpful in resolving
11 conflicts with others Yes 3.3 9.9% 3.5 10.2% 0.04
I usually do the right
12 thing. No 5.5 6.3% 5.4 5.5% 0.38
I do not act on urges
when it would be
13 unwise to act on them No 4.6 9.5% 4.5 13.3% 0.36
I am committed to
helping humanity in
14 general. No 5.4 6.5% 5.5 6.4% 0.31

15 I treat everyone fairly. No 5.4 6.2% 5.3 9.9% 0.29

To flourish as a human
being all you need is
good character and
understanding of what
16 really matters in life No 5.0 12.7% 5.0 13.6% 0.19
If things don’t go well
for my friends, I can’t
17 lead a good life. Yes 5.0 2.9% 5.0 3.4% 0.18
I take active steps to
reduce the suffering of
18 others. No 5.1 7.7% 5.1 7.9% 0.31
I spend quite a lot of
time dwelling on what
has gone wrong in the
19 past. Yes 4.0 15.7% 3.7 20.8% 0.52
It is possible to lead a
happy life even after
the death of someone
20 we love. No 5.9 3.2% 5.9 2.8% 0.31
The universe embodies
21 wisdom. No 4.8 5.5% 4.4 10.2% 0.15
When making an
important decision I
ask myself “What
22 really matters here?” No 5.4 8.3% 5.3 10.3% 0.44

23 I cannot really be No 4.5 16.2% 4.5 18.6% 0.36

 harmed by what other
people say.
The universe is a living
24 thing. No 5.0 4.4% 4.8 5.5% 0.08
I need quite a lot of
money in order to be
25 happy. Yes 4.8 5.1% 4.9 9.8% 0.23
When I have a
problem, I am good at
taking constructive
action in a timely
26 manner. No 4.9 10.7% 4.9 10.9% 0.54
We can’t really control
27 other people. No 6.2 3.1% 6.2 3.4% 0.16
There is a rational and
orderly plan in the
universe and in the
28 causes of events. No 3.8 13.7% 3.7 16.0% 0.14
When making a
significant decision I
reflect on what a good
29 role model would do. No 4.6 12.3% 4.5 13.3% 0.33
Nothing except our
judgements and
voluntary actions are
truly under our control
30 in life. No 5.9 6.7% 5.9 7.3% 0.17
I pay attention to my
judgements about
good or bad things or
people as I am making
31 them. No 5.1 8.6% 5.0 10.9% 0.33
I need to be well
thought of by others in
32 order to be happy. Yes 4.2 15.6% 4.2 16.1% 0.31
I spend quite a lot of
time worrying about
33 the future. Yes 3.5 18.3% 3.4 20.5% 0.52
34 It is good to think No 6.1 3.9% 6.1 4.9% 0.20
about life as an
ongoing journey
towards becoming a
 better person.
I am committed to
35 helping my friends. No 5.7 4.5% 5.7 4.5% 0.26
I pay attention to my
thoughts about what I
intend to do before I
36 act on them. No 5.2 7.7% 5.0 11.2% 0.38
I want to become a
37 better person ethically. No 6.3 2.5% 6.3 3.1% 0.07
When a negative
thought enters my
mind, I remind myself
that it is just an
interpretation of the
38 situation. No 4.6 14.3% 4.3 21.1% 0.40
It is right to feel intense
and overwhelming
grief after a significant
39 loss No 2.4 12.8% 2.6 11.5% 0.14
I view other people as
fellow-members of the
brother/sisterhood of
40 humankind. No 5.3 6.7% 5.3 7.1% 0.28
If things don’t go well
for me, I can’t lead a
41 good life. Yes 4.6 9.6% 4.7 10.9% 0.42
I can’t control how I
42 feel. Yes 4.8 8.7% 4.8 11.7% 0.37
I need to be in good
health in order to be
43 happy. Yes 3.6 16.7% 3.8 15.1% 0.27
I am committed to
44 helping my family. No 6.1 1.9% 6.0 3.6% 0.24
Every day I spend
some time thinking
about how I can best
face challenges in the
45 day ahead. No 4.6 14.5% 4.5 17.5% 0.34
Our voluntary actions
are among the only
things truly under our
46 control in life. No 5.9 5.8% 5.8 8.2% 0.15
 As long as you have
the right attitude, you
can lead a good life
even in the most
47 difficult circumstances. No 5.7 5.3% 5.6 7.6% 0.27
Even when I can’t do
anything more about a
problem, I still worry
48 about it a lot. Yes 3.3 20.8% 3.4 23.3% 0.49
I care about the
49 suffering of others No 5.8 2.4% 5.8 2.9% 0.11
I often do what I feel
like doing rather than
doing what I believe to
50 be the right thing. Yes 4.4 9.2% 4.6 9.9% 0.35
Our judgements are
amongst the only
things truly under our
51 control in life. No 5.7 8.3% 5.6 9.2% 0.13
I see my happiness as
fully compatible with
52 caring for other people. No 5.4 8.4% 5.5 6.3% 0.25
The best idea is to give
up trying to control
people and instead
focus on our own
actions and our
judgements and
53 character. No 6.2 3.7% 6.1 4.7% 0.20
There is no overall plan
54 to the universe. Yes 3.5 11.5% 3.5 9.3% 0.13
I think about what the
ideal wise and good
person would do when
faced with misfortunes
55 in life. No 4.6 12.0% 4.4 15.9% 0.32
If things don’t go well
for my family, I can’t
56 lead a good life. Yes 4.2 9.4% 4.4 10.5% 0.31
I am committed to
helping in my local
57 community. No 4.7 9.9% 4.7 10.8% 0.26
 It does not help me to
58 get angry No 5.6 5.1% 5.5 5.9% 0.13
It is possible to lead a
happy life even when
we have lost success or
59 wealth. No 5.5 5.2% 5.6 6.4% 0.30
We can sometimes
influence how others
behave, but we can’t
completely control
60 other people. No 6.2 3.3% 6.3 2.3% 0.17
8.6% 10.9% 10.9%
Total Score

Table E1 - Stoic Week participant scores for SABS 5.0 comparisons 2023

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 or 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 2023 was 295.

From the data at the start of a previous Stoic Week (2022), a score of:

336 or above would place someone in the top 10%

313 or above would place someone in the top 25%

288 or above would place someone in the top 50%

263 or below would place someone in the bottom 25%

242 or below would place someone in the bottom 10% in terms of your degree of
Stoicism
Appendix F: 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)

Average
score % %
start change change
of Stoic Stoic Stoic
# Week Week Week
Item 2023 2023 2022
1 In most ways my life is close to my
ideal. 4.6 14.6% 13.8%
2 The conditions of my life are excellent 5.1 10.3% 10.8%
3 So far, I have got the important things
I want in life 5.1 8.6% 9.9%
4 I am satisfied with my life 4.9 11.6% 13.1%
5 If I could live my life over, I would
change almost nothing 3.8 16.0% 15.7%
Overall 23.4 13.2% 13%

Table F1 - Stoic Week 2023 participant scores for Satisfaction with Life

The average score at the start of Stoic Week 2023 was 23.4

From data at the start of a previous Stoic week (2022):-

A score of 13 or lower places someone in the bottom 10% of respondents.
A score of between 1 and 19 places someone in the 10-25% range of respondents
A score between 19 and 23.3 places someone in the 25-50% range of respondents
A score of between 23.3 and 28 places someone in the 50-75% range of respondents.
A score of 30 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 G: 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.

Average
score ,sta %
rt % change change
Stoic Stoic Stoic
# Week Week Week
Flourishing Scale Item 2023 2023 2022
1 I lead a purposeful and meaningful life. 4.9 11.5% 13.3%
2 My social relationships are supportive and
rewarding. 5.0 12.2% 11.5%
3 I am engaged and interested in my daily
activities. 5.1 10.0% 11.1%
4 I actively contribute to the happiness and well-
being of others. 5.2 9.2% 9.1%
5 I am competent and capable in the activities
that are important to me 5.5 7.3% 7.6%
6 I am a good person and live a good life. 5.5 6.7% 7.5%
7 I am optimistic about my future. 5.1 11.5% 9.9%
8 People respect me. 5.3 7.7% 7.3%
41.7 10.3% 9.7%
All Items

Table G1 - Stoic Week 2023 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 2023 was 41.7
From our Stoic Week data at the start of a previous Stoic week (2022)
A score of 32 or lower places someone in the bottom 10% of respondents.
A score of between 32 and 37 places someone in the 10-25% range of respondents
A score between 37 and 41.7 places someone in the 25-50% range of respondents

A score of between 41.7 and 47 places someone in the 50-75% range of respondents.
A score of 50 or above places someone in the top 10% of respondents.
Appendix H: 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.

Average % change % change

start score 2023 2022
2023 for
participant
who
# completed
SPANE Scale Item Stoic week
1 Positive 3.6 10.2% 11.1%
2 Negative -3.0 -29.0% -21.9%
3 Good 3.6 11.2% 10.9%
4 Bad -2.6 -24.1% -25.6%
5 Pleasant 3.5 11.9% 11.8%
6 Unpleasant -2.6 -20.5% -22.9%
7 Happy 3.4 11.7% 11.4%
8 Sad -2.6 -27.4% -23.4%
9 Afraid -2.3 -21.4% -19.8%
10 Joyful 3.0 13.5% 11.2%
11 Angry -2.5 -24.1% -21.4%
12 Contented 3.4 14.4% 15.7%
SPANE POSITIVE ITEMS 23.4 12.1% 12%
-12.4 -21.5% -19.8%
SPANE NEGATIVE ITEMS

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 was 4.6 in 2023 (all participants)

From data at the start of a previous Stoic week (2021):-

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 4.6 places someone in the 25-50% range of respondents

A score of between 4.6 and 10 places someone in the 50-75% range of respondents.
A score of 14 or above places someone in the top 10% of respondents.
Appendix I: Changes in Well-being during Stoic Week 2023

Living like a Stoic” in Stoic Week has previously seen significant increases in well-
being. Would this still true be in 2023?

Stoic Week 2023 2022 2021 2020 2019 2018 2017 2016 2015

Measure
Increase in 10% 9% 11.5% 11% 7.5% 8% 10% 10% 10%
Flourishing
Increase in 12% 12% 14.5% 13% 11.5% 12% 14% 15% 15%
Satisfaction
with Life
Increase in 12% 12% 13% 11% 9.5% 9.5% 11% 10% 10%
Positive
Emotions
Reduction in 25% 20% 21% 19% 17% 14% 14% 14% 14%
Negative
Emotions
Increase In 9% 10% 11% 9% 8% 10% 9% 11% 13%
Stoic
Attitudes and
Behaviours

Table I1 Overall Findings Stoic Week 2023 - 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 J Correlations of Scales
Measure Name SWL SPANE FLOURISH MMS SABS 5.0

Stoic Attitudes and

SABS 5.0 Behaviours 0.45 0.50 0.60 0.62 1.00
Measure of Mundane
MMM Meaning (Brown et al.) 0.71 0.69 0.79 1.00 0.62
FLOURISH Flourish (Diener) 0.69 0.65 1.00 0.79 0.60
Positive and Negative
SPANE Emotions (Diener) 0.62 1.00 0.65 0.69 0.50
Satisfaction with Life
SWL Scale (Diener) 1.00 0.62 0.69 0.71 0.45

Table J1 Correlations between scales at the start of Stoic Week 2023

Stoic Week has previously shown high associations between Stoicism and well-being at the
start of Stoic Week. Would this still true be in 2023?
Appendix K: Completion Rate for Stoic Week 2023

Stoic Week 2023 2022 2021 2020 2018 2017 2016 2015 2014
2019

No of 1569 1327 1369 1608 1725 3702 2870 1803 2503 1953
participants at
start
(valid
questionnaires
)
Valid 450 372 459 527 416 852 689 270 726 566
questionnaires
completed at
end
Completion 29% 27% 33% 30% 24% 23% 24% 15% 29% 29%
Rate

Table K1 Comparison of completion rates in Stoic Weeks over time