Well, there’s nothing that prevents anyone from becoming a Stoic, but you cannot be a Stoic without agreeing with certain principles. Although we do have a big tent, and Stoics have always been rugged individualists when it comes to their beliefs, we still need to agree on certain essential ideals. Chiefly, these are:
- We are pantheists and Nature is our God.
- We are created by Nature to use reason, our greatest faculty, to learn how to live well and happily in accordance with our Nature.
- All human beings are members of the same family, and both your friends and enemies are to be treated with respect — as if they really were members of your family.
- First, you study how to live in accordance with Nature, then you practice. Study alone is not enough. Stoicism is a wisdom philosophy, a living philosophy. It’s not some abstract intellectual exercise — as is the case with academic philosophies today. We actually live by what we believe.
So, yes, you can be a Stoic, and I think you should. Start by introducing yourself to the Stoic community.