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Stoic Week 2018 Report Part 3: Impact on Well-Being Tim Lebon Overall Findings Impact on Flourishing

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Stoic Week 2018 Report Part 3: Impact on Well-Being Tim Lebon Overall Findings Impact on Flourishing Stoic Week 2018 Report Part 3: Impact on Well-being Tim LeBon This report forms the third part of the report on Stoic Week 2018. Over 600 participants completed a set of questionnaires both at the beginning and end of Stoic week, allowing us to assess the impact of doing Stoic Week on self-reports on well-being and on levels of Stoicism. For the first time we were using SABS 4.0, a longer and more comprehensive measure of a participant’s degree of Stoicism. Overall Findings In terms of improvements in well-being over Stoic Week, the results were similar to previous years, though slightly reduced on some measures. The completion rate was also broadly comparable with previous years. Stoic Stoic Stoic Stoic Stoic Week Week Week Week Week 2018 2017 2016 2015 2014 No of 3702 2870 1803 2503 1953 participants at start Valid 852 689 270 726 566 questionnaires completed at end Increase in 8% 10% 10% 10% 10% Flourishing Increase in 12% 14% 15% 15% 16% Satisfaction with Life Increase in 9.5% 11% 10% 10% 11% Positive Emotions Reduction in 14% 14% 14% 14% 16% Negative Emotions Increase In Stoic 10% 9% 11% 13% 12% Attitudes and Behaviours Completion Rate 23% 24% 15% 29% 29% Table 1: Overall Findings Impact on Flourishing Participants reported on average a 8% overall increase in Flourishingi Table 2 below shows the impact of Stoicism which on each element of Flourishing. 2018 2017% 2016 2015 2014 2013 Flourishing Scale Item % % % % Theme 1. I lead a purposeful and 12 15 15 16 Purpose and meaningful life. 14 10 meaning 2. My social relationships are 10 13 13 11 supportive and rewarding. 11 10 Relationships 3. I am engaged and interested in 10 12 8 10 Engagement in my daily activities. 10 10 activities 4. I actively contribute to the 7 10 10 10 happiness and well-being of others. 8 8 Benevolent 5. I am competent and capable in 6 8 6 7 the activities that are important to me 8 5 Competent 6. I am a good person and live a 7 8 8 8 good life. 9 8 Ethically Good 7. I am optimistic about my future. 9 11 10 12 11 18 Optimism 8. People respect me. 5 7 9 7 7 5 Respected Table 2: Impact on Flourishing As in previous years, results suggest Stoicism has a particularly large positive impact on purpose and meaning (item 1.) Impact on Satisfaction with Life Participants reported an average 12% increase in satisfaction with life overall as measured by the Satisfaction with Life Scale.ii. Table 3 below shows which aspects of Satisfaction with Life increased the most. As in previous years, the theme of acceptance (question 5) showed by the biggest increase – 17%. Percentage change by each 2018% 2017% 2016 % 2015 % 2014 % 2013 % Theme question increase increase increase increase increase increase 1. In most ways my life is close 13 16 10 20 to my ideal 15 18 Life is ideal 2.The conditions of my life are 10 11 13 13 Externals excellent 15 11 met 3. So far I have got the important 9 10 10 13 things I want in life. 13 11 Needs met 4. I am satisfied with my life 11 14 13 14 15 17 Satisfaction 5. If I could live my life over, I 17 19 24 20 would change almost nothing 17 17 Acceptance Table 3: Impact on Satisfaction with Life Impact on Emotions There was a substantial increase in positive emotions and decrease in negative emotions as reported by participants who took part in Stoic Week. There was a greater shift in negative emotions than positive emotions (14% as opposed to 9,5%) as measured by the SPANE.iii The positive emotions that showed the biggest changes in 2018 were “contented“ ( up 14%). All the negative emotions showed a significant reduction of between 13 and 15%. Tables 4 and 5 below shows the impact of Stoic Week on positive and negative emotions. Positive 2018 % 2017 % 2016 % 2015 % 2014 % 2013 % Emotions change change change change change change 9.5 11 10 Average positive 10 11 9 Contented 14 14 15 14 14 12 Joyful 11 14 12 13 13 12 Happy 10 11 7 11 9 9 Good 7 9 8 9 10 7 Pleasant 8 9 9 9 10 8 Positive 7 9 10 8 13 8 Table 4: Impact on Positive Emotions Negative 2018 % 2017 % 2016 % 2015 % 2014 % 2013 % Emotions change change change change change change Average negative -14 -14 -14 -14 -16 -11 Unpleasant -13 -15 -17 -16 -17 -8 Bad -15 -16 -12 -15 -17 -11 Negative -15 -15 -16 -14 -17 -12 Angry -14 -12 -13 -14 -15 -13 Afraid -13 -14 -13 -12 -14 -10 Sad -15 -13 -14 -12 -14 -10 Table 5: Impact on Negative Emotions Impact on Stoic Attitudes and Behaviours (SABS 4.0) Ths Stoics Attitudes and Behaviours Scale (v4.0) is a scale being developed by the Modern Stoicism team to assess a person’s degree of Stoicism. Appendix D contains a full list of items, their meanings and also the range of scores at the end of Stoic Week 2018. Comparisons in SABS scores before and after Stoic Week allow us to assess whether participants changed with respect to being Stoic taking part in Stoic Week. It also enables us to see in which ways they became more Stoic. Table 6 below gives the changes in average scores for each item between the beginning and end of Stoic Week for 2018. Overall there was an 10% increase in assenting to Stoic attitudes and behaviours from an average of 378 at the start and 416 for those completed Stoic week .The average SABS for everyone who started (including non-completers) was 372 which would give an average increase of 12%. % # Item start end change I think about what the ideal wise and good person would 1 do when faced with various misfortunes in life 4.8 5.5 15.1 It can sometimes be a good thing to become angry at 2 people. 4.1 4.8 14.7 3 I try to anticipate future misfortunes. 5.4 5.5 2.6 The best idea is to give up trying to control people and 4 instead focussing on ourselves and our own behaviour. 6.2 6.5 5.1 Even if my circumstances in life are favourable, I will not be consistently happy unless I develop the right 5 understanding and character. 5.9 6.2 5.1 As long as you have the right attitude, you can lead a good 6 life even in the most difficult circumstances. 5.7 6.0 5.2 7 I rehearse rising above possible future misfortunes. 5.4 5.8 7.2 To flourish as a human being all you need is good 8 understanding and good character. 4.8 5.5 15.9 9 I take active steps to reduce the suffering of others. 5.1 5.5 8.3 It doesn’t really matter what other people think about me 10 as long as I do the right thing. 5.3 5.9 12.8 I spend quite a lot of time dwelling on what has gone 11 wrong in the past. 3.7 4.5 22.4 I often think about how small humanity is compared to 12 how big the universe it. 5.1 5.4 7.2 I consider myself a part of the human race, in the same 13 way that a limb is a part of the human body. 5.1 5.7 11.7 When making a significant decision I ask myself “What 14 really matters here?” 5.3 6.0 12.2 We can sometimes influence how others behave but we 15 can’t completely control other people. 6.4 6.5 2.2 16 I cannot really be harmed by what other people say. 4.4 5.4 22.4 17 I am committed to helping humanity in general. 4.5 5.3 18.0 18 The universe is a living thing. 5.0 5.1 3.9 19 I need quite a lot of money in order to be happy. 5.0 5.3 7.7 When I have a problem, I am good at taking constructive 20 action in a timely manner. 4.9 5.4 10.4 It is good to think about life as an ongoing journey towards 21 becoming a better person. 6.2 6.5 4.8 Having good understanding and good character is all that 22 is required in order to be happy. 4.7 5.5 16.8 23 I am committed to helping my friends. 5.8 6.0 4.6 24 We can’t really control other people. 6.3 6.5 3.9 There is a rational and orderly plan in the universe and in 25 the causation of events. 3.6 4.2 17.9 When making a significant decision I reflect on what a 26 good role model would do. 4.6 5.4 17.1 Nothing except our judgements and voluntary actions are 27 truly under our control in life. 5.9 6.3 6.9 28 I pay attention to my judgments as I am making them. 5.1 5.7 10.7 I need to be well thought of by others in order to be 29 happy. 4.2 4.8 13.7 30 I spend quite a lot of time worrying about the future. 3.5 4.2 20.5 If bad things happen to you, you are bound to feel 31 distressed.
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