THE STOIC SMILE
THE STOIC SMILE
A coffee bean paired with a zine, now available for U.S. shipping only. Canadian launch coming soon! Free shipping for all Less Foolish readers. Limited release of just 100.
First Question:
What makes a Stoic smile?
A few things …
Embracing the vicissitudes of life
Journaling to oneself
Turning habits into rituals
The antimemetic nature of zines
Coffee
Second Question:
What is a “Stoic smile”?
When life is hard and smiling feels forced, an inner smile is always available—one that leans into hardship, knowing it builds character, makes the soul, and embraces what is with resolve.
Yes, of course, most “stoics” have resting barbarian faces because they seemingly never smile, but this is a myth; they are simply giving a Stoic smile.
Third Question:
What is The Stoic Smile?
The Stoic Smile—a coffee ritual—combines good coffee, a zine featuring a simple ritual, and a journaling exercise.
The beans, roasted by Evansville Coffee Company, are a blend of Guatemalan and Ethiopian origins. The zine is illustrated by Toronto’s own
.This limited-edition release is a collector’s item and a prototype for what’s to come from The Stoic Smile: a marriage of good coffee and enriching experiences.
It’s a product to purchase if…
You enjoy good coffee
You want to transform your coffee habit into a coffee ritual
You’re looking to gift the Stoic lover in your life something original
Whatever your reason, you can purchase by clicking the button below.
Ta eis heauton
I was talking with my Uber driver last night, and we started discussing politics and spirituality—topics I tend to stumble into. I mentioned I was about to meet my coffee roaster,
, for drinks and that I’m launching a coffee bean tomorrow (now today) called The Stoic Smile. I asked if he knew about the philosophy of Stoicism. Nope, he’d never heard of it.This has been a common response. Regular folks—what the extremely online might call “normies”—often don’t know what Stoicism is. I’m surprised, maybe because I’ve been knee-deep in edgy and esoteric philosophies for years now. By contrast, I assumed Stoicism was the everyman’s philosophy, and that the world was a devout follower of Ryan Holiday.
It’s an interesting contrast: the extremely online might see Stoicism as “mid”—the normie philosophy of choice—while most people have no idea what it is. We’re actually at the tail end of International Stoic Week, which was established by
, the steward of the Modern Stoicism movement, to raise awareness of the philosophy. I’d been waiting for the right moment to launch The Stoic Smile, but that moment wasn’t arriving, so I decided to push ahead, seeing Stoic Week as a good enough occasion.The Uber driver wished me luck on the release, dropped me off to meet Zac, and we headed to my favorite dive bar in Toronto, Ronnie’s Local. The place feels kind of demonic now, especially given that it was Halloween, with witches and horned hipsters lurking about. But that didn’t bother me; when you’re grounded in love, the demons can’t see you.
Zac and I talked about love, and other spiritual matters, and I admitted feeling embarrassed for not releasing this product sooner, especially after talking about it for months. Lately, I’ve been going through spiritual and philosophical changes—it’s disorienting, and the old motivations I once had, whether chasing after “the special” or running from the shame, no longer move me.
Zac suggested that my new motivation for this project should be based in love, especially since my business partner in this venture is the love of my life. Interestingly, when I ground myself in this love, I lose the “spiritual foresight” (or “prelest”) I thought I once had. I used to visualize things easily; now, that’s no longer the case. It’s a mystery, but it feels right and warm to be in this love.
I never identified as a Stoic, despite my proclivity for a resting barbarian face, but I’m indebted to the philosophy. It served as an ethical placeholder until I discovered a more loving truth that was always right in front of me. Now, I’m ready to launch—a fool, in love, cool with not knowing where this is heading.
Email thestoa at protonmail dot com if you have any inquiries.