Stoics and Epicureans day from the Hellenistic period, but the issue between both of these modes of thought continues today. For the Stoics, the goal of human lifestyle was to align one’s nature with the rational order of most points by cultivating pure reason. Through the practice of dialectic, they directed for ethical righteousness and self-control. In unfortunate or turbulent moments, stoical endurance offers appealed to many people as a means of coping.

The Epicureans also valued moderation, however they were suspicious of overly sophisticated intellectual debate, relying more on sense impressions to establish truth. Concluding that lifestyle is simple and its truths easy to perceive, they sought a life of minimum pain and maximum enjoyment by rejecting exterior pursuits in favor of lasting inner values, like intelligence, honor, and satisfaction.