There are two seemingly contradictory ideas in Stoicism. The first is that we should not let externals dictate our actions. The second is that we are all part of a larger whole. In sum, the question becomes: is it Stoic to be a product of your environment? Or perhaps: if you are different around different people, are you still genuinely yourself (and hence, Stoic)? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices