Living the Fundamentals of Stoicism Through Snowflakes

Snowflakes actually tell us many things about the environment we live in. Stoic philosophy argues that being an open and impartial thinker enables a person to understand universal reason (logos). The Stoic approach teaches people to ‘build a fortress of inner calm within the chaos of the outside world.’ 

This year, snow was seen in almost every part of the country, albeit in small amounts. As I write this, I watch snowflakes falling to the ground as far as my eye can see, crystallising one by one on the ground, while people ski regardless of the cold, children build snowmen and dance around them together. The snow instantly transformed the atmosphere, bringing joy. It seemed to remind people to enjoy life in beautiful harmony.
 
For a Stoic philosopher, this situation evokes an extraordinary feeling. Snowflakes are one of the most elegant metaphors that embody this teaching in the heart of nature. For example, we cannot control the snowfall, but how we walk under that snow is entirely our choice. Each snowflake falls from the sky, displaying a unique and complex geometry as it lands, meeting the earth and giving it life. For a Stoic, this situation is a reflection of the universal order. Indeed, the Stoics viewed the universe as a living organism and accepted living in harmony with nature as the foundation of virtue and happiness, advocating a sense of universal brotherhood and equality.

Snow is formed when water vapour in the clouds encounters very cold air and turns into very fine ice particles. Snowflakes are actually clusters of ice crystals. In some cases, water vapour in the air condenses directly into tiny ice crystals, forming hexagonal prisms that become snowflakes. Meanwhile, we have no control over the crystallisation process of snowflakes. They simply fulfil the requirements of their nature. Similarly, humans should calmly face the storms of life—illness, loss, or social events—as if they were natural phenomena. Snow is doomed to melt the moment it touches the ground. This transience aligns perfectly with the Stoic philosophy of ‘remember that you will die.’ 

Undoubtedly, the whiteness and beauty of falling snow come not from its permanence, but from its existence in that moment. In essence, the life of every living thing is as short and fragile as the descent of a snowflake. Yes, even if we were Jonathan the tortoise, born in the 1830s, we cannot escape death. In essence, we live as long as it takes for snow to fall to the ground.

Here one moment, gone the next. Instead of mourning the melting of the snow, the Stoic savours the coolness of the cold crystal in their hand, for they know that everything is cyclical. Stoicism is not a state of emotionlessness, but a discipline of resilience. A snowstorm is an external influence; it can chill us or block our daily route.

Snow falls, schools close. People cannot go to work. Without viewing this external influence as negative, we must know how to enjoy the falling snow, how to savour the pleasure of playing outside with our children under the falling snow. For a Stoic does not surrender their mind to this external ‘evil’. He sees snow not as an obstacle, but also as an opportunity to train his character. The harshness of winter is like fuel that stokes the fire of the soul. Snowflakes whisper to us both the magnificence of universal design and the fragility of our individual existence. The person who can keep their mind clear while it snows outside is the true sage who lives in harmony with the rhythm of nature...

The size, shape and density of snowflakes are related to the temperature at which they form. A single snowflake can contain hundreds or even thousands of snow crystals. Snow reaches the ground in smaller sizes at temperatures below 0 °C and in larger sizes at temperatures above 0 °C.

Like snowflakes, every human being is different, but from the outside, every human being looks the same. Physical characteristics are the visible, tangible features that distinguish people from one another. For example, a person's height, weight, hair and eye colour, body and skin tone are physical characteristics. However, what truly distinguishes people from one another are the internal characteristics that are not visible from the outside but become apparent over time as one spends time with that person.
 
For example, like watching snowflakes fall to the ground, people who appreciate the value of the moment and embrace the motto ‘carpe diem’ adopt a strong flow of life, like the Stoics, being resilient, able to make long-term plans, without losing balance in life or falling into hedonism. However, it is necessary to internalise the acceptance of life's reality, to accept death as it is, to live the lifespan allotted to us as human beings like a snowflake falling to the ground, and to live with the awareness that we will bid farewell to this world when the time comes. The Stoics perceived death as a necessity of natural law. 

For this reason, rather than focusing on death, one must strive to live like a human being, to live a life as pure and white as a snowflake. The Stoics viewed virtue (wisdom, justice, courage, moderation) as the purpose of life and the true ‘good’ for humans. Living in accordance with logos and nature is most fitting for humans. The universe operates according to a rational order (logos); just as a snowflake is a sign of the existence of a rational order, the best way of life for humans is one that is in accordance with nature, that is, with universal reason.