OPRAH WINFREY
BACKGROUND:
 born January 29, 1954 in Mississippi, U.S.
 A world-renowned personality, host, and actress who from the shackles of poverty rose
to become one of the richest and most influential women in the United States
 Winfrey was even dubbed as "arguably the world's most powerful woman" by both CNN
and TIME
 She is known for her talk show, The Oprah Winfrey Show, which ran for a whopping 25
years (1986-2011) and played a significant role in shaping the modern American popcultural consciousness
o this show eventually earned several Emmy Awards and became the highestrated television talk show in the US
 A devoted philanthropist, Oprah dedicated most of her successes to charitable initiatives
worldwide via Oprah’s Angel Network, which helped open a school worth $40 million for
disadvantaged girls in South Africa, build 60 schools in 13 countries across the world,
establish youth centers and women’s shelters, and many more.
WHAT IS OPRAH’S CONCEPT OF GOOD LIFE?
 “You become what you believe. You are where you are today in your life based on
everything you have believed.” – Oprah Winfrey
 In the mid 60-70’s, just before her popularity boomed, she had been the very last person
everyone in America would expect to experience a rags-to-riches story: a black,
impoverished woman. Because of this, she had to struggle with each and every setback
she encounters, all for the sake of her happiness.
 Knowing the story behind her success, her concept of happiness and good life presents
itself clearer: that only we have the power to control our happiness and the ability to
triumph, no one else.
o This line of thinking by Oprah is a great example of stoicism, which is a
philosophy of life that maximizes positivity, and minimizes negativity, despite any
material wealth, status or power.
HOW DOES OPRAH PRACTICE STOICISM IN LIVING A GOOD LIFE?
 As we know, one of the core tenets of stoicism is the practice of emotional self-control as
a way of overcoming destructive emotions. This enables the person to make fairer
judgment and acquire freedom from suffering, all of which are considered as the ultimate
goal by Stoic philosophers.
 Oprah’s idea to take responsibility for her own happiness despite the numerous setbacks
she faces is a testament to her self-control and fortitude and seeks to transform her
emotions to a more productive one, such as philanthropy. This is the perfect modern
example of stoicism.
 Furthermore, despite her hardships in the past—what with her being black, her being
poor, and her being a woman—she did not let any harsh critiques or merciless failures
affect her emotional state due to her impressive dedication, self-control, and stoicism.
She instead chose to focus on the good things that happened throughout her career,
and the only things in her life that she actually let affect her emotions for inspiration.
o To quote Oprah, “What you focus on expands, and when you focus on the
goodness in your life, you create more of it.”
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Unlike a hedonist lifestyle, Oprah chooses not to take pleasure in her wealth, influence,
or power, but rather she herself defines or perceives the things that will and will not
make her happy.
o Similarly, Ancient Greek Stoic philosophers perceived wealth and worldly
pleasures as irrelevant to the state of their happiness. They had the idea of
wealth as something “neither inherently good nor bad”, and it is only our
perception of it that makes it so.
To put it simply, Oprah does not waste her time and energy worrying about what other
people think of her, and instead spends that energy in focusing on things that make her
happy. She has masterful control of her own happiness.
DO WE AGREE ON OPRAH’S STOIC APPROACH ON HAPPINESS AND LIFE?
 For the most part, yes, we do agree that having a stoic lifestyle is an essential
instrument in achieving happiness and a good life. Oprah Winfrey’s life is a living
testament to how stoicism despite wealth transpires greatness not just to one’s life, but
to the lives around them.
 A stoic concept of happiness also teaches us the value of wealth (or the lack thereof)
and the accompanying importance of philanthropism. If a wealthy and influential figure
such as Oprah adopted a hedonistic approach in lieu of a stoic one, they would turn out
selfish and greedy with no regard for helping the marginalized and impoverished
whatsoever, as it conflicts with the pleasure they get from hoarding wealth.
 However, the philosophy of stoicism is still not immune to flaws, one of which is the fact
that being unreceptive of other external factors (e.g., harsh yet helpful critiques) can
make someone seem not just cold and distant, but stubborn as well.
o It is important for a stoic to establish a compromise between wanting to control
their own happiness, and still being able to be open about other people’s
feedback so as to not seem too closed off.