CHARA is ‘joy’. Here we refer to a rational, orderly, correct kind of pleasure. So only men of great wisdom and long experience are capable to reach <chara>. Exploring the notion of this word allows us to uncover a great misunderstanding about Stoicism. In fact it is wrong the idea that Stoics were enemies of all pleasures and enjoyments. Indeed we use the word Stoic to indicate someone who endures sufference and pain. Someone who dislikes gratifications and enjoyments. But a relevant and popular philosophical school like Stoicism could not enlist only masochists, flagellant, lovers of  painful and tedious activities.

<Chara> is ‘joy’. And Stoics value pleasures as all the other human beings. However, they are critical about the dominance of pleasures. What they dislike are the overwhelming effects of pleasures on the conscience of the individual. Thus they are even more critical about deviated pleasures (unnatural forms of enjoyment). In other words, the polar star of Stoicism is always the valorization of all things/actions natural and the negation of whatever is a byproduct of our mind.

Stoicism promotes the development of self-control and fortitude in order to master all the most destructive emotions. This philosophy maintains that a clear and unbiased thinker is able to understand and to appreciate the universal reason (<logos>). A significant trait of Stoicism is the improvement of individuals’ ethical and moral well-being. Thus their idea is that virtue is the will when it is in line with true Nature. This notion applies as well to interpersonal relationships. In fact, Stoics preach the importance to be free from anger, envy, and jealousy. Moreover they gave instructions, in ancient times, to accept slaves as equals of other men, because all men alike are products of nature.