ABSTRACT
In this final chapter, we draw on Stoic ideas about living in the present. Living in the present is a key ingredient to happiness, as it enables one to exist in the present moment, without introducing unhappiness in the form of regrets about the past and fears about the future. Thus the present offers us the possibility of being completely happy here and now, if we can block out negative feelings about the past and the future. The chapter sees philosophy as therapy: rational arguments, reflection, and contemplation ought not only to make us wiser but also happier and better able to experience the joys of the present. This is pertinent to illness. Even if I cannot change the reality of illness, I can modify my responses to it by training my thoughts and feelings using Stoic techniques, which are discussed in the chapter.
