Stoicism, well-being, and character strengths: evidence from a large sample using the Stoic Attitudes and Behaviours Scale (SABS)

Positive psychology has linked character strengths to well-being but given less attention to whether broader philosophical frameworks enrich how strengths are understood and practised. This study examined how Stoicism relates to well-being and to the VIA classification in a large sample not selected for Stoic interest. 11,726 adults completed the VIA Survey, the Stoic Attitudes and Behaviours Scale (SABS), and the WHO-5 Well-Being Index. Stoicism correlated positively with well-being (r = .43) and with all 24 VIA strengths and six virtues, most strongly for Stoic Mindfulness and Virtue. Zest was the strongest unique VIA predictor; Beliefs About Happiness and Virtue were the strongest unique Stoic predictors. Stoicism, operationalised philosophically rather than as emotional suppression, predicted well-being over and above all 24 VIA strengths. The findings reconcile contradictory prior literature and position Stoicism as a complementary, practice-oriented framework that may help explain how character strengths are exercised.