My very naturally RP buddy is pursuing his Ph.D in classics. He reads a lot of ancient texts, a lot of which speak RP truths left and right. He recently turned me on to Stoicism, the philosophy as founded by Zeno of Citium. The core tenets have really resonated with me, and I thought they might resonate with you guys as well.

Basically, stoicism says that the only thing you can truly control is yourself and your reactions to the world. Reality is what it is, and you as a human don't get upset at reality, you get upset at your expectations of reality being confounded. The best thing you can do to avoid pain and malcontent, and moreover maximize happiness, is to force yourself to see the world as it is and roll with the punches. There's also a heavy emphasis on self control, logic, and the mastering of your emotions.

Sound familiar? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stoicism