Jeroen was born and lives in the Netherlands. In his ‘previous’ life, he had several jobs, and was also an entrepreneur. His main goal then was to make as much money as possible. Because he had understood from the community he lives in, that this is important to live a good life.
However, at a certain point in time someone gave him a book voucher as a gift. Although reading wasn’t really his thing, because you don’t make any money with that, do you? It therefore took several months before he took the plunge to go to a bookstore. When he was in the bookstore, he saw a small book for only €14,95. And when he read the back of the book, it turned out to be about a former slave who taught philosophy in Greece. Jeroen had never read anything about philosophy before, but what he read made an enormous impact on him.
This book, The Enchiridion of Epictetus, caused his life to be turned upside down. Because after this, he sold his company and started studying philosophy. Jeroen started his studies at a local philosophical school, but after a few years, Providence decided that this wasn’t the right school for him after all. And then the College of Stoic Philosophers ‘suddenly’ came his way. After this, he completed the Stoic Essential Studies in July 2022 and the Marcus Aurelius Program in October 2023.
His studies at the College of Stoic Philosophers allowed him to delve deeper into the piety, theory, and practice of the ancient Stoics. Jeroen therefore wants to mentor students towards a better understanding of what he considers to be true Stoicism, in theory and practice.
