1. This refers to a person who dabbles in the
Greco-Roman philosophy of
stoicism but seems to, choose to lack the maturity or discipline to truly practice it in any serious sense.
Stoicism's origin stepms from the Greek phrase "
Stoa Poikile" which translates to "painted porch." "Stoa" meaning porch. Thus they inhabit the porch but have all the seriousness and dedication a monkey would have toward serious philosophy.
2. Porch monkey is also a derogatory term to someone who practices stoic philosophy.
3. Porch monkey is also a highly derogatory term for black person and typically has no bearing on his philisophical outlooks.
Usage note: To avoid being seen as a racist, only use this term to refer to stoics who cannot be mistaken for people of color.
Example:
1. "Alexander says he is a stoic, but after seeing his temper tantrum the other day, I'm starting to think he's just a
porch monkey."
2. "Lucius is lecturing us all again about how we shouldn't let our emotions control our character. He's such a porch monkey."
3. "
Kwame thought Bob was lashing out at him for being a stoic when Bob called him a "porch monkey," but Bob was simply an obnoxious racist. Kwame practiced
stoicism however and laughed it off, just making non-stoic Bob angrier.