If you look at the tv and internet it looks as though we as a people are about to collapse. Political strife, war, disease, all of these constantly repeated loudly over and over on our phones and TVs all hours of the day. So what does all this access give us? In short it gives us anxiety and worry. But it also provides an opportunity to practice Stoicism at a level that Seneca, Epictetus and Marcus Aurelius could never have dreamed of. An often misunderstood aspect of Stoicism is it’s maxim “living in accordance with nature”. Down through history it has been characterized as “going with the flow” or “apathy towards events”.
But the Stoics were not apathetic, in fact they were some of the most active change agents in all of ancient history. Seneca worked with the young Nero to try and shape him. Marcus Aurelius waged wars and worked to keep Rome a dominant force. Cato fought Caesar and gave his life rather than submit to his rule. The point is that a Stoic does not turn a blind eye to pain, injustice or cruelty. They consider it a duty to humanity to make things better. They do this without worry about if they will succeed. They are compelled to try. With gratitude and respect,
Derrick, Kathryn, Todd