Why does Stoicism still matter today?
Discover why Stoicism remains relevant in the digital age. Explore the timeless teachings of Marcus Aurelius and Zeno of Citium to find resilience and purpose amidst modern chaos.
An introduction to Modern Stoicism
Imagine this: a quiet room cloaked in shadows—a single candle flickers, casting elongated shapes that seem to watch, to wait. A strange hum fills the air, faint but growing, as if reality is fraying at the edges. Suddenly, a voice cuts through the eerie stillness—not loud, but commanding. It whispers a question that sends shivers down your spine: Who were the great Stoics of the past... and who walks in their footsteps today? Welcome to where ancient philosophy meets the speculative and the unsettling.
The Echo of the Herd
Imagine a lone astronaut, adrift in the endless void of space, facing a decision that could doom or save their fragile craft. Their oxygen is dwindling, and the ship’s AI calmly insists, “The majority of humans in this situation would follow Protocol X.” The astronaut’s mind races—do they mimic the majority or carve their own path through the abyss? What would you do?
This chilling scenario mirrors a truth that transcends centuries: conformity is seductive yet perilous. And so, we turn to the wisdom of Stoicism, an ancient philosophy that taught us to brave storms of the soul with clarity and reason. But what if Stoicism encountered the cold voids of science fiction and horror? The timeless battle against blind conformity—and the quest for freedom in thought—is as relevant aboard a derelict starship as it is in the streets of ancient Rome.
Striving for Shadows: A Hitchcockian Meditation on Frankl’s Call to Struggle
Good evening, dear reader. Imagine a person standing on the precipice of existence, a shadowed figure caught between the comfort of complacency and the harrowing call of a worthy struggle. Do they step forward into the unknown or retreat into the stillness of a tensionless state? They’re no ordinary person. They’re you. They’re me. And the precipice?
Demanding the Best for Yourself: Epictetus, Stoicism, and the Shadows of Tomorrow
Good evening. Tonight, we shall delve into a tale not of ghosts or goblins but of something far more terrifying: ourselves. You see, the question a certain ancient philosopher poses—"How long are you going to wait before you demand the best for yourself?”—is more chilling than any creature lurking in the dark.