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How to be Stoic in a Crisis


4m read
·Nov 4, 2024

When a crisis is upon us, how can we deal with it in a Stoic way? When we look at Stoic literature, we’ll find some good advice that we can apply during times of hardship. Crises come in many different forms. We can have personal crises on a micro level, but we can also be faced with a global crisis that hits us all, which is the main focus of this video.

The nature of crisis is that we are temporarily in a different state, often characterized by danger and with an acute need for measures and solutions. Being in a crisis doesn’t have to affect our behavior in a bad way. In fact, as opposed to what’s happening around us, we’re still in control of our own actions. This doesn’t remove the fact that crises can be highly stressful and cause many to suffer.

This video explores Stoic wisdom that we can use in times of crisis. Marcus Aurelius endured many hardships during his reign as leader of the most powerful empire in the world. He faced war, but also the plague that broke out in the East, which eventually caused the death of 5 million Romans. Among the victims was Lucius Verus, who was not only Marcus Aurelius’ adoptive brother but also reigned with him as co-emperor.

In his Meditations, a theme that Marcus Aurelius frequently writes about is the human connection between each other and nature. In a crisis that affects lots of people, the awareness of our connectedness is key when it comes to coping, supporting each other, and finding solutions. Hence, the first one: (1) Working together, playing your part.

As most of you know by now, Stoicism isn’t about becoming an emotionless rock. It’s about virtue. And part of virtue is acting for the benefit of the world and humanity. Marcus Aurelius emphasizes that we’re interdependent, and therefore, we’re not supposed to be egotistical hermits that only think of themselves. It’s appealing, I know. Especially when living in a free and individualistic society, in which we can go our own ways.

But when a crisis hits, we’re again reminded of how much we rely on external factors, like technology and other people. The structures we’re living in are threatened. And when the system fails us we will be condemned to each other again on a more primitive level. Hence, in crises, it’s particularly important to recognize our connection and set our egos aside to help a fellow human, and rely on our ability to forgive and tolerate instead of solely engaging in selfish pursuits.

As Marcus Aurelius wrote in his Meditations: “We were born to work together like feet, hands, and eyes, like the two rows of teeth, upper and lower. To obstruct each other is unnatural. To feel anger at someone, to turn your back on him: these are obstructions.” End quote.

(2) Doing what you can, accepting what you can’t. Now, when we deal with our fellow humans, we’ll undoubtedly be confronted with people that are selfish, irrational, emotional, mean, violent, greedy, hostile, et cetera. Some people are in full panic mode and go overboard when it comes to taking measures to protect themselves. With their heightened survival instincts, their main focus is self-preservation.

There’s nothing wrong with self-preservation of course, but when it becomes an obsession it may damage those around us and only worsen the situation. This is especially true for those that see the crisis as an opportunity to screw people over and make some big bucks out of it. But it’s essential to remember that we only control our own actions. We cannot control how people behave and whether or not they flout the measures necessary to improve the situation.

We cannot control various aspects of the crisis itself and how everything plays out. Therefore, we rely on our own thinking capacity to navigate ourselves through the crisis, regardless of how it unfolds. It’s up to us how we act. And to act, despite the actions of others, is all we can do.

(3) Adapting to a new situation. Whether we like it or not: times have changed. And during a crisis, we play by different rules. When we’re stuck in our routines for so long and have taken our lifestyles and the comforts of society for granted, a crisis can be a very humbling experience. Things that seemed so normal and stable have suddenly become very uncertain.

The economy takes a hit, with all the consequences. Necessary measures to fight the crisis lead to the disruption of our daily affairs. It shows us that we, despite our technological advancements, are still very vulnerable and that our well-being isn’t self-evident. Especially in times of turmoil, we’re forced to do an appeal on our ability to adapt.

To do this, it’s essential to accept the changing nature of the universe, so we can let go of the past and things we took for granted, and focus on the present and make the best out of it. I quote: “Change and flux constantly remake the world, just as the incessant progression of time remakes eternity. We find ourselves in a river. Which of the things around us should we value when none of them can offer a firm foothold? Like an attachment to a sparrow: we glimpse it and it’s gone.” End quote.

Work together, do what you can, accept what you can’t, and adapt. That’s, in a nutshell, how we can be Stoic in a crisis. Thank you for watching and, be kind to each other.

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