Brain Food #411
Facing Coronavirus with Stoicism
Daily Brain Food.
Thoughts of the day
There is no denying it now that Coronavirus is part of our daily lives, at least for the time being.
We all frequently consider the way the world will end, with the help of some popular works of fiction: aggressive aliens, vindictive technology, WWIII, a stray meteor; we even just started bracing ourselves for the world slowly fading away because of the catastrophic impact we have had on the environment. But a deadly virus? Not the ending most of us had imagined.
Some of you might have seen I have written a longer piece on what our collective Coronavirus anxiety might really mean, but for now, it feels like a good time to return to a school of thought I often wrote about in the early days of Brain Food.
The Stoics have made a comeback in recent years, because in a world full of anxiety, they bring the liberating approach of remembering there is only so much we can do, and we should only be concerned about things within our control:
“Of things some are in our power, and others are not, [so we should] make the best use of what is in our power, and take the rest as it happens.”
— Epictetus
This, of course, does not mean that we should not be wary of developments, dangers, opportunities. Self-protection is within our control, too. But, living is about constantly adapting to a new reality. How we respond to it is, entirely, up to us.
If you are staying in this weekend, cook yourself a nice meal and appreciate the comfort and safety of your home.