[Practical Stoicism #27] Coping strategies for isolation
“Until we have begun to go without them, we fail to realize how unnecessary many things are. We’ve been using them not because we needed them but because we had them.” — Seneca
Dear fellow Stoics,
What a week it has been. Reality is changing so fast that I needed some days to slow down and contemplate the current situation.
The company I work for has asked everyone to work from home and stay inside as much as possible. The Netherlands, where I live, is facing a total lockdown as we're up to more than 4,200 cases. The total number of infections doubles every three days. In other words: the healthcare system is about to collapse.
So, isolation time has come, which is another area where we can turn to the ancient Stoics for guidance. Stoicism was popular in Rome in a time that emperors rather put philosophers to death than allowing them to teach critical thinking skills. Stoics like Seneca and Musonius Rufus were exiled, and Seneca was ultimately sentenced to death.
Here are a few quotes that I've been pondering on for the last few days:
“Circumstances don’t make the man, they only reveal him to himself.” — Epictetus
New circumstances bring new challenges. Self-isolation and dealing with uncertainty has uncovered some previously unseen parts of my character. This is good; now, I get to work on another side of myself.
“Wherever there is a human being, there is an opportunity for a kindness.” — Seneca
It's easy to follow the impulse to hoard and put my interests first. However, due to the pandemic, I've better realized how connected and interdependent we are. We are nothing without each other; only compassion and kindness will get us out of this mess.
“Until we have begun to go without them, we fail to realize how unnecessary many things are. We’ve been using them not because we needed them but because we had them.” — Seneca
We all have our preferred indifferents, but I've noticed that I've become somewhat attached to a few. Some of my favorite foods are now unavailable, and it's interesting to observe my mind craving them. But I'm more than okay, I have no reason to complain, and I have enough to keep myself fed for the coming weeks.
Thinking of these quotes, I wonder how the rest of the Stoic community is doing. Especially as Stoic meetup groups have been increasing in number, I'm curious how they're adapting. If you're keeping a social distance but were meeting up with fellow Stoics before, how do you handle the change? Are you now meeting virtually? I'm eager to hear about your experiences.
For those wanting to discuss Stoicism and Stoic coping techniques, please let me know. I'm planning a few Zoom sessions in the coming weeks to discuss Stoic views and exercises. Let's make this situation an opportunity to reflect and come closer together in thought.
Ramses
Circle of control
I stumbled upon this infographic by @TCTBrandy on Twitter. It's a good reminder of the dichotomy of control. What are some things that you can control that will help you stay calm during the pandemic?
What I've been reading this week
Not only are my social media feeds (understandingly) saturated with news about COVID-19, it also seems like all Stoic writers can only think of the pandemic. As I don't want only to consume news, I've been spending most reading time on books instead of articles.
Still, I did read a few articles about Stoicism and the pandemic. Like Chuck Chakrapani's article titled Stoicism in the Time of a Pandemic, which is a good reminder of how a Stoic should respond to the current events. Not only should we help ourselves and find ways to stay calm, but we should also take care of others and use wisdom in our interactions.
The Guardian also had a nice piece about how Stoicism can help during hard times (How not to panic during the coronavirus pandemic: welcome hard times like a Stoic). Practicing Stoics won't find anything new in it, but why not share it with your loved ones along with a recommendation for a translation of Seneca or Epictetus?
Now that some of you are facing food shortages, why not considering eating like a Cynic or Stoic? I was reminded of Donald Robertson's article How to Eat Like a Stoic, which tells the ancient Stoic view on food and the act of eating. It also has a recipe for a simple but nutritious (Stoic) soup.
Last but not least, I recommend you check out Walter Matweychuk's article titled REBT is Strong Medicine for the Covid-19 Pandemic. Walter is an REBT (Rational Emotive Behavioral Therapy) therapist who I met during Stoicon Athens, and I like the straightforward advice he gives in this article. He demonstrates how we can reason with ourselves and cultivate a healthy attitude toward financial loss, illness, and death. You'll see REBT has a good dose of Stoic philosophy at its core.