When I first read Marcus Aurelius in college in the late 1980s, I knew that if I followed his ideas, and lived by his example – that it was a way out of madness. I was young and unable to do so. But with age Stoicism has become less of an abstract promise to me, and more of a reality. When one ages, and starts to lose things, a philosophy of how to frame the inevitability of loss is essential.
It is wonderful to see that a new interest in Stoicism has come about, propelled by the internet. This collection of essays, Stoicism for Inner Peace, by Einzelgänger, are written adaptations from a YouTube channel dedicated to placing Stoicism in a contemporary setting. That these originated as videos speaks volumes about our new age. But at the heart of these teachings are core Stoic values, which were laid down centuries ago, and are here maintained.
I still believe that Stoic values, properly applied, is a way out of madness. And now it has become far easier to spread this message to broad audiences.
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