How the Stoics Can Keep Us Calm During the Coronavirus Outbreak

As a psychiatrist, I have seen dozens of patients who suffer from Panic Disorder — a biologically-based condition that can cause immense distress and incapacity for the affected person. But the kind of panic that is spreading in reaction to the Coronavirus outbreak has the potential to cause distress and incapacity on a world-wide scale — unless we all “get a grip.” It turns out that the ancient philosophy of Stoicism may be just what the world needs to calm down.  When we hear the term “stoic” many of us think of the phrase “keeping a stiff upper lip” or picture that famously stoical character from Star Trek, Mr. Spock. In modern times, the word “stoic” has often taken on a negative connotation, suggesting a person who suppresses emotion of any kind, even positive ones like joy. For some, the term connotes a kind of resigned fatalism that encourages putting up with the status quo, no matter how bad things may be.  All of these characterizations are wrong, or, at best, gross oversimplifications of a deep and complex spiritual tradition. When we read the ancient Stoics — philosophers like Epictetus, Marcus Aurelius, and Seneca — we discover a philosophy of hard-nosed realism, but not of passive complacency. The Stoics believed that we need to accept those things that we can’t change and work to change things that are within our power to change. They believed that we should live in harmony with Nature, which they viewed as a kind of r...
Source: World of Psychology - Category: Psychiatry & Psychology Authors: Tags: General Mental Health and Wellness Minding the Media anxiety coronavirus COVID-19 Hysteria novel coronavirus pandemic panic Source Type: blogs