Stop Letting the World Ruin Your Peace

0:00 In many ways, the world doesn’t look all that great right now.

0:04 The news has been mostly excessive doom

0:07 and gloom for the past five years or more.

0:10 We’ve dealt with a pandemic, a war in Europe,

0:14 and as I’m writing this, some bizarre events

0:16 seem to be unfolding on the world stage.

0:19 And I must admit, for the last year or so,

0:22 I have also struggled with all the bad news coming from all directions.

0:25 Even if I managed not to watch the news,

0:29 the craziest stories would eventually catch

0:31 my attention through other channels like

0:33 WhatsApp groups or people simply telling

0:36 me what’s going on in one-to-one conversations.

0:39 From my observations, many people are worried about where we’re headed;

0:43 much more so than, say, 10 to 15 years ago.

0:47 And now, with all the bleakness continually dominating the feeds on our devices,

0:52 it’s difficult not to be affected by it.

0:55 The injustice, the animosity, the conflict we witness on our screens;

1:00 it’s almost as if a time bomb is about to explode with devastating consequences.

1:07 These are difficult times, not just because of what’s happening globally,

1:11 but also because everyone seems to be involved.

1:14 Clashing ideologies, left versus right,

1:17 liberal versus conservative, West versus East,

1:19 and many versions of the truth are

1:22 spread by countless groups that mainly divide, push many to choose sides,

1:26 often in battles that neither concern them nor are fought in their interest.

1:32 And so, entire nations become polarized,

1:35 as politics cuts through families and friendships,

1:38 creating enemies where once existed love and solidarity.

1:42 And for what?

1:43 Yes, I’m wondering about that too.

1:47 The ancient Stoics were no strangers to social unrest,

1:51 geopolitical tension, and the slow collapse of political orders.

1:54 They lived in times of profound uncertainty,

1:57 which most likely influenced their thinking.

2:00 And so, they had much to say about these matters.

2:04 Hence, I’ve dusted off the ancient Stoic texts and created this video

2:08 as a guide to (or perhaps more as a reflection on) today’s global events,

2:15 drawing on Stoic philosophy.

2:17 My name is Stefan.

2:18 This is not an AI voice, I’m a real person.

2:21 Subscribe to my newsletter on Substack to stay updated on all my content.

2:26 You can also support my work on Patreon and find my books on Amazon.

2:31 Thank you.

2:31 And I hope you’ll enjoy this video.

2:40 Given that many people have been struggling lately due to global events,

2:44 I thought it would be a good idea to revisit Stoic philosophy,

2:48 as it offers wisdom that’s quite useful today.

2:51 Many of the ideas we’ll explore, I’ve already discussed in some form,

2:55 but I’ll do my best to adapt them to today’s troubling times.

3:00 The first one is… The trap of alarmism

3:05 Let’s first deal with the elephant in the room.

3:08 All these troubles that are going on in the world right now,

3:12 such as military conflicts, trade wars, and so forth,

3:15 how come we’re constantly talking about these events,

3:18 even though they’re often happening many miles away,

3:21 even on different continents?

3:22 How come that two neighbours in a small village

3:26 in Belgium are discussing warships in the Taiwan Strait?

3:29 How come that two American truck drivers are talking about the supposed

3:34 downfall of Europe while eating their hamburgers in some diner in Arkansas?

3:38 Of course, people around the world are

3:41 discussing these events because of the news.

3:45 They might read the old-fashioned newspaper, watch the morning show,

3:49 or see it on their mobile feeds.

3:52 Whatever it is, they are fed information about important global issues,

3:56 which they then carry into the world,

3:58 worrying about them, discussing them with others, and forming opinions.

4:03 And often, when something supposedly serious is going

4:07 on, people check multiple times a day for updates,

4:11 only to increase their anxiety.

4:13 In a recent video discussing the news, I cited philosopher Arthur Schopenhauer,

4:18 who argued that the object of journalism is

4:21 to blow things out of proportion and that journalists are,

4:25 “by the nature of their calling,” alarmists.

4:27 Their main goal, the thing that brings in the bacon for them,

4:32 isn’t just to inform people; it’s to exaggerate,

4:35 to pick events that aren’t even that spectacular,

4:38 and turn them into sensationalist pieces of information that draw people in.

4:44 Hence, there’s often an alarmist feel

4:47 to the headlines we encounter in the media.

4:50 It’s like they’re screaming at us:

4:52 “You need to know this information!” Stuff like this sells.

4:56 It’s the business model of many journalists,

4:59 and influencers have eagerly adopted it too.

5:03 Now, the ancient Stoic philosopher Epictetus also criticized

5:07 the alarmist attitude during one of his lectures.

5:10 Of course, the mass media as we know them weren’t around in his time,

5:14 but the Roman Empire had different ways

5:17 of obtaining and spreading information about faraway places,

5:20 such as the use of scouts and messengers.

5:24 In the Discourses, a large collection of lectures,

5:27 Epictetus asks his students to imagine sending a scout

5:30 ahead to Rome to observe the state of the land.

5:34 But, he warns, one shouldn’t send a coward.

5:39 A cowardly scout sees danger everywhere.

5:42 He returns in panic, saying: “The state of things at Rome is fearful;

5:48 terrible is death, terrible is exile, terrible is reviling, terrible is poverty;

5:54 flee, sirs, the enemy is upon us!” Epictetus

5:58 then contrasts this report with that of Diogenes,

6:02 the Cynic philosopher who lived centuries earlier.

6:05 Diogenes was also sent out as a scout.

6:08 But he returned calm and unshaken.

6:10 “I have not been struck with any missile, have I, or received any wound?

6:16 I have not fled from anyone,

6:18 have I?” Diogenes concludes that there’s no enemy near.

6:22 “All is full of peace,” he said.

6:25 For the cowardly scout, however, every sound was a threat;

6:29 anything that stirred was a disaster.

6:31 So, when he encountered trouble in Rome, he saw a world falling apart.

6:37 Now, isn’t this how we approach global events today?

6:41 Isolated incidents are blown out of proportion for attention and profit.

6:45 A local disturbance quickly becomes a story about societal collapse.

6:50 For example, some people,

6:52 particularly across the Atlantic and with little firsthand experience of Europe,

6:57 have come to believe that the continent has collapsed into chaos.

7:01 As a European, I have to admit that we do face real problems.

7:05 But the country I’m from, the Netherlands,

7:07 remains one of the wealthiest and safest places on Earth.

7:11 What concerns me more than the problems

7:14 themselves is the increasingly divisive political climate.

7:17 And here, the news plays a significant role,

7:20 creating a constant firehose of alarmist messages.

7:23 It makes problems seem bigger than they are,

7:28 fueling tension, anxiety, and hostility.

7:31 Many of today’s news outlets function like Epictetus’s cowardly scout.

7:35 They observe the land, see every little sound as a threat,

7:39 every little stir as a disaster,

7:41 and then report about fallen continents, hostile takeovers, and total meltdowns.

7:47 “Europe has fallen,” “Cities are no longer safe,”

7:50 “Society has completely broken down,” “Western civilization is

7:54 finished,” “This is worse than ever,” “The most

7:57 dangerous moment in history.” From the Stoic viewpoint,

8:00 this is the language of a coward.

8:04 Put more carefully, these claims are often exaggerated

8:07 and driven by fear rather than clear judgment.

8:10 They make problems appear larger and more severe than they are.

8:15 That doesn’t mean there aren’t problems,

8:17 but wouldn’t it be better to approach them with more nuance and accuracy?

8:23 What Epictetus made clear is that the real crisis

8:25 is not what happens out there in the world; it’s what happens in our minds.

8:30 If we approach everything with fear, the world becomes a hellhole.

8:34 And if we keep injecting ourselves

8:37 with all the alarmist messages from news outlets,

8:40 it’s like we’re getting continually informed by cowardly scouts,

8:43 telling us it’s all terrible out there, which may lead to fear,

8:48 anger, hatred, and other “passions” the Stoics would try to avoid.

8:56 When we look online, we encounter many angry people.

9:00 Many of them have overexposed themselves to narratives

9:03 about the specific events they’re upset about.

9:07 Some spent hours a day leaving angry comments below YouTube videos,

9:12 attacking others, and picking fights.

9:14 I must admit I’ve done this too in the past, albeit because it angered me how

9:19 completely ignorant and heartless people can be,

9:22 and I guess I’ve attempted to school them,

9:25 which, of course, was a waste of time.

9:28 Online comment sections aren’t built for dialogue,

9:31 although it’s certainly possible.

9:33 But we mostly see people behaving like pigeons pooping on a balcony,

9:37 and then immediately flying off to the next one.

9:40 I’ve also noticed lately that anger over specific topics,

9:44 mainly politics, has been bleeding into offline spaces.

9:48 For example, in the Netherlands,

9:50 workplace polarization has become a thing recently.

9:53 We see now that political discussions occur at work, which,

9:58 in some cases, divide people and foster an us-versus-them mentality.

10:02 I’ve also read many personal accounts from people

10:06 on Reddit about how politics has caused division within families,

10:09 sometimes even leading to alienation.

10:13 From my own experience,

10:15 there’s definitely more anger among people concerning politics

10:17 and global events than there used to be.

10:20 Although I don’t think I’m alone in this.

10:23 And I’ve also noticed that many conversations,

10:25 whether with friends or family, quickly become political.

10:28 I usually feel some irritation rising when I hear people spout

10:33 utter nonsense and defend their opinions as if they’re absolute facts.

10:37 I mean, stupidity seems to be celebrated these days.

10:41 Everyone has an opinion, feels entitled to share it everywhere,

10:45 and many assume their views are just as valid as expert knowledge,

10:49 even when they contradict basic facts.

10:51 But I then also think: what’s the point of being angry with such people?

10:56 Their opinions are not my concern, and it’s not my job to keep them informed.

11:02 (One of my recent videos explores the actual value of people’s opinions,

11:07 so check it out if you’re interested) Now,

11:10 what would the ancient Stoics advise us to do when dealing with these people?

11:15 First and foremost, the Stoics believed that anger is useless and even harmful.

11:20 Today’s encounters with people we don’t agree with or, even worse,

11:25 talk complete nonsense disguised as facts, are difficult,

11:28 but still no reason to get angry.

11:31 From the Stoic point of view,

11:33 there’s no such thing as righteous anger or functional anger.

11:37 Anger is always a disturbance,

11:39 never a constructive emotion, according to Seneca,

11:42 a Stoic who devoted a whole book to the subject.

11:45 Anger warps our thoughts and can even make us blind.

11:49 Anger only makes conflicts worse, destroys relationships and alliances,

11:53 and, for some reason, always comes back to bite us in our behinds.

11:59 Here’s a passage from Seneca’s book Of Anger that describes

12:03 what happens when we don’t keep our anger in check:

12:07 The best plan is to reject straightway the first incentives to anger,

12:12 to resist its very beginnings, and to take care not to be betrayed into it:

12:18 for if once it begins to carry us away,

12:21 it is hard to get back again into a healthy condition,

12:24 because reason goes for nothing when once passion has been admitted to the mind,

12:29 and has by our own free will been given a certain authority,

12:32 it will for the future do as much as it chooses,

12:36 not only as much as you will allow it.

12:40 End quote.

12:41 So, how to avoid anger taking over when,

12:45 for example, you’re reading a stupid comment online,

12:48 or your dad cannot resist sharing

12:50 his political views at your child’s birthday party?

12:53 I think Epictetus’s simile of the bath works well

12:57 as a way to bolster ourselves against such expressions.

13:01 Epictetus advised that before we go bathe,

13:04 we remind ourselves of everything we’ll encounter that’s natural to bathing:

13:09 rudeness, people splashing water, thieves trying to steal our stuff.

13:14 According to Epictetus,

13:15 there’s no reason to get upset about what’s to be expected,

13:19 and we’re better off focusing on keeping tranquil minds.

13:23 The Stoic emperor Marcus Aurelius would add that we

13:26 are made to work together, not for conflict.

13:30 To turn against one another is, in his view, unnatural.

13:34 His Meditations also contains some good advice

13:37 on how to deal with difficult people in general,

13:41 which fits our theme pretty well:

13:43 The tranquillity that comes when you stop caring what they say.

13:47 Or think, or do.

13:48 Only what you do.

13:50 Not to be distracted by their darkness.

13:53 To run straight for the finish line, unswerving.

13:56 End quote.

13:57 So, in this case, go prepared.

14:00 Expect it to happen.

14:02 Don’t try to change or fight it.

14:05 Accept it, and focus on maintaining what truly counts:

14:08 your own well-being and morals.

14:10 Better yet, it is to feel “affection” for those who are making mistakes,

14:15 according to Marcus Aurelius.

14:17 After all, they’re human too, but acting out of ignorance.

14:24 Of course, not falling for all the doom and gloom

14:27 doesn’t mean that there isn’t some real tyranny going on.

14:30 And not being angry all the time with unpleasant people with foolish

14:34 opinions doesn’t mean closing one’s eyes

14:37 to grave injustices happening as we speak.

14:40 The ancient Stoics weren’t hermits.

14:42 They saw themselves as citizens of the world,

14:45 destined to contribute to both their own and others’ well-being.

14:49 Their moral philosophy is based on virtue, and one of their virtues is justice.

14:55 Now, justice has a broad definition.

14:58 The Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy shows

15:01 that Stoic justice is subdivided into piety,

15:05 honesty, equity, and fair dealing, which is still pretty broad.

15:09 As this video focuses on applying Stoicism in today’s world,

15:13 I’d like to share an example of Stoic

15:16 justice from Epictetus’s Discourses that fits well.

15:19 Epictetus tells the story of Senator Helvidius Priscus,

15:23 who was ordered by the emperor Vespasian not to attend the Senate,

15:28 and when he refused, he ordered him to remain silent.

15:32 Helvidius refused both demands, as he wanted to stay true to his role.

15:37 As a senator, he believed it was

15:39 his duty to attend and speak honestly when asked.

15:43 When Vespasian threatened him with death and exile, he didn’t give in, saying:

15:49 “When then did I tell you that I am immortal?

15:52 You will do your part, and I will do mine: it is your part to kill;

15:57 it is mine to die, but not in fear:

16:00 yours to banish me; mine to depart without sorrow.” End quote.

16:06 This is what Stoic justice looks like.

16:09 It’s doing and saying what you deem right,

16:12 even when people in positions of power try to threaten and intimidate you.

16:17 In our time, this can mean refusing unlawful orders

16:20 from those in power that clearly conflict with the common good.

16:24 It can mean standing up for injustices happening in front of your eyes,

16:28 or boycotting companies and countries that violate human rights.

16:32 Doing what you deem right,

16:34 rather than ‘safe’ or ‘comfortable’ or ‘convenient,’ is the Stoic way.

16:42 Unfortunately, our influence over the circumstances we face is limited.

16:48 Often, there’s little we can do about the grave injustices

16:52 and atrocities that befall the many sentient beings on this planet.

16:56 Realizing this can be depressing, and some people experience actual depression

17:01 because of the current state of affairs.

17:04 I’ve also had my moments of gloom in the not-so-distant past,

17:07 when I found myself following the news much more

17:10 often than I used to, spending too much time doomscrolling,

17:14 agitating myself seeing headline after headline, reading comment after comment.

17:19 A war broke out here, some extremists caused violence there,

17:23 a celebrity did this, and a politician said that.

17:27 Whatever happened, the news presented it with urgency,

17:30 sometimes as if it were the most

17:33 important piece of information I would ever encounter.

17:36 But when we think of it,

17:39 how significant are these events really, like, from a cosmic perspective?

17:43 And when we zoom out from time, from days to weeks, to months,

17:48 years, centuries, and millennia, how big a deal is,

17:52 let’s say, today’s American politics?

17:55 When we check some newspapers from the sixties or seventies,

17:59 won’t we encounter the same show, just with different actors?

18:03 Marcus Aurelius often wrote about the transience and cyclical nature of events.

18:09 Evil, for example, has existed since the dawn of time.

18:12 “The same old thing,” he calls it.

18:15 Just look at history books, old and modern.

18:19 History doesn’t literally repeat itself, but it rhymes.

18:23 About the era of Emperor Vespasian,

18:26 he wrote: People doing the exact same things:

18:30 marrying, raising children, getting sick, dying,

18:33 waging war, throwing parties, doing business,

18:37 farming, flattering, boasting, distrusting, plotting,

18:41 hoping others will die, complaining about their own lives,

18:44 falling in love, putting away money, seeking high office and power.

18:49 And that life they led is nowhere to be found.

18:53 End quote.

18:53 These thoughts came from a man governing an empire under constant pressure.

18:58 He was in the middle of it, not observing from a distance.

19:02 Reflections like these may have helped him remain grounded.

19:05 So, when we look at things from a broader perspective,

19:09 what are we worrying about?

19:11 Events that have been happening since antiquity and before,

19:15 repeating themselves in different ages with a new look,

19:20 seemingly unprecedented, but fundamentally unoriginal.

19:23 “Which is why,” Marcus Aurelius wrote,

19:26 “observing life for forty years is as good as a thousand.”

19:31 Looking at current global events from a cosmic perspective,

19:34 from a distance in both time and space,

19:37 doesn’t change the events but puts them in a different light.

19:42 It creates a space between ourselves and what’s happening out there.

19:46 It helps to get a bit disentangled,

19:49 realizing these are just the winds of fate, doing their thing, again and again.

19:55 And what we consider utterly significant today will, centuries from now,

20:00 be nothing more than a distant record of those long gone,

20:05 stored in some future computer system.

20:13 So, whether you’re part of a family environment gone toxic because of politics,

20:18 or live in a country where the abuse of power has become routine,

20:22 or in a neighborhood where violent thugs are roaming the streets unchecked,

20:26 you don’t have to stay and endure at all costs.

20:30 In some cases, it’s better to walk away.

20:34 Let’s take a look at a passage from Epictetus’ Discourses that I’ve

20:38 talked about before in another video

20:40 about how Stoics deal with difficult people:

20:43 it’s about the simile of the burning house,

20:47 which goes like this: Has someone made a smoke in the house?

20:51 If he has made a moderate amount of smoke,

20:54 I shall stay; if too much, I go outside.

20:58 End quote.

20:59 Now, this simile is often explained as an argument in favor of suicide,

21:03 as if Epictetus is saying that when life becomes unbearable, it’s okay to leave.

21:08 But when we look at the passages leading up to this analogy,

21:13 it becomes clear that he’s talking about something much more ordinary:

21:17 Epictetus is dealing with difficult people.

21:20 He gives the example of someone refusing to dine at another man’s house,

21:25 simply because he can no longer tolerate the host’s endless boasting.

21:29 So, even though the Stoics advocate

21:32 for enduring difficult situations with fortitude,

21:34 it’s fine to push the eject button when things become really unbearable,

21:38 and there’s no reason to stay at any price.

21:42 In the case of Epictetus,

21:43 what’s the point of hanging out with someone who’s bragging all the time,

21:48 to the point of it becoming unbearable to listen to?

21:52 It’s useless, a waste of time, and, let’s be honest, just very annoying.

21:58 We can say the same about toxic

22:01 workplaces and families with a hostile atmosphere,

22:04 where conversations quickly turn political,

22:06 people bait you into debates you never wanted,

22:10 and misinformation becomes part of daily life.

22:13 It’s exhausting, pointless,

22:14 and undermines both harmony at home and performance at work.

22:19 In such cases, it may be better to walk away.

22:23 When your country, city, or neighbourhood has become unpleasant or unsafe,

22:28 leaving may be the wiser choice.

22:31 But the Stoics also emphasized duty,

22:33 meaning that in some situations, staying is the more virtuous path.

22:38 It depends on your role.

22:40 If you’re a parent, for example, abandoning your children,

22:44 even in difficult times, wouldn’t be very virtuous.

22:46 Or if you’re a doctor, your skills may be needed in a war zone.

22:52 As for me, for example, I don’t really like living in my country anymore.

22:57 This is partly because the political

22:59 climate has grown increasingly tense and divisive,

23:02 and has also begun to pollute workplaces, family environments, and friendships.

23:07 There are other reasons as well, but they don’t really matter here.

23:11 For some time now, I’ve been exploring options in Southeast Asia,

23:15 where I’ve found an environment that suits me better,

23:18 one that’s less cynical and hostile.

23:21 And I won’t deny that I also find it more pleasant there.

23:25 People are generally friendlier, there’s more sunshine,

23:28 and the overall vibe is just a bit easier on my mind.

23:32 I don’t have children,

23:33 nor do I have anyone in the Netherlands who depends on my direct care.

23:37 As a content creator, my work isn’t tied to a specific place.

23:42 From a Stoic perspective, given my role and circumstances,

23:46 I don’t believe I’m abandoning a duty.

23:49 Rather, I’m choosing a house with less smoke.

23:53 I hope that this Stoicism-based ‘walkthrough’

23:56 of today’s difficulties has been valuable to you.

23:59 And if you’re interested in more of my Stoicism-based work,

24:03 check out my book Stoicism for Inner Peace.

24:09 Thank you for watching