Why is Stoicism the new Zen of the West now? In part, the need for finding calm is ever pressing. In the tech world, work weeks can be manic, the lead-up to new funding rounds even tougher, and the pressure to design products that are both user-friendly and examples of smart engineering leads to stress and burnout. Stoicism offers lifehacks for detoxing from anxiety and stress. For the alt-right, it has the additional badge of being a philosophy of “dead white men.” The Covid-19 pandemic added a new layer of anxiety as people faced stresses from social isolation, job losses, massive death, and basic fear. The pandemic made clear that people need ways of preparing themselves, emotionally and psychologically, for worst-case scenarios. Individuals are hungry for ways of dialing down anxiety and tempering despair. Stoicism is an uncanny mix of a philosophy of empowerment and a philosophy of accepting what lies beyond full human control with equanimity. The book distills lessons for modern resilience with concrete meditation guides for the art of living well.
