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'Filosofi Teras': Building resilience through stoic philosophy
Indonesian marketing practitioner and writer Henry Manampiring derives inspiration from the ancient Greek philosophy of stoicism to help relieve the modern ailment of anxiety.
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Filosofi Teras: Filsafat Yunani-Romawi Kuno untuk Mental Tangguh Masa Kini (Stoicism: Building mental strength in contemporary times using ancient Greco-Roman philosophy) published by Kompas (Shutterstock/Gramedia/Africa Studio)
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lobal socioeconomic and political turmoil /and the temptations of social media have made anxiety and depression common modern-day ailments.
Imagine seeing people you follow on social media posting their latest photos while on holiday with their beautiful girlfriends, while you are a lonely man who feels ugly while you spend the weekend in your rented room watching TV and having dinner.
Then somewhere in your news feed you discover a news item from an online media outlet predicting that political polarization will soon cause horizontal conflict in your hometown.
Another news item predicts that your country will soon go through a financial crisis that will leave you, along with hundreds of thousands of your fellow citizens, jobless.
In the epidemic of anxiety and depression spurred by these tumultuous times, the ancient Greco-Roman philosophy of stoicism gains relevance once again.
Originating since before the 3 AD, the philosophy was proposed by stoics like Seneca and Epictetus, with a set of action plans to alleviate one’s suffering: practicing mindfulness of the present moment; avoiding overidentification with one’s emotions and desires; using rational thinking to buffer the pain caused by unpleasant events or situations while treating others compassionately.
Being aware of the philosophy’s potent healing power, Indonesian advertising practitioner and writer Henry Manampiring has launched a book on the subject of stoicism aimed at the millennial and Gen Z generations called Filosofi Teras: Filsafat Yunani-Romawi Kuno untuk Mental Tangguh Masa Kini (Stoicism: Building mental strength in contemporary times using ancient Greco-Roman philosophy) published by Kompas.
