A return to stoic virtues helps us face a future of disruption with calm

Feeling not so great about being in the world right now? Uncertain and anxious about the future? Older cultures have left behind maps and guides for living in uncertain times, whether it be through texts, philosophies, religions or letters.

- By Brigid Delaney

Ancient civilisations didn't have to deal with emergent AI or the scale of the climate crisis or the internet, but so much wisdom they left behind can be adapted for whatever comes our way. It is as Roman emperor and practising Stoic Marcus Aurelius said: “Look back over the past, with its changing empires that rose and fell, and you can foresee the future too.”

I relied on the ancient philosophy of stoicism to get through lockdowns and the pandemic - particularly in the early days before vaccines. And post-2020, in our current hellscape, I have found that the framework provided by stoicism is more important than ever.

In my new book The Seeker and the Sage, a troubled journalist is given an assignment to interview a mayor in a community run according to stoic principles. Over three days she grills him on how stoicism can help us deal with the problems of 2025.