Instagram reels on stoic ideals have become the new oracles of wisdom guiding people toward a more fulfilling life. There is a growing and thriving trend of revisiting stoic philosophy, which has its roots in ancient Greece. The page ‘Daily Stoic’ by influencer and author Ryan Holiday has garnered millions of followers. Another, called ‘Paths of Stoicism’, is about to touch a million followers. Although reels often get blamed for shrinking our attention spans, they are here to stay — and the ones on stoic ideals are the silver lining to this otherwise dark cloud.
The Romans’ version of stoicism is rapidly gaining popularity on the social media platform— Marcus Aurelius, Epictetus, and Seneca are some names that get thrown at you when you fire up your screen. Why has this ancient philosophy, which espouses self-control, gratitude, and the impermanence of life, become such a rage now?
The primary reason is the modern hustle culture, which promotes not only increased productivity, outcomes, and rewards but also achieving such goals at the cost of a deteriorating work-life balance and burnout. I am a part of this culture myself, and stoic tenets have helped me make sense of things that are important. Of course, it is always better to read the literature on stoicism, but exhaustion and deadlines make even the thin books appear dense and impenetrable. And as counterintuitive as it might sound, I take recourse to reels. “Think of yourself as dead. You have lived your life. Now, take what’s left and live it properly,” says a post by Daily Stoic, quoting Aurelius. Another goes like this: “The happiness of your life depends upon the quality of your thoughts.” A post by Paths of Stoicism shows an anime character in deep rumination. Protect yourself from your own thoughts’ it reads. The page uses classic anime characters such as Ippo, Guts, Goku and Vegeta and adds a quote on introspection, discipline and gratitude. These quotes make me pause and reflect on my mortality; I feel grateful for life and youthfulness and move forward with a realisation that life is transitory.
Not out of sight
‘Memento mori’ (Latin for remembrance of death), a seemingly foreboding but liberating idea, is present all across these pages. Death, which may painfully inch closer to us or strike suddenly, makes the pressure and the anxiety of work and life seem inconsequential.
An old adage comes to mind: Out of sight, out of mind. And if I cannot refer to Stoic tenets regularly, I might forget the virtues that they seek to teach me. I, also, cannot can’t carry Aurelius’ Meditations everywhere I go, but I always have my cellphone with me and can visit these pages whenever I want and whisper ‘memento mori’ to myself, be it good times or bad.
But let us not go to the extremes of life and death. How about taking a break when you’ve ground yourself enough on the corporate millstone? Stoic reels have you covered there as well: “Just as rich fields must not be forced… so constant work on the anvil will fracture the force of the mind,” says a post by Daily Stoic, quoting Seneca. Such nuggets of wisdom are available precisely because social media has become accessible and makes one realise the importance of taking a break.
More to the trend
Stoic philosophers’ aphorisms and quotes are being popularised through the democratising power of Instagram. But there’s more to the trend – it can arm us against the politics of divide, hate, and bigotry. Narratives that rally people under the clarion call of solidarity on the lines of caste, creed, or ethnicity can give rise to hatred against the ‘Other’. These social silos drown individual reason and incite dangerous sentiments that may have disastrous consequences.
That is where stoicism — and reels — can help.
The philosophy helps the individual develop their reasoning capabilities and virtue. Instead of fixating on external circumstances, one shifts their focus on how they react to reality — a kind of self-introspection that’s much needed today. That is how we will able to reflect on our blessings develop our character and keep the individuality alive when it is easy to be devoured by dangerous social ideas. Reels on Stoicism can help us develop these virtues by being at hand when we need them to be.
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(Edited by Humra Laeeq)