When I was a sophomore I took a class called biopsychology where I sat next to a girl writing her honors thesis on philosophy in American media. I have since lost touch with her but I still thing about her ideas regularly. One aspect of philosophy that her and I particularly discussed was stoicism. It’s an aspect of philosophy that has taken over, at least in my circles.
I frequently see it present in gym culture, a subculture I spend a fair bit of time in. It’s becoming increasingly frustrating for me because it I feel as though a lot of the quotes I see pertaining to stoicism are quite out of context. For example, I see a lot of men posting photos of women, avoiding them like the plague. It’s all about “staying focused” and “keeping your goals in sight.” In itself I don’t think this is the worst idea, but in practice, it seems to be pretty toxic. The way this manifests is men who start to hate women as they slowly pidgeon-hole themselves into echo chambers of other toxic men. If you don’t believe me, check the comments on any Instagram post about stoicism and lifting weights. Click on the profiles. So many people are just assholes.
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