Sadler's Lectures How Does A Stoic Deal With Grief? A Modern Stoicism Conversation - Sadler's Lectures
Dec 14, 2025
Grief is a universal response to loss, often tied to deep fear, especially concerning death. Stoicism views grief as a negative emotion, suggesting careful management. Ancient texts by Epictetus and Seneca offer insights on processing grief. While mourning is allowed, Seneca emphasizes moderation and the importance of preserving sweet memories over bitterness. Sadler also stresses acknowledging and addressing unresolved grief through practical steps to ease emotional burdens.
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Stoic Theory: Grief As A Cognitive Pain
- Stoics classify grief as a 'pain' emotion that's cognitively driven and therefore bad for the agent.
- Grief is judged as irrational when it rests on false assumptions about goods and harms.
Use Perspective And Sympathy In Mourning
- When loving someone, remind yourself of their humanity to lessen catastrophic disturbance when they die.
- Show sympathy to those grieving and join them in the moment without forcing internal lament.
Grief Shouldn't Be A Social Obligation
- Grief is often treated as a social obligation, but that duty can force artificial mourning.
- Cicero criticizes compulsory displays of grief as misleading and harmful social practice.
