Sadler's Lectures How Should Stoics Respond When Bad Things Happen To Other People - Sadler's Lectures
Nov 16, 2025
Delve into the misconceptions surrounding Stoicism and the importance of compassion. Discover how misunderstood passages can lead to the false idea that Stoics should be indifferent to others' suffering. Learn about the social nature of Stoics and how justice compels action in response to injustice. Hear powerful examples of empathetic responses, including grieving with those in distress. Ultimately, realize that true Stoicism embraces care for others, making compassion a fundamental aspect of the philosophy.
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Don’t Proof-Text Stoicism
- Reading isolated Stoic lines to claim all externals are meaningless misrepresents Stoicism.
- Stoic texts are richer and require context and continual study to apply rightly.
Other People’s Suffering Is Real
- Treating others' suffering as ‘none of your business’ misunderstands our social nature.
- Stoicism recognizes real emotional harm in non-stoics that we must not dismiss.
Euthanized Pet Example
- Sadler recounts a homeless person whose pet was seized and euthanized by animal control to illustrate real harm.
- The forced loss broke a genuine relationship and caused visible grief.
