Millennial Mindfulness Is Over. Now the "Lazy, Entitled" Generation Is Taking on Stoicism

While millennials (and Gen Z for that matter) get a bad rap as being entitled personalities with whiny, me-first attitudes, the explosion of Stoic-themed posts on Tiktok exhorting right living through determination and self-control argues otherwise.

Stoicism, the grit-and-glory philosophy of Roman Emperor Marcus Aurelius, has been processed into edible TikTok meme bites, a la, "It's not what happens to us that matters, it's how we react to what happens to us that matters." Add to this bestselling millennial authors such as Ryan Holiday (The Obstacle Is the Way: The Timeless Art of Turning Trials into Triumph), and you’ve got an onslaught of determination-focused content as opposed to entitlement chic. After all, if you’re lazy, you’re certainly not going to like a post that suggests you “see people as opportunities to practice self-discipline in the face of unfairness.”

What’s behind this craze for the wisdom of the ancients, and how specifically does it reveal a more determined millennial and Gen Z mindset than we’ve given these groups credit for?

What Is Stoicisim?

The Oxford Languages dictionary definition of Stoicism is “an ancient Greek school of philosophy founded at Athens by Zeno of Citium. The school taught that virtue, the highest good, is based on knowledge; the wise live in harmony with the divine Reason (also identified with Fate and Providence) that governs nature, and are indifferent to the vicissitudes of fortune and to pleasure and pain.” Brigid Delaney, author of the new book Reasons Not to Worry: How to Be Stoic in Chaotic Times, writes that “Today, Stoicism is undergoing a revival. Unlike religion, with its set orthodoxies and rules, Stoicism is pliable. It has no leader or cabal guarding its purity and it can’t be co-opted by various sects or interest groups who claim it as their own.”

What Are Some Core Beliefs?

Per Modern Stoicism, core beliefs include:

What Are Some Examples of Stoicism?

How Can I Try on Stoicism for Size?

You’re in luck! This week, November 6 through 12, is the annual National Stoicism Week, in which more than 40,000 volunteers participate in a week-long group experiment that seeks to determine if and how Stoic practices improve life satisfaction. Or, any week of the year, you can pick up a copy of Marcus Aurelius’s Meditations (which makes a fun appearance in feelgood holiday movie The Holdovers) for tips straight from C.E. 171 to today. Or read Delaney’s book, in which a gay feminist explains how these old dead white guys’ life tips helped her through a life crisis and continue to today. Or heck, just join the 3.2 billion views on StoicTok—because a bite-sized bit of ethics might be just what you need.

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