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A true stoic is not an indifferent person, but a compassionate human being.
For those who are not particularly affiliated with the academic world of philosophy, the
topic of individualism of Stoicism might appear to be remote and unfamiliar. For the
sake of clarity and perspective, it might be beneficial to examine first what Stoic
individualism is not before entering into the inquiry of what it is.
In the modern world, the importance of the individual's well
stressed or supposedly well recognized. From the corollary of such an emphasis comes the
exertion of individualism, which means the respect for the individuality of each person.
Perhaps one of the most important reasons for the exultation of so-called non-conformity
is the infatuation with the idea of individu- alism. For in conformity, one might lose his
own identity, that is his own individuality.
Author : C. Y. Jesse Chiang
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