When the World Is Too Much With Us

We get our strength from others — on the page or in person

A Difficult Line from Horace by Lawrence Alma-Tadema, 1881 (Wikimedia Commons - public domain)

Editor’s note: This is an updated version of an essay from October 18, 2023.

“Nothing is so bitter that a calm mind cannot find comfort in it.” — Seneca, c. 60

Odds are that you, like many people around you in recent days, are overwhelmed.

The news is coming at us relentlessly, whether local, national, or international.

And it’s all pretty terrible.

Of course, uncertainty and bad news aren’t unique to the present era; every generation has had to deal with upheaval, catastrophic events, and anxiety about what might be next.

In such circumstances, we need a break — physically, mentally, spiritually — we need to distance ourselves from the ceaseless volleying of the artillery of the media, constantly being replenished with horror, outrage, and sadness.

I’ve felt this w…