The Stoic Privacist

There comes a day in everyone's growth mindset journey when they sit down to read "Meditations" by Marcus Aurelius. However, reading and applying the principles of stoicism are two different stories. In a digital age where privacy is becoming more and more challenging, there are many nuances when it comes to effectively applying the principles of stoicism.

Privacy and Indifference:

In a world where we are told that our data is out of our control and the control of our privacy and online personal is out of our hands, is it correct to apply Indifference? We cannot control our privacy; therefore, we should not care about our privacy. Should I just not care that I am uncomfortable with the amount of information a stranger can find out about me? Should I just accept the fact that cyber stalkers, social engineers, and scammers are just an unfortunate consequence of the modern age that I may be subject to?

Many adopt that principle without the consideration that our privacy is in our control. While not built into the design of most applications, it is possible. Trust us. That's what we do. We have the tools to change our privacy settings on social media accounts and control what we share online, but our lack of virtue often prevents us from taking action on these controls effectively.

While in some cases, privacy is out of our control, such as in a data leak or an attack that leaks information. In this case, Applying indifference would be the correct thing to do. We cannot spend our time toiling over the fact that there is now information on us somewhere on the internet. Instead, action should be taken to ensure this doesn't happen again. This may include upping the security settings on other accounts, switching passwords, enabling 2mfa and closing affected accounts and taking all steps necessary to mitigate the threat of something happening again.

Privacy, Oikeiosis and Kathekon:

Another principle of stoicism worth applying is the concept of Oikeiosis and self-interest. Privacy matters and is essential for our well-being and survival. The reason we become uncomfortable with information such as our credit card details, home addresses, personal lives, etc., is that it’s dangerous. We need money to survive, and someone using our bank account to buy an unlimited amount of candy crush gold bars goes against that. Having our address publically online makes us anxious about the risk of home intruders. Protecting our privacy is vital to our overall safety.

Keeping ourselves safe also ties closely into the concept of kathekon, or “acceptable actions”, and one's duty. We have a moral obligation to keep not only ourselves safe but other members of society with attention to our loved ones and those around us. We can fulfil this moral obligation by preserving our privacy and creating a baseline of defence from cybercriminals. It protects not only you but is instrumental in preventing cybercrime such as stalking, social engineering, and phishing.

Perfect Privacy?

The one thing I will disagree with the Stoics on is the pursuit of being perfect. We are human. What makes us human is imperfect, and that's okay. And in the pursuit of privacy, we can never be perfect; we may not be able to get to a level of privacy that doesn't create extreme inconvenience in our lives, but we can still do our best.

Stoicism is an admirable trait for many reasons and a philosophy that many adopt effectively into their lives. However, it’s essential to understand the nuances and take into all aspects of digital privacy before one can apply the principles correctly. We hope this article opens up discussion on what it means to be a stoic in the digital age and are keen to hear your thoughts, disagreements, and opinions.

So in all future events which may induce sadness, remember to call on this principle: ‘this is no misfortune, but to bear it true to yourself is good fortune.’ - Meditations 4:49 Marcus Aurelius

References:

• [1] Durand, Marion, Simon Shogry, and Dirk Baltzly, "Stoicism", The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy (Spring 2023 Edition), Edward N. Zalta & Uri Nodelman (eds.), https://plato.stanford.edu/archives/spr2023/entries/stoicism/.
• [2] Waszek, N. (1984). Two Concepts of Morality: A Distinction of Adam Smith’s Ethics and its Stoic Origin. Journal of the History of Ideas, 45(4), 591–606. https://doi.org/10.2307/2709375