Vol 43 No 2

QUID NOVI

Vol 43 No 2 05 Oct 2021

NCDH 305 - 3644 Peel Montréal, Québec H2A 1X1

quid.law@mcgill.ca @quidnovi.mcgill

McGill University Faculty of Law Faculté de droit de l’Université McGill

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EDITOR-IN-CHIEF RÉDACTEUR EN CHEF Mark Townsend ART DIRECTOR DIRECTRICE ARTISTIQUE Hanna Rioseco LAYOUT EDITOR ÉDITEUR DE MISE EN PAGE Luther Mourinet COPY EDITORS SECRÉTAIRES DE RÉDACTION Maïmouna Diallo Nathan Leung Roxanada Mirzac COLOUMNISTS CHRONIQUEURES ET CHRONIQUEUSES Me Katarina Daniels Nicolas Kamran Émilie Weidl Anna McAllister Special thanks to Prairie Koo for designing the layout. ~ The Quid Novi is published weekly by the students of the Faculty of Law at McGill University. Production is made possible through the direct support of students.

All contents copyright © 2021 Quid Novi.

Les opinions exprimées sont propres aux auteurs et ne réflètent pas nécessairement celles de l’équipe du Quid Novi. The content of this publication does not necessarily reflect the views of the McGill Law Students’ Association or of McGill University.

Envoyez vos commentaires ou articles avant jeudi 17h00 à quid.law@mcgill.ca.

Toute contribution doit indiquer le nom de l’auteur, son année d’étude ainsi qu’un titre et un sous -titre pour l’article. Les images doivent être soumises séparément. L’article ne sera publié qu’à la discrétion du comité de rédaction, qui basera sa décision sur la politique de rédaction disponible sur notre Facebook @quidnovi.mcgill.

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QUID NOVI

CETTE SEMAINE...

INSIGHTS

COMMUNAUTÉ

5 | REFLECTIONS ON THE

2 | LETTER FROM THE EDITOR

RUSSIAN LEGISLATIVE ELECTION New means, same end

7 | A TRIP DOWN MEMORY LANE Getting to know the McGill Law community through Quid Novi articles of years past

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Vol 43 No 2 05 Oct 2021

EVENTS

3 | FROM THE GELBER

An overview of library services

6 | MEET THE QUID !

Nathan Leung

8 | TOKENS OF SORROW Stoicism’s unfortunate revival

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Vol 43 ● No 2

LETTER FROM THE EDITOR Mark Townsend | 4L

Dear Quid readers, I’m looking forward to another year of the Quid. It was strange last year, writing things here behind the veil of the lockdowns. It reminded me of writing for my Blogspot in 2007. A bit like shouting into the void. The data certainly reflected that sentiment, as I think a few of our issues totalled fewer than 50 interactions.

This year, we’re going to work on making the Quid a bit more accessible, inclusive, and easier for students to interact with. We’ve begun work on a website that should be available over the next month or so. We’re hoping that this will make it easier for you to find, share, and interact with the articles you enjoy.

QUID NOVI • 05 OCT 2021

We’d also like to emphasize this year that writing for the Quid is not just for the regular columnists that contribute every three weeks, even though they are obviously the backbone of the publication. We’d really like to see more one-off submissions from our faculty’s community at-large.

Submissions are welcome at any time, we’ll include them in the nearest weekly and get them posted on the website, once that’s up and running.

So that being said, give us a shout, submit something, and let’s work on improving our faculty’s student newspaper together.

If you have any ideas for how we might make the Quid more accessible, inclusive, and engaging, please don’t hesitate to reach out at quid.law@mcgill.ca.

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FAQs What is the Quid?

Founded at the Faculty of Law in 1981, the Quid Novi is a weekly journal that is run by the students and for the students. The Quid is meant to serve as a platform and creative outlet for all law students to articulate their ideas, comments, and opinions – legal and non-legal alike.

Can I send in a submission if I’m not a columnist?

Absolutely! The success of the Quid relies on you, the student body, sharing your thoughts. I’d strongly encourage each one of you to submit at least one piece to the Quid before you leave the Faculty.

What types of submissions do you accept?

One of the most unique things about the Quid is that it does not have specific criteria for the style or content of submissions. In the past, we’ve had submissions in the form of poems, articles, short stories, cartoons, announcements, lyrics, photographs, and the list goes on. Whether you want your submission to be serious, controversial, or comical – the freedom lies with you!

Do you still accept “overheards”?

We do! Did you overhear something funny or bizarre on campus? Did your professor say something funny that’s too good to keep to yourself?

Do you have an interesting anecdote? Share it with the Quid!

How do I submit an article?

You can send your submissions to quid.law@mcgill.ca by 5:00 p.m. every Thursday in order to be featured in the following week’s issue.

Is the Quid available only online?

The rumours are true, the Quid has officially moved to an online-only platform.

However, the Quid team is working hard to get a website up and running that will hopefully be more reader-friendly than our current PDF format.

How often does the Quid publish a new issue?

A new issue is released every week, on Tuesday morning.

Where can I find the latest Quid issue?

You can follow us on our Facebook page Quid Novi – Droit McGill Law to stay up to date with the latest Quid Novi issue or keep an eye out for the Quid in the LSA’s The Brief email that is sent out each week.

We will also be launching an Instagram account in the coming weeks.

FROM THE GELBER An overview of library services Me Ana Rogers

Dear McGill Law Community, I know Katarina kindly introduced me in the last issue, but I’m going to take a moment to introduce myself.

My name is Ana (pronounced Aw-Na – think Frozen), but I won’t be mad if you accidentally call me “Anna”.

Until 6 months ago, I was working as the Copyright and Digital Collections Librarian at McGill until I was shuffled over here. While I may not have Katarina or Sonia’s encyclopedic knowledge of our databases and collections, I am very dedicated (some might say obsessive) about research and answering your questions. I honestly love doing a deep dive into your research queries so please, reach out any time!

Now that the term is underway and we’ve gathered some stats about your questions from the reference desk, we’ve pinpointed a few topics that might help you as you begin your foray into legal research. With the start of the new term, we have new students who are still in the dark about the library services available to them, and older students who may have forgotten after a year of absence from campus!

Here’s a short overview: Print/ Scan/ Copy About half of our reference questions since the start of the semester have been about printing. This makes a lot of sense since not only do we have all the 1Ls who have never printed in the library before, but also have the 2Ls! While the printing questions have calmed down lately, let me just remind everyone in case your eyes are starting to strain from reading countless pages online and you’re ready for some old school highlighter action.

- To print from a library computer (on the 1st and 5th floor) you just need your document online or on USB. - Open the document on the computer and hit print - it will be available at any library printer. Note that there is sometimes a short delay).

- You can print from your own computer, phone or tablet from anywhere by sending an email from your McGill email account to uprint.mono@mcgill.ca (6.5 cents for black & white jobs) or to uprint.colour@

mcgill.ca (22 cents for colour jobs) - Documents sent by email will be printed double-sided on 8 1/2” by 11” letter-size paper. If you need more control over the print settings or wish to print on legal- or tabloid-size paper, print from a Library workstation or install the uPrint drivers on your computer. Here’s the link to do so.

- Tap your ID card on the printer to start.

If you don’t have your ID card, you can usually type in your email. This is pretty awkward so try not to forget your ID. - There are phones in each of our printing rooms that are direct links to IT if you encounter any issues.

- To scan you need to tap your ID and select “email”. Place your item on the scanning bed then hit “send” – I usually don’t trust this has worked and check my email before signing off to ensure I’ve received the scan.

It has always worked, but trust is hard to earn.

- Copying is super easy. You got this one.

Course Reserves We made big changes to our course reserves last year to accommodate virtual learning; now that we are back in person, some of the material you had access to online is no longer available. The materials accessible through HathiTrust Emergency Access or through one-time licenses for scanned material can no longer be accessed. We did however purchase a LOT of eBooks which you will continue to have access to.

Some of your courses will have all readings posted on myCourses; but for material that you need to access from our catalogue either in person or online – you can see the list of required texts organized by class code in our catalogue. Just go to this link (https:// www.mcgill.ca/library/ > Find > Course Readings) and search for your class. E-resources will link from the catalogue page and physical books are available on a 3-hour loan.

Cite Guide Also on reserve are several copies of the McGill Cite Guide (Redbook). This is available online through Westlaw, but some people find it easier to work with the paper version.

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Vol 43 ● No 2 Request/Hold or Scan This is another feature that we had to adjust last year and that has come back better than ever. Every physical book will have this button:

As it says, this allows you to request the book if someone has it out, place a hold so you can just pick it up at your library desk of choice, or request a scan of up to 10% or 1 chapter/article. The new form is so simple and easy to use!

Just a couple of things to remember: -

If requesting a journal, be sure to specify which volume you need. You’ll get a list to select from.

If requesting a scan, specify page numbers if possible and/or the title of the article.

Except for our reserves, all books are automatically renewed until requested by someone else – so you don’t have to worry about due dates, but watch for recall emails (of which you will receive several before being charged).

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Inter-Library Loans Inter-library loan (ILL) is easier and faster than ever. This is the ability to borrow books that aren’t in McGill’s collection. This is great for when the book you want is checked out and you can’t wait (up to) 30 days for a recall. You’ll see this red button under your Access Options:

The other way ILL comes in handy is if you want to expand your original search beyond the McGill catalogue. You can set your filters to include material from other Quebec universities so you know you are getting all the relevant material that is available to you.

Reference desk There is always someone on reference from 9-5, Monday to Friday, either a librarian or one of our very knowledgeable reference assistants. If the desk is empty, ask our circulation staff if you can speak with a librarian. Sometimes we sneak back to our offices to answer your emails more efficiently, but we are always happy to pop back down for an in-person consultation.

In fact, please validate our system by asking for us!

Group Study Rooms You can book study rooms in the other libraries using the online booking system.

At the law faculty, we work a little differently in order to prioritize our students: you need to book rooms at the circulation desk in person. This way, we are able to keep our study rooms just for law students.

Library maps Check out the map of all the McGill Library branches and the Gelber Library floor plan.

Interactive maps are available next to the stairs on the first floor, and in front of the elevators on the other floors.

Librarians & LibGuides And don’t forget one of your most valuable resources, Sonia and myself! We are always happy to offer you personalised research help or group instruction if there’s a topic or database you and your classmates could use some help with.

Reach out to us any time: sonia.smith@mcgill.ca ana.rogers-butterworth@mcgill.ca Or email our very knowledgeable reference assistants: law.library@mcgill.ca

It will automatically take you to Columbo to fill out the request. Now, don’t be spooked by the change of interface. Colombo is very easy to use. You can read more about ILL and how to use Colombo here.

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And if you haven’t done it yet, bookmark the Law LibGuide page. This page has all your most important resources and will help guide you to the ones for your specific topic.

Happy studying everyone!

REFLECTIONS ON THE RUSSIAN LEGISLATIVE ELECTION New means, same end Émilie Weidl | 2L

At the same moment that Canadians headed to the polls on the 19th of September, the third day of voting in Russia’s parliamentary election was just wrapping up. Predictably, any coverage in Canadian media was overshadowed by Canadian election coverage.

In case you were wondering, this is what you might have missed: The Results To absolutely no one’s surprise, Putin’s United Russia party has managed to hold onto its supermajority in the Duma, even managing to increase its share of seats.

Important regions

Moscow: Up until the last minute, it appeared that some opposition candidates would be able to grab seats in Moscow.

However, as soon as the electronic ballots were counted, all the United Russia candidates took the lead. On Instagram, opposition figure Alexei Navalny shared a post from prison, stating that in 11 of 15 electoral districts in Moscow, opposition candidates won based on in-person polling data.

Khabarovsk: At the same time as the national parliamentary elections, the Khabarovsk gubernatorial election also took place. Khabarovsk’s former governor, Sergei Furgal, was arrested on charges of murder last year. Furgal had managed to beat the United Russia incumbent in the 2018 gubernatorial election after refusing the Kremlin’s demands to drop out of the race. Huge demonstrations followed his arrest and subsequent replacement. These demonstrations, which began in June of 2020, lasted well into 2021. The Khabarovsk region’s location in the Far East of Russia served to exacerbate these protests. Regions further from Moscow generally receive less from the centre in exchange for rent extraction.

Despite the demonstrations following his appointment last year, Furgal’s replacement, Degtyaryov, managed to win the gubernatorial race in a landslide with 57% of the votes. It is hardly surprising that this election was followed by allegations of fraud.

Electronic Voting

As I stood in line on the 19th at the Parc Olympique while voters’ names were crossed off individually from giant stacks of paper, I thought to myself: there must be a better way. Of course, my assumption is that electronic voting in Canada would not be under threat from organized governmental interference, which is far from the case in Russia.

Online voting was available in seven cities, including Moscow, in an ostensible attempt to prevent election-related COVID-19

outbreaks. This is the first time that electronic voting has been used for a nationwide election in Russia. It has previously been used on smaller scales, such as during the Constitutional referendum last summer when it was deployed in a few cities. As you might have already guessed, the voting system deployed by the Central Election Commission is—to put it lightly—a bit sketchy. All voting data has been locked up from the public and researchers. Even election officials were prevented from accessing any data once the vote count had begun.

If that doesn’t seem fishy enough, the Kremlin used many tactics to incite voters to register for the e-voting platform. Cash prizes and large luxury items are not uncommon incentives for voting in the regions, where regional officials deliver rent in the form of votes for Putin in exchange for promotions and job stability. Putin has also been known to award those who vote for him. This time around, however, citizens were not awarded for the election result, but rather the means. The Kremlin was focussed on convincing individuals to register early for e-voting. It is possible that the Kremlin is going to deploy e-voting on a massive scale in the 2024 Presidential Elections, making this election a perfect opportunity to try out new strategies for election fraud. Based on the new constitutional amendments ratified last year, Putin is able to be elected for two more six-year terms, the first of which beginning in 2024.

Alexei Navalny

While Alexei Navalny was not physically present during the elections this time around—given his current imprisonment—, but his allies continued to be active in his name. His team launched an app that backed candidates best positioned to beat United Russia candidates, but this app was shut down and removed from app stores following pressure from the Kremlin on big tech. Navalny also managed to comment on the election over Instagram from prison.

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Vol 43 ● No 2

Demonstrations

The reception of the parliamentary election results by the Russian population was not entirely passive. On 25 September, less than a week after the polls closed, over 1000 people gathered in a central square in Moscow to protest the election results as fraudulent. This protest was led by the Communist Party, which claimed that a lot of their candidates lost their seats due to fraudulent electronic votes.

Conclusions

The last Russian legislative election in 2016 went over quite smoothly. After crackdowns on protesters in the Bolotnaya protests between 2011 and 2013, the 2016 elections were not followed by large demonstrations against the results. It seems that this tension has erupted again. Whether or not these protests will reach the same level as the Bolotnaya Protests remains to be seen. The lack of violent law enforcement response to the protest may help diffuse tensions more quickly this time around.

Navalny’s lack of physical presence this time around is also a factor working in the Kremlin’s favour.

This election may also prove prescient for the 2024 presidential elections when it comes to electronic voting. If the Kremlin finds that the e-voting fraud in this election goes over smoothly, they will likely employ it on an even larger scale in two years. One demonstration of about 1000 people is hardly a large price to pay for the Kremlin in exchange for the maintenance of power.

If the Kremlin decides that the more covert method of e-voting fraud foments less discontent, it might adopt it as its new preferred method of election rigging.

MEET THE QUID Nathan Leung | 1L

English Copy Editor

de 6 mois. Cette fois est ma première fois de vivre longtemps dans une autre ville!

What drew you to the Quid?

I do quite a lot of essay editing in my part time job as a tutor so I decided to put my skills to use at the Quid. My friends in undergrad always told me how much they enjoyed writing for the paper so I decided to try it out in law school!

J’ai hâte de lire les articles que l’équipe rédigera. :) What did you do before McGill Law? J’ai fait un bac en linguistique à UofT et je suis diplomé en juin de cet été.

Quel était ton cours préféré avant de commencer à la faculté de droit?

Arabic! Didn’t get to finish a minor in it since I went on exchange but I enjoyed learning about the culture and language so much.

Was law school a dream come true or a happy accident? Do you want to be a lawyer?

A dream come true – have been working on this since I was in grade 8! I definitely do want to be a lawyer since I am not into academia; j’ai fait assez de recherche pendant mon bac.

Qu’aimes-tu faire quand tu n’étudies pas ?

J’aime faire des promenades autour de la ville et d’essayer de la nouvelle nourriture. En particulier, j’aime tous les types thé; surtout les lattes aux magasins de bubble tea. J’apprends plusieurs langues aussi – à ce moment je voudrais améliorer mon espagnol et coréen parmi les autres langues que je parle. Finalement, j’aime bien regarder les kdramas de mystère et de thriller.

As-tu un quartier préféré à Montréal?

Super touristy but I still like the Vieux-Port area. As a child, my family would always visit there on our family trips to Montreal so the neighbourhood stuck with me.

I also like the general European vibes!

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Où aimerais-tu travailler dans cinq ans?

Somewhere where I can serve the public interest or where I can put both my linguistic and legal skills to use. I also wouldn’t mind working in different countries to get more experience while I am still fresh out of law school!

SUBMITwTO THE QUID NOVI! EMAIL US BY 5PM EACH THURSDAY

Where are you from / where have you lived?

Je viens de Toronto où je suis né et j’y suis vécu pour toute ma vie – j’ai aussi vécu à Singapour pour mon échange 6

quid.law@mcgill.ca

A TRIP DOWN MEMORY LANE Getting to know the McGill Law community through Quid Novi articles of years past Anna McAllister | 1L

Upon receiving my offer of admission to McGill Law, I knew I wanted to be a part of the McGill Law community.

As a former history major, getting to know the history of a community is a big part of what helps me feel most connected, and most appreciative, of the community itself. Given this, when Quid Novi was pitched to me, one of the most enticing things about the opportunity to write for a student newspaper was the chance to look back at past Quid Novi articles dating back to 1980.

tion), which students were expected to pay personally.

Additionally, while some students were excited to use the MacRight program to type their assignments, Marleau notes that you could save “que dix pages de texte par disquette.” Considering that I found it taxing to submit my library consent form to gain access to certain law databases, I can’t help but be empathetic to the 1984 students who lined up to have the chance to use one of three computers at the Faculty of Law.

Off I went to the library in my McGill Law quarter-zip, which I ordered immediately upon accepting my offer, in search of the coveted Quid Novi archives. What I found was a treasure trove of insight into a McGill Law community of years past. We will begin our journey to the past in 1984 simply because it was the first year I could think of mentioning to the librarian when I asked to see the rare books collection (in hindsight I would have picked 1989; fall of the Berlin Wall, birth of Taylor Swift, it was a big year to say the least.).

The week of October 3rd, 1984, Quid Novi Volume V, No.4 was chock-full of action. What first caught my attention was an article entitled, “Les big-macs attaquent la bibliothèque.” What could this mean a student from 2021 might ask themselves? Well, as then Quid columnist Véronique Marleau tells us, “[i] l s’agit d’une grande première: nous avons finalement accès à des ordinateurs.”

While the woes of the attacking big-macs seem out of touch with the modern law school experience, other excerpts from this issue hit quite close to home. In a parody article called “Dear Mom,” by anonymous author M.M., a comedic tale of a 1L writing home to their mother to talk about their first week of law school exposes the universality of law school experiences past and present. M.M. explains, “[a]ll through my B.A., I felt smart and even if I didn’t feel it, I could always get my hair cut, buy new shoes and look it. Well, I’m in law school now and I’ve got to change my strategy – I’m almost bald, and I have fourteen pairs of new shoes. Not only do I still feel dumb, but I look ridiculous.” Clearly, the imposter syndrome the professors and wellness advisors warned of in integration week is far from a new phenomenon. M.M. also writes, “they gave me a glove compartment instead of a locker,” indicating that locker struggles are also far from a new phenomenon at the faculty.

Almost exactly 37 years ago, the McGill Law library received its first of three Macintosh computers.

Marleau explains that while many students were elated at the prospect of finally being able to search innovative databases like SOQUIJ, it was not free.

Accessing SOQUIJ came at the price of over $75 an hour (about $200 today when accounting for infla-

In the short-time I’ve been at McGill Law, one of the key things that has been stressed to me is the value of the rich alumni network of those that came before us. I look forward to revealing the comforting similarities, and hilarious differences, that make up our collective experiences at McGill Law, past and present, throughout my future columns.

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TOKENS OF SORROW Stoicism’s unfortunate revival Nicholas Kamran| 3L

his words and looks bespoke a mind serene, erect, and firm.”

Transitions of power throughout the Roman Empire came about in diverse circumstances. They were nevertheless united in fear and bloodshed. Suetonius’ Life of Claudius recounts the comically grim scene in which he learned of his accession:

QUID NOVI • 05 OCT 2021

[I]n great terror at the news of the murder, he stole away to a balcony hard by and hid among the curtains which hung before the door. As he cowered there, a common soldier, who was prowling about at random, saw his feet, intending to ask who he was, pulled him out and recognized him; and when Claudius fell at his feet in terror, he hailed him as emperor.

Claudius began his reign in hiding, acutely aware that power begets violence. His wife, Agrippina the Younger, is generally believed to have poisoned him 12 years later, killing him after a night of “excruciating pain”. Claudius’ adoptive son, a 17-year-old Nero, would be next in line. His early years as emperor saw him exercise the destructive cruelty for which his reign would later be remembered. Soon after taking power, Nero murdered his rival to the throne, his 14-year-old stepbrother Britannicus. Agrippina would soon follow.

Betrayal, murder, and infinite power shaped the setting in which Seneca, the Roman Stoic philosopher, would become Emperor Nero’s trusted advisor. Seneca was a philosopher of turmoil, crisis. This setting would also spell his doom.

As the philosopher’s influence on his pupil waned, the latter accused the Stoic of conspiring to assassinate him. Nero ordered Seneca to take his own life, and he did just that.

Calmly. Stoically. If we are to believe Tacitus, he showed “no symptom of fear, no token of sorrow, no dejected passion: 8

I have neither the expertise nor space to adequately explain Stoicism, as a philosophy. Still, as an adjective, “stoic” is familiar. In books, you have perhaps seen it describe characters who show little emotion when confronted with painful situations. As a matter of principle, self-discipline, or pure affective fortitude, they remain impassive to life’s throes.

The stoic person is “apathetic” in its literal, Greek sense.

Without pathê, or passions – defined as the “things which one undergoes”. They refuse to undergo. Rather, they overcome. Per philosopher Dirk Christian Baltzly, Stoicism is the belief that “you should not be psychologically subject to anything – manipulated and moved by it”. Instead, you should be “actively and positively in command of your reactions and responses to things as they occur or are in prospect.” Approach emotionally distressing situations like Seneca. Reject fear, sorrow, passion. Overcome yourself.

Stoicism, a third century Hellenistic philosophical school, has gone pop. In the past decade, several blogs, podcasts, Instagram pages, and self-help books dedicated to Stoic ideas have exploded in popularity. A quick search from your columnist yielded the following examples: - @stoicreflections – An Instagram page sharing “Stoic” quotes. The tagline is as follows: Philosophy for high achievers. Each post contains a quote in white lettering, laid over a grey-scale picture of the author. At the time of writing this article, the most recent one shows comedian Jerry Seinfeld. “Keep your head up in failure, and your head down in success”. The caption, in bold lettering: “Destroy Procrastination & unlock your true potential. Gain a heightened perspective. Destroy procrastination. Improve your focus.” The page has 681 000 followers. They follow no one.

- The Daily Stoic: 366 Meditations on Wisdom, Perseverance, and the Art of Living – A book authored by Ryan Holiday and Stephen Hanselman. The reader is meant to read one page per day, with each page containing a Stoic quote and commentary. The book reached #2 on the Wall Street Journal’s Bestseller List, remaining there for eleven weeks. Holiday capitalized on his success with a conceptually similar podcast and Instagram page. As of today, The Daily Stoic Podcast has 50 000 000 downloads and @dailystoic has 1 200 000 followers on Instagram.

- Stoicon – An annual convention for Stoicism enthusiasts started in 2012. Past events took place in

London, New York, and Athens. Participants will convene this year for an online symposium on October 9th, 2021. At 11:30, you are invited to attend a thirty-minute talk on “The Joyful Practice of Stoic Death Contemplation”. According to their website, Stoicon has garnered over 20 000 participants.

Consumers have flocked to Stoicism during the pandemic.

The numbers from 2020 speak for themselves. Reports from Vice and The Guardian indicated a 28 percent raise in sales of Meditations by Marcus Aurelius, and a 356 percent raise in E-book sales of Letters from a Stoic by Seneca. This should come as no surprise. Stoicism is most attractive in distressing times. “I may not control what happens, but I control how I feel”. “I can dominate, overcome myself.” Rhetorically speaking, Stoicism conjures stability. Strength, too. In uncertain times, Stoics remain cool-headed and rational, where others are anxious and emotional. This is why they are successful, why Stoicism is the philosophy for “high achievers”. For the rich and powerful. Media outlets repeatedly describe Jeff Bezos, Elon Musk, Warren Buffet, Mark Cuban, and Jack Dorsey as Stoics. Even Theranos’ Elizabeth Holmes named Meditations as her favourite book. Implicit in this messaging is the idea by which you, too, can be successful. Rich. Powerful. In control. Only your fear, sorrow, and passion, stand in the way.

I do not plan on refuting Stoicism, for many reasons. Namely, because student newspaper columns are no place to convincingly uproot central currents of Western thought. If you are interested in developed critiques of Stoicism, you will find them elsewhere.

Nonetheless, I wish to offer you a personal impression.

The people I know most drawn to Stoicism tend to be frustrated men. More specifically, men having difficulties understanding, verbalizing, and accepting their emotions.

I suspect that I am hardly alone in knowing the like. Nor am I alone in having been an emotionally frustrated man.

Recently, I came upon a series of tweets from Robin Dembroff, Assistant Professor of Philosophy at Yale University and scholar of feminist and LGBTQ social ontology. In their thread, Dembroff attempts to argue why “it sucks to be a man”. They write how: It sucks not to be taught emotional skills as a child, and then mocked as an adult for lacking those skills. It sucks even more to lack the necessary tools for building intimacy and healthy boundaries in relationships. It sucks to be increasingly aware that you lack these skills, but struggle to take constructive feedback about it, because you’ve been taught that those skills are feminizing, and that accepting help is weak. It sucks to be lonely and reactive.

I cannot say that I fully agree with Dembroff’s perspective here.

Mainly, because I hesitate to say that “it sucks to be a man” in the patriarchy. When men lack emotional skills, it has materially

negative impacts on everybody. Men rarely get the short end of the stick, all things considered. Further, while I cannot speak from experience, I do not believe this socialization to be exclusive to men. Nevertheless, this thread resonated with me. I attended an all-boys high school, playing rugby and basketball for several years. During my time there, I was socialized to believe much of what Dembroff describes. Accepting help is weak and feminizing. Showing emotion, anger and pride notwithstanding, is weak and feminizing. Every time I was told to “suck it up”, it served as a reminder that emotional vulnerability undermined my masculine identity. Get over it. Get over yourself. Be tough.

Be a man. Into adolescence, I learned to deal with life’s pressures through silence and solitude. This meant shutting up and getting to work. To some extent, this mentality helped me achieve things of which I am proud. But there is a steep cost. As a young adult, I have found myself refusing to look at my feelings for what they are. Like many others, this discouraged me from seeking help whenever I needed it. As you get older, this attitude is increasingly untenable. Hopefully, you learn how it hurts those around you. Maybe you start understanding how it hurts you.

There is a chance, however, that you never really learn any of this. This is why Stoicism’s modern revival troubles me. I think these books, podcasts, and social media pages impede emotional healing and education. I can see how someone struggling with emotional honesty may find comfort in Stoicism.

It confirms what so many of us were told from a young age: feelings make you weak. Reject fear, sorrow, passion. When the weight of the world is on your shoulders, stand up straight.

There is a thin line between controlling and suppressing your emotions. The former is impossible, the latter painful. We can be more useful and compassionate people, provided we accept help from others. As put by Mister Rogers: “When we can talk about our feelings, they become less overwhelming, less upsetting, and less scary. The people we trust with that important talk can help us know that we’re not alone.” You can learn, you can talk, you can feel. Look for the helpers.

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QUID NOVI • 05 OCT 2021

Vol 43 ● No 2

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