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Stoicism has experienced something of a revival.

Across social media, podcasts, books, and motivational platforms, we are encouraged to control our emotions, accept what we cannot change, and develop resilience in the face of adversity.

There is considerable wisdom in that philosophy, but there is also a danger when stoicism becomes a personality rather than a practice. Some people begin to believe that emotional restraint makes them superior to those who express their feelings. They mistake composure for strength, detachment for intelligence, and emotional control for emotional superiority.

This creates something I would call arrogant stoicism.

The irony is that genuine Stoic philosophy was never simply about suppressing emotion or appearing unaffected. It was about developing virtue, exercising reason, accepting reality, and acting appropriately despite circumstances.

There is nothing particularly stoic about looking down on someone because they are struggling emotionally. In fact, using stoicism as a justification for arrogance may demonstrate precisely the lack of self-mastery the philosophy attempts to address.

We do not become stronger by pretending we feel nothing. We become stronger by understanding what we feel and choosing how to respond.

Perhaps modern society does not need fewer emotional people. Perhaps it needs fewer people who confuse emotional suppression with emotional mastery because being stoic should never mean believing you are better than those who are not.