Desire can be a significant hindrance to living a purposeful and tranquil life. As soon as we want something, we fall into a state of lack, and we feel restless. And the obvious way out is to fulfill that desire so that we can feel content and happy again. A much-discussed phenomenon in the current age that arouses such restlessness and lack is the so-called fear of missing out, also abridged as FOMO.

The fear of missing out occurs in many different scenarios. For example, a stock market investor fears that he’ll miss out on profits when he doesn’t invest in a specific stock at a particular moment. Another example is a college student who never misses a party because she fears that she’ll miss out on the fun.

FOMO often drives people mad. Studies show that the fear of missing out can lead to extreme dissatisfaction and can be hazardous for our mental and physical health. FOMO is associated with loneliness, depression, and anxiety. Thus, behind this trendy acronym hides a dark, devastating experience amplified through social media, which presents a neverending tsunami of snapshots of our lives’ highlights.

So, where does this fear come from? What do people who suffer from FOMO actually fear? And how can we shut it down? This video essay explores the fear of missing out and presents suggestions and solutions from ancient philosophies like Stoicism and Epicureanism.

What Will We Truly Miss? | The Fear of Missing Out and Ways to Shut It Down

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VYEN - Amber
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Godmode - On the Island

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00:00 - Intro
01:37 - The futility of not wanting to miss out
04:46 - Counting your blessings
06:30 - Looking at it from a different perspective
08:26 - Knowing what you’re getting yourself into

#fomo #stoicism #fearofmissingout