Autore: Leesen, Tessa van Lenning, Alkelin
Titolo: When Resilience Falls Short: Lessons from Cicero’s hardships for today’s students
Rivista/Miscellanea: In : Emma Cohen de Lara & Tessa Leesen, Rethinking Resilience in Character Education: Insights from Literature and Philosophy, London
Anno edizione: 2025
Pagine: 55-70
Descrizione: A considerable and seemingly increasing number of university students suffer from distress and mental health problems. As a result, students do not attend class, miss deadlines, and sometimes fail a course or drop out altogether. In a dialectical discussion, the authors reflect upon the role of the university community in accommodating these students and increasing their resilience. They draw inspiration from Cicero’s life and Letters, which render insight into Cicero’s own state of being after the loss of his daughter, who died against the background of the political turmoil in Rome. In the weeks after her death, Cicero was devastated and grieving. From his Letters, we learn that the great Roman orator withdrew from public life and indulged in tears but remained connected with his support network through correspondence. It did not take long before his friends became impatient and urged Cicero to pull himself together and resume his public duties. The authors reflect on the appropriateness of this Stoic response to Cicero’s and students’ hardship and engage in a discussion about the dilemma to be mild and understanding for students who do not seem to be resilient or to be stricter and demand a more Stoic attitude.[Author]
Sigla autore: Leesen
Titolo: When Resilience Falls Short: Lessons from Cicero’s hardships for today’s students
Rivista/Miscellanea: In : Emma Cohen de Lara & Tessa Leesen, Rethinking Resilience in Character Education: Insights from Literature and Philosophy, London
Anno edizione: 2025
Pagine: 55-70
Descrizione: A considerable and seemingly increasing number of university students suffer from distress and mental health problems. As a result, students do not attend class, miss deadlines, and sometimes fail a course or drop out altogether. In a dialectical discussion, the authors reflect upon the role of the university community in accommodating these students and increasing their resilience. They draw inspiration from Cicero’s life and Letters, which render insight into Cicero’s own state of being after the loss of his daughter, who died against the background of the political turmoil in Rome. In the weeks after her death, Cicero was devastated and grieving. From his Letters, we learn that the great Roman orator withdrew from public life and indulged in tears but remained connected with his support network through correspondence. It did not take long before his friends became impatient and urged Cicero to pull himself together and resume his public duties. The authors reflect on the appropriateness of this Stoic response to Cicero’s and students’ hardship and engage in a discussion about the dilemma to be mild and understanding for students who do not seem to be resilient or to be stricter and demand a more Stoic attitude.[Author]
Sigla autore: Leesen
