Flourishing in Times of Darkness

In the eighth salon in a series on human flourishing, join Ashley Zhang to discuss the human spirit’s resilience in the face of adversity, the pursuit of meaning in an unjust world, and how we can flourish in difficult times.

“Our task as [humans] is to find the few principles that will calm the infinite anguish of free souls. We must mend what has been torn apart, make justice imaginable again in a world so obviously unjust, give happiness a meaning once more to peoples poisoned by the misery of the century. Naturally, it is a superhuman task. But superhuman is the term for tasks [we] take a long time to accomplish, that’s all.” – Albert Camus, “The Almond Trees”

“The world breaks everyone, and afterward, some are strong at the broken places.” —Ernest Hemingway, A Farewell to Arms

How can we flourish in times of darkness? How can we face reality without becoming numb to it? How can we avoid sinking into despair? And how can we heal?

In this salon, we will discuss the human spirit’s resilience in the face of turmoil, humanity’s capacity for good and evil, and the pursuit of meaning in an unjust world. Together, we will explore the ways in which literature, philosophy, and art can serve as beacons in dark times, illuminating sources of hope and guiding us toward a brighter future.

Recommended readings:

• Oliver Sacks: My Own Life
• Albert Camus on Strength of Character and How to Save Our Sanity in Difficult Times – The Marginalian
• Mary Oliver on Grief and Loss
• Viktor Frankl: Man’s Search for Meaning (overview / full text)

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