Stoic Sam !zQ8ry.WSMk started this discussion 9 years ago#65,771
Meta asked me for a perspective on video games, so I'll try to answer that today.
First I need to clear up a bit of a misunderstanding.
His thought was that a stoic should consider video games (or entertainment in general) to be a waste of time due to our inevitable death.
Although a stoic understands that he will die on a date and in a manner out of his control, that doesn't mean that a stoic should be an ascetic - although some famous philosophers have chosen that path.
Instead, the conclusion is that a person should spend the time they have by trying to live virtuously.
As long as a person doesn't compromise that goal, there isn't really anything forbidden to a stoic.
Video games are neither virtuous or non-virtuous. They're part of a classification called 'indifferents'.
If you were to spend all your time gaming, you're not living virtuously because you're doing nothing that is virtuous.
On the other hand, without time for relaxation you would quickly burn out. People are not robots!
To summarise - enjoyed in moderation, a stoic should not feel like they are failing for playing games.