The word “Einzelgänger” (another almost untranslatable German word) means “lone wolf” or “someone who pursues independent thought or action.” But the Youtube channel that goes by the name Einzelgänger is far from loner status.
The channel is dedicated to ancient philosophy and has amassed nearly 300,000 subscribers and some 20,000,000 total views since its inception in December 2018! In other words, probably more people have watched Einzelgänger videos than have ever read Seneca in all of history.
What is Einzelgänger? That's probably best explained by explaining what Einzelgänger is not. Einzelgänger is not a spiritual teacher, guru, saint, holy man on a mountain, psychologist, psychiatrist, or a mental/spiritual health organization. Although Einzelgänger discusses topics that might be beneficial for people’s well-being, its goal is to entertain, inspire, resonate and share the love of ideas with others.
While much of the material is based on Seneca's contribution to stoicism, reading these Einzelgänger articles and watching the video clips are far more entertaining than Seneca's "On the Shortness of Life"
The above clip is particularly appropriate in these troubled times, but there are also "How to be Alone", "Why Letting Go Is Wealth", "How to Stop Procrastinating", "When Life Disappoints You, Don’t Disappoint Life", "Why do we mourn the past?", "What Cats Teach Us about Happiness | A Cat’s Philosophy", "180 Days Without Alcohol" (I love the one on a cat's philosophy; unfortunately the one on 180 days without alcohol comes too late for some of my friends), and scores more on their website einzelganger.co, their facebook page, and on YouTube.
Remember when you bought that reflective cardboard sun shade for your car dashboard and read this warning on the back: "Do not drive with sun shield in place"? Einzelgänger comes with its own superfluous warning: "The material provided by Einzelgänger is designed for educational, inspirational, and entertainment purposes. This is not a clinical/medical service or replacement of mental health professionals."
Watching Einzelgänger's videos may well help you from falling into the money-grabbing clutches of one of those mental health professionals!
