The last of the stoics, Sevenius Boethius, was tortured and executed for denouncing corruption in the Ostrogothic court that replaced the late Roman empire

U.S. dropped to its lowest position in the rankings of the annual World Happiness Report .

Julian Zelizer : Where, then, will young Americans turn to find some sense of stability in these times of disconnection and atomization? He says Stoics urge us to focus on how we react to things that happen to us, not on ephemeral goods.

Zelizer says the Stoic is one who exerts self-mastery over himself and his emotions.

Stoicism can help man begin the journey away from trying (and failing) to find ultimate comfort in the world.

But its vision of the good life is incomplete, its perspective on human flourishing too narrow.

Unlike many supposed Christians who make superficial claims that faith will make you wealthy or comfortable, Boethius does not leave us there.