We enjoyed singing “Jingle Bells” at a time that wasn’t quite appropriate. Now is the time to join Raphaël, who made it the main theme of one of his songs. Winter is truly here, manifesting its presence with a cold breath that grips the senses at dawn. And, as every year, there are those who still give it a warm welcome. To the great astonishment of the cold-sensitive, there are those for whom winter is their favorite season. These people can baffle their peers by not investing as much in warm clothing.
Winter can be seen as a reminder that we are not masters of nature. The natural laws governing the climate are (still) stronger than human dreams of power. It is in these moments that the lessons of Marcus Aurelius and his fellow Stoics can challenge us to benefit from their discernment. If we listened to them, we would understand that complaining is vain and that wisdom consists of accepting the season instead of cursing it. The world, indeed, does not function according to our desires, and winter is here to teach us to be more lucid.
When the cold limits possible escapes to warmer environments, it also sweeps away the illusions that mask certain truths hidden by summer heat. In the harsh conditions of winter, our movements are restricted, and with them, access to certain amusements. Amusement, according to Pascal, is a way to flee the human condition, which is miserable. In the throes of winter, this precariousness, which we try to forget through distractions, manifests with even greater acuity. This may be another cause of the aversion some feel toward winter.
The Cynic philosopher Diogenes went beyond a simple attachment to the cold: he made it a means of knowledge. He braved the winter by walking barefoot in the snow, thus showing that what we believed to be indispensable were merely conventions erected as “necessities.” Winter can thus act as a revealer of what is truly essential; everything else is just decoration. And when this superfluity is swept away by the winter wind, real life can appear with greater clarity.
Captured & Published at: 2026-07-14 06:27:32 (Madagascar Local Time EAT)
Original Source: https://www.lexpress.mg/2026/07/maux-dhiver.html