Acedia

From WikiMD.org
Jump to navigation Jump to search

Acedia

Acedia (/əˈsiːdiə/; from Ancient Greek: ἀκηδία, akēdía) is a state of listlessness or torpor, of not caring or not being concerned with one's position or condition in the world. It can lead to a state of being unable to perform one's duties in life. Its spiritual overtones make it related to but distinct from depression.

Etymology

The term "acedia" comes from Greek and literally means "negligence". It was first used by monks and other ascetics who lived in the desert in the fourth century AD, and was treated as a spiritual state rather than a medical condition. The term was widely used in the early Christian church, and was seen as a particularly spiritual state of mind.

Related Terms

  • Sloth (deadly sin): In Christian tradition, acedia is often equated with sloth, one of the seven deadly sins.
  • Despair: Acedia can lead to a state of despair, which is a complete loss of hope.
  • Apathy: Acedia is sometimes equated with apathy, which is a lack of interest, enthusiasm, or concern.
  • Melancholia: In the medieval period, acedia was closely linked with melancholia, a condition that was characterized by severe depression, sadness, or apathy.

See Also

External links

Esculaap.svg

This WikiMD dictionary article is a stub. You can help make it a full article.


Languages: - East Asian 中文, 日本, 한국어, South Asian हिन्दी, Urdu, বাংলা, తెలుగు, தமிழ், ಕನ್ನಡ,
Southeast Asian Indonesian, Vietnamese, Thai, မြန်မာဘာသာ, European español, Deutsch, français, русский, português do Brasil, Italian, polski