EPISODE · May 23, 2026 · 9 MIN
Lost Leaders Essay 22 - On Hypochondriacs
from The Andrew Lang Library · host Andrew Lang
In which the melancholy condition of hypochondria is tenderly examined, revealing how a shadowy sadness and baseless foreboding pervade the minds of many gifted individuals, while the medical profession offers a catalogue of varied remedies, often more whimsical than curative. The essay delicately balances the sombre and the salutary aspects of melancholy, recognising its humanising poignancy yet warning against its excesses, and ultimately counsels a sober embrace of life’s fleeting moments amid our common frailties.
What this episode covers
In which the melancholy condition of hypochondria is tenderly examined, revealing how a shadowy sadness and baseless foreboding pervade the minds of many gifted individuals, while the medical profession offers a catalogue of varied remedies, often more whimsical than curative. The essay delicately balances the sombre and the salutary aspects of melancholy, recognising its humanising poignancy yet warning against its excesses, and ultimately counsels a sober embrace of life’s fleeting moments amid our common frailties.
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Lost Leaders Essay 22 - On Hypochondriacs
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