Deus Vult: Yo, Holy Shit, He Dead

[DISCLAIMER]

As Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT) is informed by Stoic philosophy, this blog entry is part of an ongoing series regarding a book entitled The Daily Stoic: 366 Meditations on Wisdom, Perseverance, and the Art of Living by Ryan Holiday and Stephen Hanselman.

Because I maintain that bad ideas deserved to be mocked, the current blogpost is intended to serve as mockery of Stoic appeals to claims which are unfalsifiable (not capable of being proved false). Specifically, authors of The Daily Stoic quote Epictetus who stated (page 333):

But I haven’t at any time been hindered in my will, nor forced against it. And how is this possible? I have bound up my choice to act with the will of God. God wills that I be sick, such is my will.

He wills that I should choose something, so do I. He wills that I reach for something, or something be given to me—I wish for the same. What God doesn’t will, I do not wish for.

This sort of unsophisticated idea isn’t rational (in accordance with both logic and reason). In particular, I challenge its conditional reasoning, as the American Psychological Association thusly defines this term:

[R]easoning that takes the form “if X, then Y,” as in If Sam is male, then Sam is not a mother. In formal logic, the statement that follows if is called the antecedent and that following then is called the consequent.

As an example, if God wills that I should live, then I will live. If God wills that I should die, then I will die. If God wills that roughly 70,000 to 125,000 people should perish during an initial campaign of the Crusades, then so be it. For clarity, one source states of this latter example:

Deus vult (Latin for ‘God wills it’) is a Christian motto historically tied to ideas of divine providence and individual interpretation of God’s will. It was first chanted by Catholics during the First Crusade in 1096 as a rallying cry, most likely under the form Deus le veult or Deus lo vult, as reported by the Gesta Francorum (c. 1100) and the Historia Belli Sacri (c. 1130).

In modern times, the Latin motto has different meanings depending on the context. While it has been associated with nationalist ideologies in modern contexts, others interpret it as a historical expression of faith and dedication to divine purpose. It has been used as a metaphor referring to “God’s will”, by Christians throughout history.

Although I’ve seen no evidence that Epictetus was a Christian, his irrational appeal to the “will of God” is similar to both illogical and unreasonable Deus vult claims used throughout the centuries for the slaughter of fallible human beings. I reject this sort of unfalsifiable rhetoric!

Although it may be tempting to imagine that such nonsensical ideas are merely a thing of the past, I understand that these irrational appeals to what is supposedly God’s will persist in modernity. For instance, one April 10, 2026 source reported:

[Pete] Hegseth has persisted in framing the war in Iran, which reached a temporary ceasefire on Tuesday [4/7/2026] after six weeks of fighting, as divinely sanctioned, repeatedly invoking “God’s almighty providence” and expressing certainty that God is on the side of the US [United States]military.

One imagines that when this excursion, campaign, operation, conflict, combat, war, or however one chooses to categorize joint U.S. and Israel militaristic action in Iran is finalized, likely with Iran prevailing, God somehow will likely have willed it. Right? This is the rationale of Epictetus.

I’d challenge the Stoic philosopher to his face, though I can’t. Why? Yo, holy shit, he dead! For the uninitiated reader who pays little attention to the glory of memes, allow me to enlighten you about this phrase. According to one source:

Yo Holy Shit He Dead refers to a viral Vine where a man gives excited commentary to a scene from The Magic School Bus where Arnold removes his helmet in space and his head freezes into a solid block of ice, shouting “yo holy shit he dead!” and calling Ms. Frizzle a bad teacher for allowing it to happen.

The video was first posted in 2015 and an extended version was posted to YouTube later. Its audio became a widespread exploitable over the following years as people edited it over a variety of clips to change the context.

Photo credit, Designed by Magnific, fair use

Memes are used humorously, expressing irreverent communication. Ergo, I see it fitting to treat Epictetus’ view with snark to convey rejection of the notion that (1) there’s a provable God, (2) that one may know the will of said divine entity, and/or (3) that God wills the killing of people.

Perhaps you disagree with my perspective. Too bad! Deus vult, sucka! If God willed this post to be written, then you shouldn’t oppose it. (See how this rhetorical game works?) If you reject my view, then you should appeal to Epictetus for relief. Yo, holy shit, he dead! God willed that, too.

If you’re looking for a provider who tries to work to help understand how thinking impacts physical, mental, emotional, and behavioral elements of your life—helping you to sharpen your critical thinking skills, I invite you to reach out today by using the contact widget on my website.

As a psychotherapist, I’m pleased to try to help people with an assortment of issues ranging from anger (hostility, rage, and aggression) to relational issues, adjustment matters, trauma experience, justice involvement, attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, anxiety and depression, and other mood or personality-related matters.

At Hollings Therapy, LLC, serving all of Texas, I aim to treat clients with dignity and respect while offering a multi-lensed approach to the practice of psychotherapy and life coaching. My mission includes: Prioritizing the cognitive and emotive needs of clients, an overall reduction in client suffering, and supporting sustainable growth for the clients I serve. Rather than simply trying to help you to feel better, I want to try to help you get better!

Deric Hollings, LPC, LCSW

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