Abstract

Epitomised by tedium and existential vacuity, ennui insidiously permeates the psyche of healthcare professionals, often eluding detection. Its etiological roots extend beyond its salient exploration in French literature, harking back to the early Christian treatises on acedia or spiritual desuetude.1 Throughout the centuries, ennui has undergone a substantive evolution, mirroring the vicissitudes in cultural cognition and existential sentiment. Spanning from the discourse in medieval monasticism to cogitations during the Renaissance and Enlightenment epochs, ennui has metamorphosed into a pivotal motif across the literary, philosophical and theological spectra.2 This intricate concept, embodying a profound and variegated historical lineage, has been meticulously dissected and recontextualised by a cadre of preeminent thinkers and literary connoisseurs. In the contemporary medical ethics landscape, ennui emerges from labyrinthine historical antecedents, manifesting as profound existential drift among healthcare professionals. This state, marked by discord between self and purposive existence, leads to disengagement and disillusionment, challenging practitioners’ resilience and ethical decision-making capacities. Ennui ignites introspection but insidiously undermines their engagement and fervour, casting a shadow over professional zeal and mental fortitude. In their reflections, existential philosophers like Søren Kierkegaard and Albert Camus, diverging from Pascal’s theological exegesis, explored quintessential human experience and essence leitmotifs. Their analyses of despair and the absurd show parallels with ethical dilemmas and complexities in medical practice. …