Zozobra is a Spanish word for distress. The Mexican philosopher Emilio Uranga has used the term to describe a specific form of existential anxiety related to uncertainty and ambiguity, following its usage by the poet Ramón López Velarde.[1][2]

The term has been used to describe the feelings of uncertainty and distress in the United States due to the confluence of the COVID-19 pandemic and the political events of the Trump presidency and 2020 U.S. presidential election.[3]

References

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  1. ^ Sánchez, Carlos Alberto (3 March 2019). "(M)Existentialism - The Philosophers' Magazine". www.philosophersmag.com. Archived from the original on 2019-03-03. Retrieved 2021-01-30.
  2. ^ "To be accidental is to be human: on the philosophy of Mexicanness – Carlos Alberto Sánchez & Robert Eli Sanchez, Jr". Aeon. Retrieved 2021-01-30.
  3. ^ Sánchez, Carlos Alberto; Gallegos, Francisco. "Feeling disoriented by the election, pandemic and everything else? It's called 'zozobra,' and Mexican philosophers have some advice". The Conversation. Retrieved 2021-01-30.