The Daily Stoic25 Tammi 2019

How To Make Better Decisions in Life

Believe it or not, there’s a pretty magical way to start making better decisions. It’s a secret that will also make you feel better, look better, and live better. You’ll live longer, think more clearly, and do less that you regret.

What is it?

Stop drinking. Or, at least, drink less.

Heraclitus’s line was that “a dry soul is wisest and best.” He’s right. Have you ever done anything you’re really proud of while drinking? Is anyone their best selves while drunk? Of course not. The best you can hope to say after a hard night of partying is that you didn’t make a fool of yourself.

Now, the Stoics are mixed when it comes to drinking. Cato was said to like to relax with drinking. Seneca clearly liked a good dinner party, but at the same time he wrote critically of people who obsessed over wine or bragged about how well they could hold their liquor. Marcus and Epictetus probably drank the least of the Stoics, though they did not say too much about the subject.

So while we can’t say that the Stoics were hardline teetotalers, their insistence on clear thinking, on self-control, and overall sobriety, makes it clear that they would have looked suspiciously at alcohol. As should we.

There’s nothing wrong with enjoying life or a nice glass of wine, but we should look honestly at our own habits. We never want to be dependent or a slave to any substance, no matter how good it makes us feel in the moment. And we should be wary of anything that impairs our judgment and decision making.

So if you want to be the better version of yourself, there’s a real straightforward change to make: Drink less. Or better, don’t drink at all.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Tämä jakso on lisätty Podme-palveluun avoimen RSS-syötteen kautta eikä se ole Podmen omaa tuotantoa. Siksi jakso saattaa sisältää mainontaa.

Jaksot(3128)

You Need To Learn How To Be Better At This | Nothing To Fear But Fear Itself

It’d be wonderful if every great novel was easy to get into, if every philosophy was made accessible, if every history tome was readable and clear. Sadly, they are not.Turn the words into works 👉 Rea...

10 Syys 8min

How To Forgive When They’re Not Sorry | It’s Not a Principle Unless It Costs You Something

It would be nice if they got it. If they understood why they did it. How they hurt us. What it meant to us. And maybe they will…someday.-- 🎥 Watch the full episode with Codie Sanchez here: https://ww...

9 Syys 25min

You Must Read To Lead | 10 Stoic Strategies To Deal With Anxiety

Not all the Stoics were leaders, but all of them were readers.Turn the words into works 👉 Read to Lead: A Daily Stoic Reading Challenge | Over five weeks, Ryan Holiday walks you through not only th...

8 Syys 14min

BONUS | 3 Life-Changing Lessons From Seneca in 3 Minutes

Seneca lived through illness, exile, and the brutal reign of Nero. In today’s episode, Ryan shares three of the most powerful ideas Seneca learned from those experiences and why they can change the wa...

7 Syys 2min

You’re in a Hurry and Don’t Know Why | A Hard Winter Training

Slow down. Pause. Take a breath. Because one day, you’ll realize you rushed through too much of your life, too much of your loved ones’ lives. 🎟️ DAILY STOIC LIVE | Ryan Holiday is coming to a city n...

7 Syys 7min

The Moment Ryan’s Italy Trip Went Sideways

Ryan thought running 50 kilometers through Rome would be the hard part of the family trip to Italy but he was wrong. In today’s episode, he shares how the rest of the trip went completely off the rail...

6 Syys 30min

The Stoic Reminders Hiding All Over Rome

In Rome, Ryan could barely go for a run without passing a place connected to Stoic history. In today’s episode, he shares moments from his family trip, from visiting the places where the Stoics lived ...

5 Syys 30min

Don’t Let It Keep Slipping Away | The Philosopher's School Is A Hospital

It’s already Labor Day weekend. What happened? 📘 The Daily Stoic by Ryan Holiday: https://store.dailystoic.com/🎟️ DAILY STOIC LIVE | Ryan Holiday is coming to a city near you! Grab tickets here | h...

4 Syys 6min