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(3070)

If Money Could Talk, What Would It Say? | What Would the Stoics Tell Us Today?

Money isn’t evil. It can do real good. But it is a tool, not a measure of life. It can tell you what something costs, but not what it is worth.💡The Wealthy Stoic: A Daily Stoic Guide to Being Rich, H...

28 Heinä 11min

BONUS | Are You Measuring Wealth Wrong? (with Sahil Bloom)

Some people have everything they thought they wanted and still feel like they’re losing. In this bonus episode, hear an excerpt from Ryan’s conversation with Sahil Bloom, author of The 5 Types of Weal...

27 Heinä 11min

Where Does It Get You? | Keeping "The News" In Check

People have been doing the same things for as long as there have been people. 📕 Turn off the news and read these books instead:Trust Me I’m Lying by Ryan Holiday Amusing Ourselves to Death by Neil Po...

27 Heinä 7min

Kate Bowler Challenges Stoicism’s Most Famous Idea

One of Stoicism’s most famous ideas does not sit right with bestselling author Kate Bowler. In this episode, Ryan and Kate discuss the pressure this idea can place on people facing illness, grief, and...

26 Heinä 17min

9 Stoic Habits For A Better Life

Virtue is like any other skill. It’s not something you either have or you don’t. It’s something you practice, and the more you practice it, the better you become. This was Aristotle’s fundamental insi...

25 Heinä 18min

BONUS | Made For Working Together

According to the Stoics, we humans have a higher obligation—not to the gods but to each other. 📔 Pick up your own leather bound signed edition of The Daily Stoic! Check it out at the Daily Stoic Stor...

24 Heinä 5min

We Are All Kings Now | Why We Can’t Stop Talking About The Odyssey

You’re the king now. The Republic is in your hands. Can you keep it?-- Featured guests in order of appearance: Kenny Curtis | Full episode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTubeStephen Greenblatt | Full ...

24 Heinä 22min

They Have Been Misled | The Road Trip That Put Stoicism To The Test

If we want people to change, we have to give them a way to see the truth for themselves.👉 Watch Ryan Holiday on Mike Herrera's Podcast: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_HEuo5HxHiQ📚 Join the Quarterl...

23 Heinä 28min