Why You Should Read Biographies
The Daily Stoic13 Maalis 2019

Why You Should Read Biographies

“I don’t have time to read a book that long,” you might say when someone recommends one of those epic volumes from the Ron Chernows and Robert Caros and Stacy Schiffs of the world. And Alban Butler’s The Lives of the Saints? Or Plutarch? Who has time to read that dusty old collection about the lives of the ancient Greeks and Romans?

The answer is that you do. Or rather, that you should make time to study the greats of history.

In Book Four of Meditations, Marcus writes::

“And then you might see what the life of a good man is like—someone content with what nature assigns him, and satisfied with being just and kind himself.”

What’s the “if” that came before the “then” he is referring to? We can only guess. That is the entirety of his writing on this point. But not unlike a Jeopardy answer with multiple possible questions, this one fits:

What is it to study history and biographies?

Marcus and Seneca and Epictetus were all intimately familiar with the lives of the greats (and not-so-greats) that came before them. And in this study they had come to know, as Marcus said, what a good life looked like. They learned from the experiences and the follies of the earlier generations—they saw across the pages of many books why contentment and justice and kindness were so important (and the perils of the opposite traits).

So make a commitment today—this month, this year—to start reading more biographies. It’s an important step in the path to wisdom.

P.S. If you want to try any of a lot of books for free, you might like Scribd, which is essentially Netflix for books. Click here to sign up for a one month free trial of unlimited audiobooks and ebooks plus free subscription to magazines like Bloomberg Business Week, The Atlantic, Foreign Policy, Fortune and the New York Times. Sign up today.

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

Jaksot(2885)

This Was Washington’s Philosophy | Power Fades. Character Leads.

This Was Washington’s Philosophy | Power Fades. Character Leads.

All that we see must be illuminated by the calm light of mild philosophy. So we can see what it really is. So we don’t do anything we regret. 📚 Pick up a copy of Lincoln's Virtues: An Ethical Biograp...

16 Helmi 44min

 If You Only Read a Few Books This Year, Read These

If You Only Read a Few Books This Year, Read These

Most people don’t read that many books, maybe a few a year at most. So if you’re only going to read a couple books this year, the decision of which ones you choose becomes really important.In today’s ...

15 Helmi 13min

11 Stoic Rules For Love

11 Stoic Rules For Love

Love isn’t just an emotion. It’s not just a feeling that hits you out of nowhere. It’s an action, something you can practice and something you can get better at. And while philosophy might not seem li...

14 Helmi 24min

This Kindles the Soul | Why You Can't Ignore What's Happening

This Kindles the Soul | Why You Can't Ignore What's Happening

Marcus Aurelius said that if you ever found anything better in life than courage, discipline, justice, and wisdom—the four virtues—it must be an extraordinary thing indeed. Which raises the question: ...

13 Helmi 15min

Do Not Delay | Dan Harris & Ryan Holiday on The Pursuit of Wisdom

Do Not Delay | Dan Harris & Ryan Holiday on The Pursuit of Wisdom

Life has a way of stripping all our reasons bare, of humbling our plans and assumptions. We must live, as Marcus Aurelius said, as if death hangs over us. Because it does.👉 Listen to the full convers...

12 Helmi 13min

There’s a Rhythm. There’s a Rhythm.

There’s a Rhythm. There’s a Rhythm.

It can feel like everything is falling to pieces. It can feel like you’re lost. It can feel like there’s no hope, no way forward, nothing to do. But that’s just because you’ve gotten rattled.👉 Suppor...

11 Helmi 2min

Stephen Greenblatt: Why “This Time Is Different” Is Always Wrong

Stephen Greenblatt: Why “This Time Is Different” Is Always Wrong

Why do the same patterns keep showing up in completely different centuries? In this episode, Pulitzer Prize–winning historian Stephen Greenblatt joins Ryan to discuss how power, fear, ego, and insecur...

11 Helmi 55min

You Have to Fight for It | Is There A Dark Side To Stoicism?

You Have to Fight for It | Is There A Dark Side To Stoicism?

It would be wonderful if the world was naturally just, if people were automatically good, always doing the right thing. But of course, they don’t. 📕 Read more stories that will inspire you to live wi...

10 Helmi 26min

Suosittua kategoriassa Liike-elämä ja talous

sijotuskasti
mimmit-sijoittaa
psykopodiaa-podcast
rss-rahapodi
rss-rahamania
ostan-asuntoja-podcast
pomojen-suusta
juristipodi
rss-myyntikoulu
rss-seuraava-potilas
rss-lahtijat
rss-draivi
leadcast
rahapuhetta
sijoitusovi-podcast
asuntoasiaa-paivakirjat
rss-startup-ministerio
rss-sisalto-kuntoon
oppimisen-psykologia
bakkari-tarinoita-tapahtumien-takahuoneista