The Daily Stoic11 Kesä 2019

Why It’s Important To Be Healthy

It wouldn’t seem like eating well would be an important part of the philosopher’s job, but indeed it is. Antoninus Pius, the adopted stepfather of Marcus Aurelius and one of the quietly great Roman Emperors, kept a simple diet so he could work from dawn to dusk with as few bathroom interruptions as possible—so he could be at the service of the people for longer.

In one of his letters, Seneca wrote that the better one eats, the less one needs to exercise, which then frees up valuable time for reading and thinking. Our keen edge, he said, is too often dulled by heavy eating and then wasted further as we drain our life-force in exercise trying to work it off.

In the moment, it’s easy to enjoy whatever treat is in front of you—or to grab that extra helping because it’s there. But what we are bad at calculating is what kind of person we’re going to feel like after. It’s like with drinking: it might make you friendlier at first, and then a real monster a few hours later. And the next day? Well then you won’t be good for anything.

An Athenian statesman once attended a dinner party put on by Plato. When he met his host again, he is reported to have said “Plato, your dinners are enjoyable not only when one is eating them, but on the morning after as well.” Moderation, discipline, knowing your body—these things are important because they help your mind. They help you as a person, and as a philosopher.

This doesn’t mean you must be an ascetic; that you should eat the same thing every day, that it should be stripped of the flavors you enjoy, that you can never indulge, that food can’t both be fuel and fun.

But to eat well, is to live well. To eat right, is to live rightly. And that is the goal.

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(2981)

How To Think Better in the Age of AI (From the Stoics)

In today’s episode, Ryan shares timeless lessons from the ancients on how to ask better questions, think more clearly, and make the most of AI without losing your ability to discern what’s true.🎥 Wat...

17 Touko 32min

Gavin Newsom on Ego, Power, and Stoicism

The real test of philosophy is not what it teaches us in quiet moments, but what it demands from us when power, pressure, and ego enter the room. In today’s episode, Ryan talks with Gavin Newsom, the ...

16 Touko 39min

This Is How You Release Your Anxiety | Quality Over Quantity

Think about what your anxiety costs you. Think about it honestly and painfully. 🪙 We are the creators of our anxiety. Which means we can also be the ones to do something about it. Gain a powerful too...

15 Touko 5min

How Much Is Left? | The Stoic Protocol for Your Next Zoom Call

What’s left of Stoicism today is, if anything, more robust than it was in the ancient world.💡 Modern Stoics are parents, athletes, entrepreneurs, soldiers, artists, students. They are busy, curious, ...

14 Touko 12min

This Is Inseparable From Living a Good Life

The four Stoic virtues are not supposed to be pursued in isolation. Instead, they come together under the idea of virtue itself.📚 Pre-order The Four Virtues Boxed Set: https://dailystoic.com/virtuesb...

13 Touko 3min

The Stoic Code General Mattis Lives By

General Jim Mattis has spent his life proving that philosophy is not just for the classroom. In today’s episode, Margaret Hoover interviews General Mattis, former U.S. Secretary of Defense, and Ryan a...

13 Touko 28min

BONUS | Ryan Holiday Responds to Daniel Radcliffe

In a recent interview, Daniel Radcliffe talked about the book "How To Hide an Empire" which has been one of Ryan's favorite reads lately. Here are some of his takeaways.You can grab a copy of How To H...

12 Touko 8min

No, This Is The Mission | Kindness Is Always The Right Response

You thought you were supposed to be doing this. You thought your job was to do that. But then what happened? Life happened. Stuff happened. Other people happened.📕 Pick up a copy of the 10th Annivers...

12 Touko 8min