Time Doesn’t Make Everything Better...It Just Makes Them What They Are
The Daily Stoic25 Okt 2018

Time Doesn’t Make Everything Better...It Just Makes Them What They Are

When we get dumped or we fail or we lose someone, we often hear that “Time heals all wounds” or some such remark, all of it in consolation. Obviously this is meant well, but it’s also frustrating--if only because it’s trite...and way too simple.

As Rilke wrote, “Time does not ‘console’ as people say superficially; at best it puts things in their place and it creates order.” There is a Zen story about a man whose horse ran away. People said it was bad luck. Then the horse came back, which people thought was good luck, and then his son broke his leg while falling off it and people thought that was bad luck come round again. But because his leg was broken, the man’s son was saved from fighting and dying in a war, and the cycle went on and on.

Time doesn’t make things better or worse, it simply makes them what they are. That’s why the Stoics talk about not rushing to judgment about anything, about waiting and seeing. Because we don’t know. Just giving something time isn’t automatically going to make it better--but it does at least give things a chance to shake out, for us to see the full picture. If there is one aphorism about time that we CAN rely on, that the Stoics would agree with, it's that 'time will tell.'

That’s the moral of the Zen story too. Trying to label things as good luck or bad luck is shortsighted. It assumes that all the facts have been entered into evidence. It’s better to hold off on forming an opinion, because fate is constantly unfolding around us, and today’s bad luck may very well be setting up tomorrow’s good luck (and vice versa).

Time isn’t a panacea, but it is a form of truth. So watch for it. Time will, in fact, tell.


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

Episoder(2885)

There’s No One Stupider Than An Angry Person | Ask Daily Stoic

There’s No One Stupider Than An Angry Person | Ask Daily Stoic

There’s even a famous old saying: Whom the gods wish to destroy, they first make angry.🎟️ Come see Ryan Holiday LIVE: https://www.dailystoiclive.com/Seattle, WA - December 3, 2025 San Diego, CA - Feb...

13 Nov 202518min

Cheryl Strayed: “I Had to Lose EVERYTHING to Find Myself”

Cheryl Strayed: “I Had to Lose EVERYTHING to Find Myself”

At some point, you realize courage isn’t something you are born with, it’s something you build. In this episode, Ryan sits down with bestselling author Cheryl Strayed (Tiny Beautiful Things, Wild) to ...

12 Nov 20251h

Don’t Let It Trouble Your Mind

Don’t Let It Trouble Your Mind

You don’t have to accept being treated this way. You should stand up. You should speak out. But you know what you shouldn’t do?👉 Support the podcast and go deeper into Stoicism by subscribing to The ...

12 Nov 20252min

None of Us Are Perfect | Judge Yourself, Not Others

None of Us Are Perfect | Judge Yourself, Not Others

Was Marcus Aurelius a bad father? How did he not manage to pass his Stoicism—to say nothing of his kindness and sense of responsibility—to his son?🎟️ Come see Ryan Holiday LIVE: https://www.dailystoi...

11 Nov 20259min

Failure Doesn’t Define You—Neither Does Success | Always The Same

Failure Doesn’t Define You—Neither Does Success | Always The Same

Ulysses S. Grant knew what the Stoics knew—that outside circumstances don’t say anything about us, that it didn’t matter, as Epictetus said, what we bear, only how we bear it. 👉 Support the podcast a...

10 Nov 202510min

The Surprising Habit Hack from Aristotle

The Surprising Habit Hack from Aristotle

What is the "Tortoise Method" and how can it help us build habits for happiness? Look no further than this excerpt from Chapter 9 of the audiobook of Aristotle’s Guide to Self-Persuasion: How Ancient ...

9 Nov 202514min

Persuasion Expert: "You Can TRAIN Your Mind to See the Positive" | Jay Heinrichs (PT. 2)

Persuasion Expert: "You Can TRAIN Your Mind to See the Positive" | Jay Heinrichs (PT. 2)

It takes a trained mind to see wonder and awe in the middle of everyday struggles. In today’s PT. 2 episode, Ryan and persuasion expert Jay Heinrichs dive deeper into discipline, the power of our inne...

8 Nov 202544min

This Is The Point of Philosophy | You're Wasting Your Life

This Is The Point of Philosophy | You're Wasting Your Life

What’s the point? What is philosophy for?🏛 The 2025 LIVE session of Stoicism 101: Ancient Philosophy For Your Actual Life starts November 10th. Don’t miss your chance to join us! Read on for more abo...

7 Nov 20259min

Populært innen Business og økonomi

stopp-verden
dine-penger-pengeradet
lydartikler-fra-aftenposten
e24-podden
rss-penger-polser-og-politikk
rss-borsmorgen-okonominyhetene
pengepodden-2
finansredaksjonen
pengesnakk
utbytte
livet-pa-veien-med-jan-erik-larssen
morgenkaffen-med-finansavisen
tid-er-penger-en-podcast-med-peter-warren
rss-sunn-okonomi
okonomiamatorene
lederpodden
liberal-halvtime
rss-markedspuls-2
rss-investering-gjort-enkelt
rss-impressions-2