Let Us Argue With Reality No More
The Daily Stoic5 Nov 2018

Let Us Argue With Reality No More

So much of what we do as a society could be described as arguing with reality. Turn on cable news and you’ll find talking heads screaming at their upset viewers about how whatever has happened as part of the story of the day is “Just not normal!” Look inside most businesses, especially legacy businesses, and you’ll see otherwise smart and capable individuals putting everything they have into not reading the writing on the wall, into denying the obvious change and transformation happening in the world around them. It’s almost as if their jobs are dependent on them not concluding what is obviously true, and insisting otherwise.


We all spend countless hours of our finite lives talking about whether things are fair, whose fault they are, whether they should be as they are. As if that changes what they are. As if reality and truth are up for debate.


This lyric from Foster the People is worth remembering always:


Well an absolute measure won't change with opinion

No matter how hard you try

It's an immovable thing


Our opinions can’t alter the inalterable. Don’t waste time trying to move the immovable. That’s the essence of Stoicism isn’t it? Of course, Marcus Aurelius and Seneca and Epictetus believed we still had a lot of agency in our lives, that there was still plenty of room for us to maneuver and achieve and affect change. They just accepted there were some things we could not change.


That’s right. There are things outside our control. Today we’re going to accept them without argument. We’re not going to spend one minute fighting or arguing or adding opinions on top of them.


“There is a truth,” Foster sings, “I can promise you that.” And we’re going to make the most of it.

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

Episoder(2912)

Tie Yourself to the Mast | Ask Daily Stoic

Tie Yourself to the Mast | Ask Daily Stoic

It’d be wonderful if we always did what we know we want or need to do. But that’s not how the world is. It is filled with temptations, distractions, and forces tugging us toward the rocks.Make 2026 th...

11 Des 202514min

These Add Up to Greatness

These Add Up to Greatness

“Well-being is realized by small steps,” Zeno would say looking back on his life, “but is truly no small thing.”🗓️ The Daily Stoic Page-A-Day Calendar | Wisdom isn’t something you get via epiphany or...

10 Des 20253min

The Fine Line Between Genius and Delusion | Journalist Helen Lewis

The Fine Line Between Genius and Delusion | Journalist Helen Lewis

Being the smartest person in the room is usually where the trouble starts. In today’s episode, Ryan sits down with journalist and author Helen Lewis to talk about genius, ego, and why so many “brillia...

10 Des 20251h 23min

You Know It’s Time to Change | Keep The Rhythm

You Know It’s Time to Change | Keep The Rhythm

We’re set in our habits. We’re quick-tempered, we eat poorly, we’re easily distracted. We skip exercise, we put stuff off, we make excuses. How did that work out for you in 2025?Make 2026 the year whe...

9 Des 202510min

Have You Considered This? | Don't Hide From Your Feelings

Have You Considered This? | Don't Hide From Your Feelings

The sooner you realize that you are not the center of the universe or the intended recipient of everything, the more understanding you can be, the less judgment you’ll feel required to have. 🎥 Watch ...

8 Des 20257min

Why EVERY Generation Rediscovers Stoicism | Mark Manson & Ryan Holiday

Why EVERY Generation Rediscovers Stoicism | Mark Manson & Ryan Holiday

Every crisis creates the same instinct in people: go back to the wisdom that has outlasted everything else. In today’s episode, Ryan and Mark Manson dive into why Stoicism keeps coming back during mom...

7 Des 202535min

The Question That Haunts the World’s Most Successful People | Andrew Ross Sorkin (PT. 2)

The Question That Haunts the World’s Most Successful People | Andrew Ross Sorkin (PT. 2)

Even the giants of history couldn’t outrun insecurity, comparison, or the feeling of not having enough. In today’s episode, Ryan continues his conversation with Andrew Ross Sorkin to talk about why su...

6 Des 202544min

No One is Truly “Self-Made” | The Philosophy Behind High Achievers

No One is Truly “Self-Made” | The Philosophy Behind High Achievers

The myth of the self-made man is just that, a myth. There has never been such a thing.🎥 Check out the Arnold Schwarzenegger episode: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PBQlSMOVTAg📚 Pick up a copy of A...

5 Des 202515min

Populært innen Business og økonomi

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