We Admire The Struggle
The Daily Stoic6 Sep 2019

We Admire The Struggle

It was not lost even on the Stoics that some parts of this philosophy come more naturally to some people than others. Some folks just seem chill by default. Some are so-called “old souls” who have wisdom and perspective, almost from birth. Others were not blessed (or cursed) with ambition or opportunities, and so there is very little challenge going on in their life anyway.

Good for them. That’s their lot in life. It’s not ours. It certainly wasn’t Seneca’s.

The rest of us have to struggle. We struggle against our impulses. We struggle to really internalize these teachings. We are struggling to manage our tempers or the envy that creeps up out of nowhere, into our souls, and then out through our hands and mouths as deeds we wish we could undo. It’d be nice if we didn’t have to struggle so much, but we do.

And yet, this struggle—and the triumphs over it, however temporary—that is what’s impressive about us. Seneca wrote that he doesn’t admire the person who has it easy, who is naturally Stoic. No, he admires the man “who has won a victory over the meanness of his own nature, and has not gently led himself, but has wrestled his way, to wisdom.” Seneca reserved his deepest appreciation for the person who’d survived the crucible of ego, who’d navigated the gauntlet of envy and pride, who’d walked through the shadow of the valley of death, but with himself as his own shepherd.

Today, we must continue to wrestle. We must continue to struggle and fight for victory. It won’t be easy—it never is—but that’s the whole point. It’s the man in the arena that we admire. It’s the one covered in dust and sweat that matters. And that’s who we are.


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

Episoder(2918)

Jordan Klepper's Reading List (From Ryan Holiday)

Jordan Klepper's Reading List (From Ryan Holiday)

After their conversation for The Daily Stoic Podcast, Ryan gave Jordan Klepper, comedian, writer, and correspondent on The Daily Show, a few book recommendations at The Painted Porch.Follow Jordan on ...

8 Mar 12min

The Complete Stoic Playbook To MASTER Your Emotions

The Complete Stoic Playbook To MASTER Your Emotions

Do your emotions ever get the best of you? Someone says one thing and it ruins your whole day. A small frustration turns into a big deal. Travel anxiety spirals. Jealousy or irritation shows up before...

7 Mar 30min

Will You Face This Truth?

Will You Face This Truth?

Even though we can’t control time or slow it down, even though we can’t control external forces and external events—we can control ourselves, so we can control how we use our time. SPECIAL OFFER exclu...

6 Mar 2min

Jordan Klepper: How Mob Thinking Takes Over | PT. 2

Jordan Klepper: How Mob Thinking Takes Over | PT. 2

When does belonging start to matter more than being right? In Part 2 of Ryan’s conversation with Jordan Klepper, they dive into how mob thinking takes over, how cultural permission shifts what feels a...

6 Mar 41min

Use This As Practice | 3 Stoic Exercises For Your Best Month Yet

Use This As Practice | 3 Stoic Exercises For Your Best Month Yet

Get your reps in…because none of us have any idea what life has in store for us in the future.SPECIAL OFFER exclusively for podcast listeners 👉 Go to dailystoic.com/spring and enter code DSPOD20 at c...

5 Mar 9min

Jordan Klepper: How to Talk to People You Disagree With (Without Losing It) | PT. 1

Jordan Klepper: How to Talk to People You Disagree With (Without Losing It) | PT. 1

What do you do when someone says something you completely disagree with or something that sounds totally detached from reality? Jordan Klepper, correspondent and host at The Daily Show, is known for w...

4 Mar 40min

Now Is The Time

Now Is The Time

It’s been a long winter. But now? Now you can feel something is in the air. 💡 Go to dailystoic.com/spring and enter code DSPOD20 at checkout to get 20% off the Spring Forward Challenge! Challenge you...

4 Mar 2min

You Can’t Forget What You Don’t Put Off | (Dis)integration

You Can’t Forget What You Don’t Put Off | (Dis)integration

We plan to do it. We mean to do it. We just tell ourselves that we’ll do it tomorrow. The problem, as the Stoics remind us, is that we don’t control tomorrow.👉 Support the podcast and go deeper into ...

3 Mar 8min

Populært innen Business og økonomi

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