Study The Real Secret of Greatness
The Daily Stoic20 Sep 2019

Study The Real Secret of Greatness

When we think of greatness, we think of success. We think of strength. We think of influence. We think of the man or woman exerting their will over the universe, or dominating on the athletic field, or dazzling us with their creative brilliance. We think of the trappings of this greatness: ornate mansions, peak physical conditioning, confidently strolling the halls of power.

Is this really greatness, though? What if the person who has it is actually miserable? If every minute they’re awake they’re driven by demons or insecurities or the need to control and beat other people? How great is greatness if it is constantly on the edge of destroying itself through overreaching or over-doing?

Seneca said that “nothing is great unless it’s also at peace.” What he meant was that stillness and greatness—true greatness, that is—are impossible to separate. It’s stillness that allows us to be great, on the court or in the public sphere or on the page. No one is able to push the bounds of accomplishment if they are distracted or disorganized. At the same time, it’s stillness that allows us to enjoy our accomplishments. What good is becoming a billionaire if all you can think about is how much more there is left to earn? If you’re just comparing yourself to richer people?

Stillness is the key to greatness and the key to happiness (and it’s the title of Ryan Holiday’s new book!). There is little hope and little point to life without it. Stillness is what Stoicism seeks to instill in us—so that we can be better at our jobs, at our responsibilities, and in our quiet moments alone.

Without stillness, we have no greatness. We have only franticness and insatiableness.

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

Episoder(2907)

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

They’re Not Wrong (They’re Just Cut Off From Truth) | What Expensive Things Cost

They’re Not Wrong (They’re Just Cut Off From Truth) | What Expensive Things Cost

Haven’t you been wrong before? Haven’t you done stuff that in retrospect seems dumb or weird? Of course you have.📚 Books Mentioned: Great Gatsby: 100th Anniversary Deluxe EditionMeditations by Marcus...

2 Mar 7min

Why Thinking About Your Death Will Save Your Life

Why Thinking About Your Death Will Save Your Life

Meditating on death isn’t depressing, it’s clarifying. In this episode, Ryan explains how the Stoic practice of Memento Mori will sharpen your priorities, push you to stop wasting time, and remind you...

1 Mar 17min

The Discipline That Made Marcus Aurelius

The Discipline That Made Marcus Aurelius

The greatness of Antoninus and Marcus Aurelius was not perfection but progress. They were imperfect men committed to self-discipline and self-correction. Today's episode explores how Antoninus shaped ...

28 Feb 30min

Populært innen Business og økonomi

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