Be A User, Not A Loser
The Daily Stoic13 Nov 2018

Be A User, Not A Loser

Dr. D.T. Suzuki, a 20th century Japanese author who was largely responsible for popularizing Buddhism, Zen, and Shin in the West, was once approached at the end of a dinner party. “How is it, Dr. Suzuki,” the woman asked, “we spend the entire evening asking you questions and nothing is decided.” He looked at her and replied, “That’s why I love philosophy: no one wins.”

While the Stoics, notably Cato the Elder, had a visceral disdain for sophistry and debate for debate’s sake, they would have agreed with this premise. Stoicism was not a parlor game, nor was it religious dogma with its absolutism and black and white rules.

Stoicism is ultimately a philosophy for life and life is complicated. It is also a philosophy that embraces the individual, and every individual life is different. That’s why the writings of Seneca don’t fit puzzle perfect with the writings of Marcus Aurelius, which themselves are not perfectly aligned with the teachings of Epictetus, despite the latter’s influence over the former. There is no “winner” or “best” among these equals, there is simply a wide breadth of overlapping wisdom designed for a multitude of situations.

Our job is to avail ourselves of this information and put it to use where we can, however it makes sense for the situations in which we find ourselves. What we don’t have time for are pedantic debates about whether so-and-so was a true Stoic or in-fighting about whether this person or that person is continuing the Stoic legacy properly. There are no winners in philosophy, though there certainly are losers. The best person to be, of course, is a user of the philosophical knowledge we have available to us.

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

Avsnitt(2917)

A Stoic Test I Didn’t Expect

A Stoic Test I Didn’t Expect

In the span of three days, Ryan found himself in a series of situations that were exciting, surreal, and a little terrifying. The kind of moments where the Stoic ideas suddenly get put to the test.SPE...

14 Mars 35min

Here’s How You Take Back Your Time | Become Dangerously Persuasive With These Books

Here’s How You Take Back Your Time | Become Dangerously Persuasive With These Books

Think of how you spent the last week. Were those seven days as efficient or productive as they could be? 🎥 VIDEO EPISODE | Watch this episode on Ryan Holiday's YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.co...

13 Mars 13min

It’s Scary…But In A Good Way

It’s Scary…But In A Good Way

Without change, we stagnate. Our minds grow complacent, ignorant to new ideas. Our bodies grow weak from disuse. We remain stuck.👉 SPECIAL OFFER FOR PODCAST LISTENERS ONLY | Go to dailystoic.com/spri...

12 Mars 9min

What Can You Notice?

What Can You Notice?

There is beauty and peace in noticing. The world is filled with things to see and hear.📚 Books Mentioned: Stillness Is The Key by Ryan Holiday Raising Hare by Chloe Dalton👉 SPECIAL OFFER | Go to dai...

11 Mars 3min

The Day Control Was Taken From Us

The Day Control Was Taken From Us

Most people remember exactly where they were the week of March 11, 2020. Life suddenly stopped. The world went quiet. And for a brief moment, everything about our routines, priorities, and pace of lif...

11 Mars 37min

Have You Lost The Beat, Tune, or Rhythm? | Think About It From The Other Person's Perspective

Have You Lost The Beat, Tune, or Rhythm? | Think About It From The Other Person's Perspective

You will get knocked off course. You will fall off the wagon. You will get out of sorts. That's unavoidable. What matters is how quickly you return.SPECIAL OFFER | Go to dailystoic.com/spring and ente...

10 Mars 10min

They Should Have What They Want

They Should Have What They Want

We should think about where we have made our happiness conditional on this or that achievement, on this or that identity which lies outside our control.SPECIAL OFFER exclusively for podcast listeners ...

9 Mars 7min

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 Mars 12min

Populärt inom Business & ekonomi

framgangspodden
varvet
badfluence
rss-jossan-nina
rss-svart-marknad
svd-tech-brief
avanzapodden
uppgang-och-fall
borsmorgon
rss-borsens-finest
rss-dagen-med-di
rss-inga-dumma-fragor-om-pengar
kapitalet-en-podd-om-ekonomi
rss-kort-lang-analyspodden-fran-di
tabberaset
bathina-en-podcast
fill-or-kill
affarsvarlden
rikatillsammans-om-privatekonomi-rikedom-i-livet
market-makers