The Daily Stoic31 Dec 2018

What We Do In Life Does Not Echo In Eternity

In the movie Gladiator, Maximus, the protege of Marcus Aurelius, says famously, “What we do in life, echoes in eternity.” It’s a powerful, inspiring line, (also tattooed on Lebron James’s arm) one the average viewer might assume that Marcus Aurelius agreed with.

Funnily enough, in his actual writings, Marcus Aurelius could not have come out more strongly against this idea. He says at one point, in Meditations, that “People out for posthumous fame forget that the Generations to Come will be the same annoying people they know now. And just as mortal." But even if they weren’t, he asks:

“What good would it do you?...You're out of step—neglecting the gifts of nature to hang on someone's words in the future."

Indeed, not only do people deprive themselves of the wonder of the present in order to hopefully be remembered in the future, far too many people—especially leaders—do themselves and those they serve a disservice by “performing for history.” Instead of focusing on what they can do right now, what little progress or improvements they can make, they get caught up in the idea of a grand, sweeping legacy. Or they play things safe, not wanting to take risks that could turn out badly...at the expense of possible opportunities they’ll never even know they missed.

We should want to do the right thing, today, because it’s the right thing. We should pursue excellence because excellence is intrinsically valuable, not because we want to be admired after we’re dead and gone. Forget echoing in eternity—just speak loudly enough to be heard right now.

Or better yet, let your actions do the talking.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Det här avsnittet är hämtat från ett öppet RSS-flöde och publiceras inte av Podme. Det kan innehålla reklam.

Avsnitt(3152)

You Should Be In The Thick of It | How Oprah Discovered Stoicism

How are you making your impact felt? How are you bringing your beliefs—and virtues—into the world?👉 Watch Ryan's episode with Oprah here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fiua-LIB7MY📚 Books:Build the...

29 Sep 18min

It Shows Us This | Your Actual Needs Are Small.

On the one hand, history is a catalog of human misdeeds. On the other hand, is history not also a catalog of human greatness?📚 History Matters by David McCullough🎟️ DAILY STOIC LIVE | Ryan Holiday i...

28 Sep 6min

11 Stoic Lessons Ryan Learned in Rome.

The streets of Rome still carry the lessons the Stoics left behind nearly 2,000 years ago. In today’s episode, Ryan walks through the places where Stoicism was lived and tested and shares 11 lessons t...

27 Sep 20min

Inside the Final Years of Marcus Aurelius.

By the final years of his life, Marcus Aurelius had lost nearly everyone he loved, endured years of war, and watched the Antonine Plague devastate the empire. In today’s episode, Professor William O. ...

26 Sep 17min

BONUS | 3 Stoic One-Liners You Need Today.

Today's bonus episode: three Stoic one-liners to help you start the day with the right mindset.🎟️ DAILY STOIC LIVE | Ryan Holiday is coming to a city near you! Grab tickets here | https://www.dailys...

25 Sep 1min

No Time Like The Present To Drink These Draining Seconds | The Most Secure Fortress.

There is no time like the present because, really, there is no time but the present. 📔 Pick up your own leather bound signed edition of The Daily Stoic! Check it out at the Daily Stoic Store: https:/...

25 Sep 6min

Does The Tantrum Help? | 6 Stoic Reminders You Need to Hear.

Does yelling and screaming change anything? Does spiraling fix it? Does finding someone to blame make you feel better for more than a few minutes?🎟️ DAILY STOIC LIVE | Ryan Holiday is coming to a cit...

24 Sep 8min

You Come From This.

You have it pretty good. We all do. You have modern conveniences. So it is easy to get a little spoiled…it’s also easy to assume that you are spoiled and soft.📚 History Matters by David McCullough🎟️...

23 Sep 2min