What Do You Live By?
The Daily Stoic26 Juni 2019

What Do You Live By?

William Alexander Percy, the uncle of the great writer Walker Percy, and one of the last Southern Stoics, was a famous host. His mansion in Greenville, Mississippi welcomed many guests, including Robert Wright, Langston Hughes, and William Faulkner. He traveled widely, too, visiting Greece, Samoa, and Paris, and spent time in Belgium fighting in WWI. Will Percy loved to playfully and honestly interrogate the people he met with deep but shapeless questions that forced their recipients to really think. Questions like “What do you love?” or “What do you live by?”

This was Will’s way of searching—to understand other people, to understand the world around him and, one can assume, to understand himself. These questions made a very deep impression on his young nephew, Walker, particularly when Will adopted him and his younger brothers after their mother’s death. Indeed, in Walker’s famous novel The Moviegoer, he has the wisest character of the book—based on Will—ask:

What do you love?

What do you live by?

What do you think is the purpose of life?

In a way, answers to these three questions are the essential quest of Stoicism too. It’s what Zeno began asking when he washed up in Athens after his shipwreck. It’s what Epictetus was prodding his students to think about and trying to answer with his responses. It’s what Marcus Aurelius was journaling about over and over again from every angle.

And it’s what we should be thinking about and asking today. To other people sure, but mostly to ourselves. Because no one is going to magically explain these things to us. They can only show us the world, and help us see it. The rest we have to figure out on our own.



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

Avsnitt(2917)

Arthur Brooks’ Ultimate Philosophy Masterclass (PT. 1)

Arthur Brooks’ Ultimate Philosophy Masterclass (PT. 1)

What are you missing by only seeing the world through one philosophy? In this masterclass, Arthur Brooks and Ryan walk through the biggest schools of thought and reveal how they fit together in a way ...

26 Mars 36min

It Takes Much Longer Than You Think (Or Want)

It Takes Much Longer Than You Think (Or Want)

Almost everything worthwhile—like wisdom, leadership, mastery, opportunity—takes far more time than we expect, than we want. 🎙️ AD-FREE | Support the podcast and go deeper into Stoicism by subscribin...

26 Mars 2min

There Will Always Be People Who Don’t Get It | Hasan Minhaj Tests Ryan Holiday’s Stoic Knowledge

There Will Always Be People Who Don’t Get It | Hasan Minhaj Tests Ryan Holiday’s Stoic Knowledge

People are misinformed. People have skewed priorities and conflicts of interest. They’re not always going to understand.🎥 Watch Ryan’s episode on Hasan Minhaj Doesn’t Know here: https://www.youtube.c...

25 Mars 16min

It’s Not Supposed To Go Down Easy | This 10 Minute Habit Will Change Your Life

It’s Not Supposed To Go Down Easy | This 10 Minute Habit Will Change Your Life

Amor Fati is a challenge. That’s the whole point.🎥 VIDEO EPISODE | Watch this episode here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9DCub4GIbZw🎙️ AD-FREE | Support the podcast and go deeper into Stoicism by...

24 Mars 17min

This Is The Only Thing You Get to Choose | There Is Philosophy In Everything

This Is The Only Thing You Get to Choose | There Is Philosophy In Everything

Fortune behaves as she pleases, the Stoics said. 📘 Grab a copy of The Daily Stoic here: https://store.dailystoic.com/🎙️ AD-FREE | Support the podcast and go deeper into Stoicism by subscribing to T...

23 Mars 7min

BONUS | Charles Duhigg's Reading List (From Ryan Holiday)

BONUS | Charles Duhigg's Reading List (From Ryan Holiday)

From the archives, Ryan takes Supercommunicators author Charles Duhigg to The Painted Porch after the podcast and shares a stack of book recommendations that still hold up today. 🎙️ Listen to Charle...

22 Mars 14min

You’re Not as Powerful as You Think (Seneca)

You’re Not as Powerful as You Think (Seneca)

We like to think we’re free and other people aren’t. Seneca flips that idea completely. The people in control may be the most trapped of all.Today’s episode is an excerpt from The Tao Of Seneca produc...

22 Mars 15min

The Stoic Secrets Great Leaders Use | Daniel Coyle

The Stoic Secrets Great Leaders Use | Daniel Coyle

The more you control, the worse you lead. In this conversation, Ryan talks with leadership expert Daniel Coyle about why the best teams aren’t run like machines, why connection matters more than contr...

21 Mars 34min

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