The Daily Stoic - Here’s an Important Power You Have

Episode Date: January 9, 2020

The ask is just an ask, you know.Whether they’re asking you to pass the salt or asking you for a hundred thousand dollar loan, whether they’re asking you what you weigh or if you can come in and work on Sunday, the ask is just the ask.We decide that it’s offensive or presumptuous or rude. That’s what Epictetus was saying when he observed that it’s not events that upset us, but our judgement about events. The request is objective—just words coming out of someone’s mouth. The opinion that it’s objectionable is just that. Your opinion. We have to remember that we hold this power. We don’t need to get upset. We don’t need to be taken apart. We just need to realize that all someone has done is utter some words at us, and that we are free to ignore them, grant the request, or politely explain why we’re not interested. Epictetus said that when we get offended—when we get upset and think, “How dare they?” or “Wow, that’s a huge imposition they just tried to foist on me”—we are complicit. We have chosen to be upset. We have chosen to hear or read the request that way. We could have just let it go. We could have seen it for what it was—simply an ask. And then moved on. We have that power. We choose whether we exercise it or not. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Hey, prime members, you can listen to the Daily Stoke podcast early and add free on Amazon music. Download the app today. Welcome to the Daily Stoke. For each day, we read a short passage designed to help you cultivate the strength, insight, wisdom necessary for living good life. insight, wisdom necessary for living good life. Each one of these passages is based on the 2000 world philosophy that has guided some of history's greatest men and women. For more, you can visit us at dailystoic.com. Here's an important power that you have. The ask is just an ask, you know?

Whether they're asking you to pass the salt or asking you for a hundred thousand dollar loan, whether they're asking you what you weigh, or if you can come in and work on Sunday, the ask is just the ask. We decide that it's offensive or presumptuous or rude. That's what Epictetus was saying when he observed that it's not events that upset us but our judgment about events. The request is objective, just words coming out of someone's mouth. The opinion that

it's objectionable is just that, your opinion. We have to remember that we hold this power. We don't need to get upset, we don't need to be taken apart. We just need to realize that all someone has done is utter some words at us, and that we are free to ignore them, grant the quest, or politely explain why we're not interested. Epic Tita said that when we get offended, when we get upset and think how dare they, or wow, that's a huge imposition they are trying to foist on me, we are complicit. We have chosen to be upset. We have chosen to hear and read the request that way.

We could have just let it go. We could have seen it for what it was, simply an ask and moved on. We have that power. We choose whether we exercise it or not. Hey, everyone. Obviously, you're listening to this podcast. You've probably read our Daily Stoke book. Maybe you get our Daily Stoke emails.

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