The Daily Stoic - It’s Impossible, You Know

Starting point is 00:00:00 Wondery Plus subscribers can listen to The Daily Stoic early and ad free right now. Just join Wondery Plus in the Wondery app or on Apple Podcast. and wisdom, everyday life. Each one of these passages is based on the 2000 year old philosophy that has guided some of history's greatest men and women. For more, you can visit us at dailysteal.com. It's impossible, you know. You know this, right? that it's impossible to get everyone to like you, that it's never going to happen. Everyone appreciating or understanding or enjoying what you do. On the contrary, lots of people are going to dislike you. The more popular you get, the more people who do like you, the more people will discredit disavow and disapprove of you.

Starting point is 00:01:02 That's just a fact. Think of Marcus Aurelius. He ruled over an empire of 50 million people. Even if he was widely beloved, even if he was somehow the most popular sovereign who ever lived, millions of people would have hated him. And how many people today pick up a brilliant work like meditations and then throw it down saying, not for me? Seneca was widely known and a celebrated playwright

Starting point is 00:01:26 in his time to say nothing of the reception of his philosophical works, yet plenty of people thought he was the worst. Indeed, one of the sources we have on Seneca's wealth and his supposed hypocrisy comes from a guy whose dislike for Seneca could be said to border on full-throated hating. And certainly he wasn't the only Seneca before

Starting point is 00:01:46 at the time or since. Daily Stoic is pretty popular. We have almost a million people who get this email every morning and millions more follow us on Instagram and YouTube and TikTok. And you know what is simultaneously true though? Lots of people hate Daily Stoic.

Starting point is 00:02:00 They think that it's too this or that, not enough this or that. They were fans and think it fell off. They think it's too commercial. They think it's too this or that, not enough this or that. They were fans and think it fell off. They think it's too commercial. They think it's too broad. They think it's not as good as the actual writings of the Stokes and you know what? They're right.

Starting point is 00:02:13 It is those things to them. Their opinions are correct to them. Part of serenity but also success in living is knowing what feedback to listen to and what to ignore. It's focusing on what you control, your work, the intention you bring to it, et cetera, and letting go of what isn't in your control, how other people interpret it, how well or not well it does.

Starting point is 00:02:33 Being loved or understood by or appreciated by everyone is not something that's in your control. In our episode with Tim Ferriss on this podcast, we touched on this, it can be almost overwhelming to consider how many people don't like you out there. You have to be able to tune most of this out, you have to be able to filter the constructive from the cruel, the stuff that gets you closer to where you're trying to go personally, professionally,

Starting point is 00:02:53 ethically, and the stuff that has more to do with someone else's view of those things. You have to accept that nobody ever on earth, including Marcus Aurelius, or Cato, or Gandhi, was well liked by everyone. Detractors and haters are part of life. And they may well be a sign that you're doing something right. And so whether you love daily stoic or you hate daily stoic, I'll just say thank thanks for listening, you can listen early and ad free right now by joining Wondery Plus in the Wondery app or on Apple podcasts.

Starting point is 00:03:40 Prime members can listen ad free on Amazon Music. And before you go, would you tell us about yourself by filling out a short survey on

The Daily Stoic - It’s Impossible, You Know

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