The Daily Stoic - This is the Tradition We Hail From

Episode Date: December 25, 2020

“2,000 years ago today there was a woman who went into labor in a province of the Roman Empire, she couldn't find shelter, she was young, and she was scared. 150 years ago soldiers fighting to preserve the Union and to free their fellow man, found a way to celebrate Christmas in forts and trenches dividing a sundered Nation. Almost a century ago in the worst part of the Great Depression, parents around the world did what they could to cobble together gifts and a dinner for their hungry and exhausted families. Over 50 years ago behind the Iron Curtain huddled groups of East Berliners secretly commemorated the birth of their savior, as Soviet forces Patrol the city threatening them with arrest, or worse.”Ryan discusses how past Christmas’s relate to this year, and compares Jesus' and Seneca's teachings, on today’s Daily Stoic Podcast.***If you enjoyed this week’s podcast, we’d love for you to leave a review on Apple Podcasts. It helps with our visibility, and the more people listen to the podcast, the more we can invest into it and make it even better.Sign up for the Daily Stoic email: http://DailyStoic.com/signupFollow Daily Stoic:Twitter: https://twitter.com/dailystoicInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/dailystoic/Facebook: http://facebook.com/dailystoicYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/dailystoicSee 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. Hi, I'm David Brown, the host of Wundery's podcast business wars. And in our new season, Walmart must fight off target. The new discounter that's both savvy and fashion forward. Listen to business wars on Amazon Music or wherever you get your podcasts. on music or wherever you get your podcasts. Welcome to the Daily Stoic. For each day we read a short passage designed to help you cultivate the strength, insight, wisdom necessary for living good 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 alestowac.com. This is the tradition we hail from. Two thousand years ago, today, there was a woman who went into labor in a province of the Roman Empire. She couldn't find shelter. She was young, she was scared. 150 years ago, soldiers fighting to preserve the Union and to free their fellow-man found a way to celebrate Christmas in forts and trenches, dividing a sun-dred nation. Almost a century ago, in the worst part of the Great Depression, parents around the world did what they could to cobble together gifts and a dinner for their hungry and exhausted families.

Over 50 years ago, behind the iron curtain, huddled groups of East Berliners secretly commemorated the birth of their savior as Soviet forces patrol the city, threatening them with arrest or worse. This year, millions of people are spending Christmas away from their families, wrestling with a global pandemic that it is just one source of adversity in what has been a true anus horribleus. Is there some magical insight that can make all this go away, that can make everything better?

No, of course not. That's never been what stoicism is about. As it happens though, in the very same year as Jesus, in another far-flung province of Rome, another boy is born, Seneca, who would go on to be an equally great and influential philosopher, would say that just as fire tests gold, misfortune tries brave men. It's worth taking a minute, then, this Christmas morning to compare all the ways that Jesus and Seneca's teachings overlap.

Seneca says, fire is the test of gold, adversity of strong men. Well, Jesus says, blessed is the one who perseveres under trial because having stood the test that person will receive the crown of life. As Seneca says, constant misfortune brings this one blessing to whom it always assails, it eventually fortifies. And Jesus says, we can rejoice too when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance, an endurance develops strength of character. And then Seneca says, two elements must therefore be rooted out once and for all, the fear of future suffering, and the recollection of past suffering since the latter no longer concerns me and the former concerns me

not. And then Jesus says, therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things sufficient for the day, is its own trouble. Now Seneca was obviously just a man, a flawed and contradictory man at that, while Jesus, depending on your beliefs, was both a man and a God. But it is fascinating to think that they were both born the same year and the same empire and died bravely facing evil. Both would be immensely popular in their own time and long after. Both would run afoul of the powerful interests of their time. Both would be forced in their final moments to live their teachings.

Jesus on the cross asking for forgiveness for the people who had wronged them. Seneca, as he comforted his friends and family when Nero's goons came to demand his suicide. Tacitus, who also tells us about the life of Christus, would note how Seneca had made plans for such an ordeal, writing that even in the height of his wealth and power he was thinking of life's clothes. So too, the Bible tells us, was Jesus. Their words and example lives on, especially here as we bring 2022 a clothes, wondering how we will get through this, how we'll survive. We'll make it by clinging to these timeless principles.

We'll get it by following this grand tradition. We'll get by on love, on wisdom, on courage, on self-discipline. We'll find beauty in the ordinary. We'll be of service to others. We'll zoom out and look at the big picture. We'll zoom in at what's immediately in front of us. We'll find something to be grateful for because there is always something to be grateful for.

Life is short, Seneca said. It was short for Jesus too. What matters is what you do while you're here. What matters is what you do with your year. And the days that you've been given, what matters is the example you leave behind for others to follow. Enjoy today. Don't be afraid.

Do what's right. Follow in their footsteps. They have shown us the way. Hey everyone, thank you so much for listening to this podcast. It's incredible to think that these episodes have been listened to more than three million times. If you could do this huge favor and just leave a quick review of the podcast

on iTunes, Google Play, or whatever you're listening to this on, we'd really appreciate it. The reviews help with visibility and help bring stoicism to even more people. Thanks again. Talk soon. Hey, prime members. You can listen to the Daily Stoke early and add free on Amazon music. Download the Amazon music app today, or you can listen early and add free with Wondery Plus in Apple podcasts.

Celebrity feuds are high stakes. You never know if you're just going to end up on Page Six or Du Moir or in court. I'm Matt Bellasai. And I'm Sydney Battle, and we're the host of Wondery's new podcast, Dis and Tell, where each episode we unpack a different iconic celebrity feud. the buildup why it happened and the repercussions What does our obsession with these feuds say about us the first season is packed with some pretty messy pop culture drama But none is drawn out in personal as Brittany and Jamie Lynn Spears when Britney's fans form the free Brittany movement dedicated to Fringer from the infamous conservatorship

Jamie Lynn's lack of public support? It angered some fans, a lot of them. It's a story of two young women who had their choices taken away from them by their controlling parents, but took their anger out on each other. And it's about a movement to save a superstar, which set its sights upon anyone who failed to fight for Britney. one who failed to fight for Brittany. Follow Disenthal wherever you get your podcast. You can listen ad-free on Amazon Music or the Wondery app.