The Daily Stoic - What Marcus Learned From Antoninus

Episode Date: November 22, 2018

Where did Marcus learn to be Marcus? Ernest Renan writes that Marcus was very much a product of his training and his tutors. But more than his teachers and even his own parents, “Marcus had a single master whom he revered above them all, and that was Antoninus.” All his adult life, Marcus strived to be a disciple of his adopted step-father. While he lived, Marcus saw him, Renan said, as “the most beautiful model of a perfect life.” What were the things that Marcus learned from Antoninus? In Marcus’s own words in Meditations, he learned the importance of: -Compassion-Hard work-Persistence-Altruism-Self-reliance-Cheerfulness-Constancy to friends. He also learned how to keep an open mind and listen to anyone who could contribute, how not to play favorites, how to take responsibility and blame, and how to put other people at ease. He learned how to yield the floor to experts and use their advice, how to respect tradition, how to keep a good schedule, how to be moderate with the empire’s treasury, and never get worked up. Antoninus taught Marcus how to know when to push something or someone and when to back off. He taught him to be indifferent to superficial honors and to treat people as they deserved to be treated. It’s quite a list, isn’t it? Better still that the lessons were embodied in Antoninus’s actions rather than written on some tablet or scroll. There is no better way to learn than from a role model. There is no better way to judge our progress than in constant company with the person we would most like to be one day. It’s easy to say, but each of us needs to cultivate people like that in our lives. We need to comport ourselves as their disciples, striving to do as they do and to never fall short of their standards if we can help it. And of course, we need to hold them up for view and record, as Marcus did, what they have taught us so that we may never forget.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 the good life. insight, wisdom necessary for living the 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 dailystowach.com. What Marcus learned from Antoninus? Where did Marcus learn to be Marcus? Ernest Rennon writes that Marcus was very much a product of his training and his tutors.

But more than his teachers and even his own parents, he says, Marcus had a single master whom he revered above them all, and that was Antoninus. All his adult life, Marcus strived to be a disciple of his adopted stepfather. While he lived, Marcus saw him, Renon said, as the most beautiful model of a perfect life. Well, what were the things that Marcus learned from Antoninus? In Marcus's own words and meditations, he learned the importance of compassion, hard work, persistence, altruism, self-reliance, cheerfulness, and constancy to friends. He also learned how to keep an open mind and listen to anyone who could contribute, how

not to play favorites, how to take responsibility and blame, and how to put other people at ease. He learned how to yield the floor to experts and use their advice, how to respect tradition, how to keep a good schedule, how to be moderate with the Empire's treasury, and never get worked up. Antoninus taught Marcus how to know when to push something or someone and when to back off. He taught him to be indifferent to the superficial honors, and to treat people as they deserved to be treated. It's quite a list, isn't it? Better still that the lessons were embodied in Antoninus' actions rather than written on some tablet or scroll.

There is no better way to learn from a role model. There is no better way to judge our progress than in constant company with the person we would most like to be one day. It's easy to say, but each of us needs to cultivate people like that in our lives. We need to comport ourselves as their disciples striving to do as they do and to never fall short of their standards if we can help it. And of course, we need to hold them up for view and record as Marcus did what they have taught us so that we may never forget. And hopefully you can check out our Marcus Aurelius print

that I think captures something that he learned best from Antoninus. He said, waste no more time arguing what a good man is like, be one. We have that print that can go up on your wall. I have it on the wall in my office and in my house. And I think that's what Antonin is top Marcus, was how to be a good man.

And I think that's something we need a constant reminder of. So you can check that out at dailystoke.com slash store. If you like the podcast that we do here and you want to get it via email every morning, you can sign up at dailystoke.com slash email. Hey, Prime Members, you can listen to the Daily Stoke early and add free on Amazon music. Download the Amazon music app today, or youoic early and ad free on Amazon Music. Download the Amazon Music app today. Or you can listen early and ad free with Wondery Plus in Apple podcasts.