Be Severe Only With Yourself

The Daily Stoic

Daily Stoic | Backyard Ventures

Education, Daily Stoic, Society & Culture, Stoic, Stoicism, Self-improvement, Business, Stoic Philosophy, Philosophy, Ryan Holiday

4.6 • 4.7K Ratings

🗓️ 24 October 2018

⏱️ 3 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

One of the things that separates us from other people--indeed that has been responsible for our success--is our ability to be strict and self-disciplined. Where other people are fine making excuses or taking shortcuts, we are not. Where other people wing it or do what’s easiest, taking the path of least resistance, we don’t. That’s really the essence of Stoicism and why those of us who have committed to doing the hard work have been able to get so much out of it.

But it can be a problem when people like us come into positions of leadership or become fathers and mothers. Suddenly it’s not just our own behavior we’re regulating, we’re now responsible for other people as well. It’s tempting to try to hold them to the very same standards we hold ourselves to, but this is not only unfair (they didn’t sign up for that), it’s often counterproductive. It burns people out, and it sets you up for disappointment. Or worse, disillusionment.

This observation from Marcus Aurelius’s most thoughtful biography, by Ernest Renan, explains the right way to do it.

“The consequence of austere philosophy might have produced stiffness and severity. But here it was that the rare goodness of the nature of Marcus Aurelius shone out in all its brilliancy. His severity was confined only to himself.”

That’s exactly the key. Your standards are for you. This philosophy is about your self-improvement. It’s about being strict with yourself and forgiving of other people. That’s not only the kind way to be, it’s the only effective way to be. It’s the only defense to being constantly upset and let down.

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Transcript

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0:00.0	Hey, prime members, you can listen to the Daily Stoke Podcast early and add free on Amazon music. Download the app today.
0:13.6	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.
0:23.3	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 DailyStoic.com.
0:37.3	Be severe only with yourself. One of the things that separates us from other people, indeed that has been responsible for our success, is our ability to be strict and self-disciplined.
0:49.3	Where other people are fine making excuses or taking shortcuts, we are not. Where other people win it or do what's easiest, taking the path of least resistance, we don't.
1:00.3	That's really the essence of stoicism and why those of us who have committed to doing the hard work have been able to get so much out of it.
1:08.3	But it can be a problem when people like us come into positions of leadership or become fathers and mothers.
1:14.3	Suddenly, it's not just our own behavior we're regulating. We're now responsible for other people as well.
1:21.3	It's tempting to try to hold them to the very same standards we hold ourselves to. But this is not only unfair, they didn't sign up for that. It's often counterproductive. It burns people out.
1:32.3	It sets you up for disappointment or worse, disillusionment.
1:37.3	This observation from Marcus Aurelius' most thoughtful biography by Ernest Renan explains the right way to do it.
1:45.3	He said, the consequence of austere philosophy might have produced stiffness and severity. But here it was that the rare goodness of the nature of Marcus Aurelius shown out in all its brilliancy.
1:58.3	His severity was confined only to himself.
2:02.3	That's exactly the key. Your standards are for you. This philosophy is about your self-improvement. It's about being strict with yourself and forgiving of other people.
2:14.3	That's not only a kind way to be, it's the only effective way to be. It's the only defense to be constantly upset and let down.
2:25.3	Don't forget to subscribe to this podcast on iTunes or your favorite podcast app. And if you don't get the Daily Stoke email, go to DailyStoke.com slash email.
2:36.3	Hey, Prime Members, you can listen to the Daily Stoke early and ad-free on Amazon Music. Download the Amazon Music App today. Or you can listen early and ad-free with Wondering Plus in Apple Podcasts.

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