Get Yourself Under Control

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

🗓️ 9 November 2018

⏱️ 2 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

It was Heraclitus--a favorite of Marcus Aurelius--who said that “to be self-controlled is the greatest of excellence.” Isn’t that the truth? It’s why we admire athletes and Navy SEALS and the Civil Rights Activists of the 1950s and 1960s.

To see someone being provoked with horrific language and threatened with bodily violence--only to ignore it. To see someone under incredible pressure and perform despite it. To see someone override their fears and physical limitations in service of their country. This, we know, is self-control par excellence.

The reason we study this philosophy, follow its precepts and practice its exercises, is to develop our own ability to control ourselves. To control our desires, our emotions, our bodies, and our minds. So that under pressure, under threat, under siege, we can be our best selves. We are working to get ourselves under control so that we can be excellent--we can be virtuous--and because we know that self-control is its own form of excellence.

It’s a hard thing to do, and that’s why we admire it.

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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 the 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	Get yourself under control. It was Herocletus, a favorite of Marcus Aurelius, who said that to be self-controlled is the greatest of excellence.
0:47.3	Isn't that the truth? It's why we admire athletes and Navy SEALs and the civil rights activists of the 1950s and 1960s.
0:56.3	To see someone being provoked with horrific language and threatened with bodily violence only to ignore it, to see someone under incredible pressure and perform despite it.
1:06.3	To see someone override their fears and physical limitations in service of their country. This, we know, is self-control, par excellence.
1:15.3	The reason we study this philosophy, follow its precepts and practice its exercises, is to develop our own ability to control ourselves, to control our desires, our emotions, our bodies, and our minds.
1:29.3	So that under pressure, under threat, under siege, we can be our best selves. We are working to get ourselves under control so that we can be excellent, so we can be virtuous.
1:40.3	And because we know that self-control is its own form of excellence. It's a hard thing to do, and that's why we admire it.
1:48.3	Don't forget to subscribe to this podcast on iTunes or your favorite podcast app. And if you don't get the Daily Stoic email, go to DailyStoic.com slash email.
1:58.3	Hey, prime members, you can listen to the Daily Stoic 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.

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