It’s Not How Long You Live, It’s How You Live
The Daily Stoic
Daily Stoic | Backyard Ventures
4.6 • 4.7K Ratings
🗓️ 2 January 2019
⏱️ 3 minutes
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Summary
In late December, Richard Overton passed away at the ripe old age of 112 and 230 days. When he was born, Theodore Roosevelt was President of the United States, and the 13th Amendment, which ended slavery in America, was only a few decades old (for contrast, Richard was nearly 60 when the Civil Rights Act passed). That’s a long time to be alive. That’s a lot of history to live through.
But the Stoics would say that simply existing for many years is not all that impressive. What mattered was what you did with that time. What mattered was how you lived.
Seneca liked to point out how many people live to be old but have little to show for it. Richard had plenty, even if he never became rich or powerful. At the personal level, he triumphed over segregation and racism—and was never made bitter by the hatred and bigotry that far too many of his fellow Texans (and Americans) had for him for far too much of his life. He served honorably in one of history’s few just wars. He was a hard worker, and he built his own home (there’s a big pecan tree in his front yard that’s still going strong after 70 years). He liked to sit on his porch and talk with his neighbors. He never had children, but he was close with a big family who he loved and they loved him in return. He stuck around long enough to meet presidents and athletes and billionaires. He enjoyed many cigars, bowls of ice cream, and glasses of whiskey. He was beloved by his community, his city, and, eventually, his country.
In short, it was a life of many years but also of many experiences. He was clearly gifted at birth with a strong body, but he had an even stronger soul. Because it’s much harder to live to 112 and still be a happy, friendly, funny person than it is to simply hold on grimly to existence.
No one would say that Richard was taken from us too soon—because, clearly, he was given plenty of time on this planet (in fact, nearly three and a half times the life expectancy for a black man born in the early 20th century). But the important thing is what he did with that time.
And we can say, unequivocally, that this man lived.
R.I.P. And if you want some lessons and wisdom from Richard, you might like this piece.
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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. |
| 0:36.3 | It's not how long you live. It's how you live. In late December, Richard Overton passed away at the ripe old age of 112 in 230 days. |
| 0:47.3 | When he was born, Theodore Roosevelt was president of the United States, and the 13th Amendment, which ended slavery in America, was only a few decades old. For contrast, Richard was nearly 60 when the Civil Rights Act passed. That's a long time to be alive. That's a lot of history to live through. |
| 1:07.3 | But the Stokes would say that simply existing for many years is not all that impressive. What mattered was what you did with that time. What mattered was how you lived. |
| 1:18.3 | Sonica liked to point out how many people lived to be old but had little to show for it. Richard had plenty, even if he never became rich or powerful. At the personal level, he triumphed over segregation and racism and was never made bitter by the hatred and bigotry that far too many of his fellow Texans and Americans had for him for far too much of his life. |
| 1:41.3 | He served honorably in one of history's few just wars. He was a hard worker and he built his own home. There's even a pecan tree in his front yard that's still going strong after 70 years. |
| 1:53.3 | He liked to sit on his porch and talk with his neighbors. He never had children, but he was close with a big family who he loved and loved him in return. He stuck around long enough to meet presidents and athletes and billionaires. |
| 2:05.3 | He enjoyed many cigars, bowls of ice cream and glasses of whiskey. He was beloved by his community and his city and eventually his country. In short, it was a life of many years but also of many experiences. |
| 2:19.3 | He was clearly gifted at birth with a strong body but he had an even stronger soul because it's much harder to live to 112 and still be happy, friendly and funny than it is to simply hold on, grimly to existence. |
| 2:35.3 | No one would say that Richard was taken from us too soon because clearly he was given plenty of time on this planet. In fact, nearly three and a half times what the life expectancy was for a black man when he was born. |
| 2:49.3 | But the important thing is what he did with that time and we can say unequivocally that he lived. |
| 2:57.3 | If you like the podcast that we do here and you want to get it via email every morning, you can sign up at dailystoic.com slash email. |
| 3:06.3 | Hey, prime members, you can listen to the daily stoic 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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