Never Stop Trying To Get Better
The Daily Stoic
Daily Stoic | Backyard Ventures
4.5 • 5.3K Ratings
🗓️ 11 October 2019
⏱️ 3 minutes
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Summary
The Cynic philosopher Diogenes was once criticized by a passerby for not taking care of himself in his old age, for being too active when he should have been taking it easy and resting. As per usual, Diogenes had the perfect rejoinder: "What, if I were running in the stadium, ought I to slacken my pace when approaching the goal?"
His point was that we should never stop getting better, never stop the work that philosophy demands of us. Right up until the end Diogenes was questioning convention, reducing his wants, challenging power, and insisting on truth.
The Stoics agreed with his view, that old age was no excuse for coasting. In fact, we get the sense that many of the strongest passages in Meditations are written by an older Marcus Aurelius, one who is still frustrated with himself for his anxiety, for his passions, for his less than flawless record when it comes to upholding his positions. In one passage he says it more or less outright: How much longer are you going to keep doing this? You’re old and you still can’t get it right.
But he wasn’t just kicking himself to feel better. He was trying to get himself to be better. He refused to take his foot off the gas. He was going to keep going right on through the finish line, and so should we. No matter how old we are, no matter how long we’ve been at this, it’s far too early to stop now, to say “close enough.”
No, we are going to give our best effort. We’re going to give everything we have, with every day that is given to us...
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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. |
| 0:36.3 | Never stop trying to get better. The cynic philosopher, Diogeny's, was once criticized by a passerby for not taking care of himself in his old age. |
| 0:46.3 | For being too active when he should have been taking it easy and resting, as per usual, Diogeny's had the perfect rejoinder. |
| 0:54.3 | What, if I were running in the stadium, ought I to slacken my pace when approaching the goal? |
| 1:00.3 | His point was that we should never stop getting better. Never stop the work that philosophy demands of us. Right up until the end, Diogeny's was questioned in convention, reducing his wants, challenging power, and insisting on training. |
| 1:16.3 | The Stoics agreed with his view that old age was no excuse for coasting. In fact, we get the sense that many of the strongest passages in meditations are written by an older, Arcus Arelius, one who is still frustrated with himself for his anxiety, for his passions, for his less than flawless record when it comes to upholding his beliefs. |
| 1:38.3 | In one passage, he says, it more or less outright. How long are you going to keep doing this? You're old and you still can't get it right, but he wasn't just kicking himself to feel better. He was trying to get himself to be better. |
| 1:51.3 | He refused to take his foot off the gas. He was going to keep going right on through the finish line, and so should we. No matter how old we are, no matter how long we've been at this, it's far too early to stop now to say close enough. |
| 2:06.3 | No, we're going to give it our best effort. We're going to give it everything we have. |
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| 2:21.3 | Ego is a force that sucks us down, that keeps us from our accomplishing our goals. The NBA coach in GM Pat Riley called Ego the disease of me gets in your way, tears apart teams, destroys dreams. |
| 2:35.3 | And that's why this brand new pendant is a great reminder and a great tool to hope you keep your ego in check to help you keep the disease of me at bay. |
| 2:43.3 | You can check out our new ego is the enemy pendant at the daily stoke store. Just go to daily stoke.com slash store. |
| 2:53.3 | 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 Wondering Plus in Apple podcasts. |
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