The Great Equalizer

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

🗓️ 10 January 2019

⏱️ 3 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

The author Michael Malice has a running gag: whenever a celebrity dies he posts a meme that says RIP but is a photo of a similar looking but a very different (and very alive) celebrity. It’s partly a commentary on how easily fake news spreads but it’s also an ironic dismissal of all that person has accomplished. It says: You’re dead now and we’re already forgetting your legacy. It says: You’re dead and we think it’s pretty funny.

Sure, there is a trollishness to that and it’s probably definition of the expression “Too Soon” but there is also truth and Stoicism in it. Marcus Aurelius liked to remind himself that Alexander the Great and the man’s mule driver are buried in the same ground. Shakespeare was equally impious.

To what base uses we may return, Horatio. Why

may not imagination trace the noble dust of

Alexander till he find it stopping a bunghole?

The point is that death is not only inevitable but it is a great and merciless equalizer. It doesn’t matter how much money you pile up, how many territories you conquer, how many people know (or tremble at) your name—in the end you will die. Not only that, but some people will laugh! They will think your death is hilarious or even deserved.

That should humble you. It should serve as a Memento Mori for you. It should motivate you to live while you still can and not take any of it too seriously. Because it isn’t that serious. In fact, it’s kind of funny.

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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	The great equalizer. The author Michael Males has a running gag. Whenever a celebrity dies, he posts a meme that says RIP, but is a photo of a similar looking but very different and very alive celebrity.
0:50.3	It's partly a commentary on how easily fake news spreads, but it's also an ironic dismissal of all that that person has accomplished.
1:00.3	It says, you're dead now and we are already forgetting your legacy. It says, you are dead and we think it's pretty funny. Sure, there's a trollishness to that, and it's probably the definition of the expression too soon.
1:14.3	But there is also truth and stoicism in it. Marcus Aurelius liked to remind himself that Alexander the Great and the man's mule driver are buried next to each other.
1:24.3	Shakespeare was equally impious. As he wrote, to what base uses we may return, Horatio, why not imagination trace the noble dust of Alexander till he finds it stopping a bonehole.
1:37.3	The point is that death is not only inevitable, but it is a great and merciless equalizer. It doesn't matter how much money you pile up, how many territories you conquer, how many people know or tremble at your name. In the end, you will die.
1:51.3	Not only that, but some people will laugh. They will treat your death like it is hilarious or even deserved. That should humble you. It should serve as a memento a mori for you. It should motivate you to live while you still can and not take any of it.
2:07.3	Too seriously, because it isn't that serious. In fact, it's kind of funny. I hope you'll check out some of the memento mori reminders we have at dailystoic.com slash mn.
2:19.3	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 Wondery Plus in Apple podcasts.

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