The Kind of Opportunity You Should Always Say Yes To
The Daily Stoic
Daily Stoic | Backyard Ventures
4.5 • 5.3K Ratings
🗓️ 13 January 2020
⏱️ 6 minutes
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Summary
Marcus Aurelius and Seneca both made no secret of their objection to escapism. They both spoke negatively of people who frittered their existence away, chasing one tourist destination after another. Seneca likened these folks to someone tossing and turning in bed, just trying to get comfortable. Meanwhile, they were sleeping their lives away. The only real retreat could be found by looking inward, Marcus said, by escaping into your own soul.
So you might think that the Stoics were homebodies. Nothing could be further from the truth. Cato visited countless places across the vast expanse of the Roman empire. So did Panaetius and Cicero and Seneca. Marcus Aurelius traveled as far as Budapest, some 750 miles from Rome. When he said he was a citizen of the world, he meant it—for he had seen large swaths of it. It can hardly be said that he or any of the Stoics were overly inclined to stick close to home.
However, what the travels of all those Stoics tended to have in common is that they were mostly done as part of their official duties. Cato traveled to visit philosophers under whom he wanted to study. Cicero traveled for official postings in distant lands. “Life is warfare and a journey far from home,” Marcus wrote, likely from Carnuntum, a distant Roman fortress near the borders of present-day Austria and Slovakia. Unlike his stepfather Antoninus, who never left Italy, Marcus Aurelius was on the road a lot as Emperor. Although it wasn’t always pleasant, it undoubtedly influenced his philosophy and his world view. He could have sent someone else to inspect the troops on his behalf, but he chose to go. He almost always said “Yes” to the opportunity to explore and see places he hadn’t been to.
And so should you. Even if it’s only a trip to Akron or Tampa. Even if it means a multi-leg flight in coach. There is beauty everywhere. Things to learn everywhere. New perspectives everywhere. History everywhere. If the calls of duty and the road converge, count yourself lucky and go.
Like everything within Stoicism, balance and moderation remain key. Don’t ditch your family for the chance to attend an unnecessary conference in Vegas. Don’t neglect your work just because someone is offering you a companion ticket to who knows where. Don’t use traveling as an excuse to indulge bad habits or disrupt your daily rituals. But the world is an incredible place, and we have only a short term here, so when you get the chance to explore, take 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 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. |
| 0:35.3 | The kind of opportunity you should always say yes to. Marcus Aurelius and Senika both made no secret of their objection to escapism. |
| 0:45.3 | They both spoke negatively of people who frittered their existence away chasing one tourist destination after another. |
| 0:52.3 | Senika likened these folks to someone tossing and turning in bed, just trying to get comfortable. |
| 0:58.3 | Meanwhile, they were sleeping their lives away. The only retreat they thought could be found by looking inward, by escaping into your own soul. |
| 1:07.3 | So you might think that the Stokes were homebodies, but nothing could be further from the truth. |
| 1:12.3 | Cato visited countless places across the vast expanse of the Roman Empire, |
| 1:17.3 | so did Panateus, and Cicero, and Senika. Marcus Aurelius traveled as far as Budapest, some 750 miles from Rome, |
| 1:26.3 | when he said he was a citizen of the world he meant it, for he had seen large swaths of it. |
| 1:31.3 | It could hardly be said that he or any of the Stokes were overly inclined to stick close to home. |
| 1:37.3 | However, what the travels of all of those Stokes tended to have in common is that they were mostly done as part of their official duties. |
| 1:45.3 | Cato traveled to visit philosophers under whom he wanted to study. Cicero traveled for official postings in distant lands. |
| 1:52.3 | Life is warfare and a journey far from home, Marcus Aurelius wrote, |
| 1:57.3 | likely from a distant Roman fortress near the borders of present-day Austria and Slovakia. |
| 2:03.3 | Unlike his stepfather Antoninus who never left Italy, Marcus Aurelius was on the road a lot as emperor. |
| 2:10.3 | Although it wasn't always pleasant and undoubtedly influenced his philosophy and his worldview, |
| 2:16.3 | he could have sent someone else to inspect the troops on his behalf, but he chose to go. |
| 2:20.3 | He almost always said yes to the opportunity to explore and see places he hadn't been. |
| 2:26.3 | And so should you, even if it's only a trip to Akron or Tampa, |
| 2:31.3 | even if it means a multi-leg flight in coach, there is beauty everywhere, things to learn everywhere, new perspectives everywhere, history everywhere. |
... |
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