The One (or Two) Words To Live By

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

🗓️ 28 January 2019

⏱️ 3 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Confucius was once asked by a student if there was a single word to to live by, a word that would always provide guidance and truth. He thought about it for a minute and replied with the word chu, which translates roughly into “forbearance.”

This is interesting because Epictetus was once asked which words would help a person live a life of peace and goodness. The two words, he said, were ἀνέχου (bear) and ἀπέχου (forbear). (Another translation puts it at: Persist and Resist).

Again, it’s remarkable how two wise men living in the ancient world some 5,000 miles apart from each other, raised in different cultures and very different circumstances, speaking very different languages, in very different philosophies, could come to express the same concept.

But that’s why we must take it to heart. There is universality in their simple formula (though it’s not an easy one): We resist giving in, resist temptation, resist despair, and resist degradation. We persist in our efforts, we persist in trying to be a good example for others, we persist in our training, we persist despite the obstacles thrown at us.

The definition of forbearance perfectly captures both those ideas: Patient self-control.

That’s our aim. Forever and always.

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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	The One or Two Words to Live by. Confucius was once asked by a student if there was a single word to live by. A word that would always provide guidance and truth.
0:50.3	He thought about it for a minute and replied with the word Two, which translates roughly into Four Barons.
0:58.3	This is interesting because Epic Titus was once asked which words would help a person live a life of peace and goodness. The Two Words, he said, were Bear and Four Bear.
1:09.3	Another translation puts it, at Persist and Resist. Again, it's remarkable how two wise men living in the ancient world, thousands of people living in the world.
1:20.3	A couple of miles apart from each other, raised in different cultures in very different circumstances, speaking very different languages in very different philosophies, could come to express the same concept.
1:33.3	But that's why we must take it to heart. There is universality in their simple formula that it's not an easy one.
1:41.3	We resist giving in, resist temptation, resist despair, and resist degradation. We persist in our efforts, we persist in trying to be a good example for others, we persist in our training, we persist despite the obstacles thrown at us.
2:00.3	The definition of Four Barons perfectly captures both those ideas, patient, self-control. That's our aim forever and always.
2:12.3	If you like the podcast that we do here and you want to get it via email every morning, you can sign up at dailystowoc.com slash email.
2:28.3	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 Wondery Plus in Apple podcasts.

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