Welcome to the Daily Stoic Podcast, where each day we read a passage of ancient wisdom

designed to help you in your everyday life.

On Tuesdays, we take a closer look at these stoic ideas, how we can apply them in our actual

lives.

Thanks for listening, and I hope you enjoy.

There is no race.

We know that at least one of the stoics was a runner.

Crasipus ran a grueling three mile loop consisting of approximately 24 stadium length wind

sprints.

Epic Titus' leg injury probably precluded much in the way of running, but he was clearly

an avid sports fan in his lectures abound with metaphors to prove it.

Yet the stoics relationship to athletics was slightly different than your average competitor.

We know that Crasipus was a good runner, but he also held that there was something far

more important than winning, conducting oneself with virtue in a race.

Epic Titus didn't care much for the standings of a given event.

He believed that the only competition that mattered began and continued long before the

finish line or after the bell.

If you want to be a winner, he said, define the competition only by things that are up

to you.

Both of these lyrics would have liked the lyric from the band Lucius.

That's what life is.

It's not a race against anyone else.

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