The Daily Stoic - Meditations on Wisdom, Perseverance, and the Art of Living
Day 26
November 7th - How To Be Powerful
"Don't trust in your reputation, money, or position, but in the strength that is yours - namely, your judgements about the things that you control and don't control. For this alone is what makes us free and unfettered, that picks us up by the neck from the depths and lifts us eye to eye with the rich and powerful."
-Epictetus, Discourses, 3.26.34-34
Excerpts from Author:
"In a scene in Steven Pressfield's classic novel about Alexander the Great, The Virtues of War, Alexander reaches a river crossing only to be confronted by a philosopher who refuses to move. 'This man has conquered the world!' one of Alexander's men shouts. 'What have you done?' The Philosopher responds, with complete confidence, 'I have conquered the need to conquer the world'.
We do know that Alexander did clash with Diogenes the Cynic, a philosopher known for his rejection of what society prizes and, by extension, Alexander's self-image. Just as in Pressfield's fictional encounter, in Diogenes real confrontation with Alexander, the philosopher was more powerful than the most powerful man in the world - because, unlike him, Diogenes had fewer wants. They were able to look each other in the eye and see who really had control over himself, who had achieved the self-mastery required for real and lasting power. You can have that too. It just means focusing inward on acquiring power rather than outward. As Pubilius Syrus, himself a former slave, put it: 'Would you have a great empire? Rule over yourself!'"
"Every man has a kingdom inside him
Will he ever see
What is here in the now is the reason
Find the path for his soul to be free
Deep inside is the key..."
Dungeon - The Power Within
Not only do we all have an Empire, or a Kingdom, inside us, we have the ability to dig deep for the key. In self mastery this would reflect our abundance and gratitude for what we have, or our ability to extend our time horizon the future, or to discipline ourselves in ways of physical training, philosophical thinking and prayer. To keep your word and to pursue what matters, doing what helps your growth. Not in power over others, but over yourself. The power within.
Shevacai
npub19u…wgppv
2023-11-07 15:29:24
Author Public Key
npub19ut4lep53ax69ks406zdzxd4zewgg4v3trnyw20lqzck89r33wls3wgppvPublished at
2023-11-07 15:29:24Event JSON
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"content": "The Daily Stoic - Meditations on Wisdom, Perseverance, and the Art of Living\n\nDay 26\n\nNovember 7th - How To Be Powerful\n\n\"Don't trust in your reputation, money, or position, but in the strength that is yours - namely, your judgements about the things that you control and don't control. For this alone is what makes us free and unfettered, that picks us up by the neck from the depths and lifts us eye to eye with the rich and powerful.\"\n\n-Epictetus, Discourses, 3.26.34-34\n\nExcerpts from Author:\n\n\"In a scene in Steven Pressfield's classic novel about Alexander the Great, The Virtues of War, Alexander reaches a river crossing only to be confronted by a philosopher who refuses to move. 'This man has conquered the world!' one of Alexander's men shouts. 'What have you done?' The Philosopher responds, with complete confidence, 'I have conquered the need to conquer the world'.\n\nWe do know that Alexander did clash with Diogenes the Cynic, a philosopher known for his rejection of what society prizes and, by extension, Alexander's self-image. Just as in Pressfield's fictional encounter, in Diogenes real confrontation with Alexander, the philosopher was more powerful than the most powerful man in the world - because, unlike him, Diogenes had fewer wants. They were able to look each other in the eye and see who really had control over himself, who had achieved the self-mastery required for real and lasting power. You can have that too. It just means focusing inward on acquiring power rather than outward. As Pubilius Syrus, himself a former slave, put it: 'Would you have a great empire? Rule over yourself!'\"\n\n\n\"Every man has a kingdom inside him\nWill he ever see\nWhat is here in the now is the reason\nFind the path for his soul to be free\nDeep inside is the key...\"\n\nDungeon - The Power Within\n\nNot only do we all have an Empire, or a Kingdom, inside us, we have the ability to dig deep for the key. In self mastery this would reflect our abundance and gratitude for what we have, or our ability to extend our time horizon the future, or to discipline ourselves in ways of physical training, philosophical thinking and prayer. To keep your word and to pursue what matters, doing what helps your growth. Not in power over others, but over yourself. The power within. ",
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