What, then, is such a soul? One which is resplendent with no external good, but only with its own. For what is more foolish than to praise in a man the qualities which come from without?
And what is more insane than to marvel at characteristics which may at the next instant be passed on to someone else? A golden bit does not make a better horse.
The lion with gilded mane, in process of being trained and forced by weariness to endure the decoration, is sent into the arena in quite a different way from the wild lion whose spirit is unbroken; the latter, indeed, bold in his attack, as nature wished him to be, impressive because of his wild appearance—and it is his glory that none can look upon him without fear—is favored in preference to the other lion, that languid and gilded brute.
And what is more insane than to marvel at characteristics which may at the next instant be passed on to someone else? A golden bit does not make a better horse.
The lion with gilded mane, in process of being trained and forced by weariness to endure the decoration, is sent into the arena in quite a different way from the wild lion whose spirit is unbroken; the latter, indeed, bold in his attack, as nature wished him to be, impressive because of his wild appearance—and it is his glory that none can look upon him without fear—is favored in preference to the other lion, that languid and gilded brute.
—from Seneca, Moral Letters 41
The greater a creature’s self-sufficiency, the greater its degree of perfection, and so the more it participates in the absolute perfection of God. As I learn to rely upon myself, looking to the excellence of my reason and will over the force of any circumstances, I am fanning that Divine spark, the greatest gift I could ever have been given.
I sometimes hear people say that Stoicism makes them feel “big” or “important”, and that’s a shame, because it would be far better to feel piety and gratitude. As much as I might take pride in what I have done with myself, it all came to be by tapping into something far superior.
It gives a whole new meaning to that old saying: “God helps those who help themselves.” I despised the phrase when I was unwilling to understand it, and now its lesson has become indispensable to me.
What I call the Stoic Turn, where we flip our priorities from the things beyond our power to the things within our power, must therefore also involve acting with Providence instead of against it.
Once I know what I was made for, I can also be at peace about why everything else was made; the many components are intended to work together.
When I wonder how a fellow can hold his head high through the thick or thin, I am forgetting that what he carries inside himself has transcended his outside conditions, and that he remains absolutely confident in the place of his nature within the entirety of Nature.
While the foolish man puts his trust in wealth, pleasure, or fame, the wise man defines himself by who he is, not by what happens to him. It can’t be enough to nod along approvingly, since putting the principle into practice demands a total reformation of values.
If you tell me how Stoicism is helping you to fulfill your goal of becoming a rock star, I’m afraid you might be missing the point.
The greater a creature’s self-sufficiency, the greater its degree of perfection, and so the more it participates in the absolute perfection of God. As I learn to rely upon myself, looking to the excellence of my reason and will over the force of any circumstances, I am fanning that Divine spark, the greatest gift I could ever have been given.
I sometimes hear people say that Stoicism makes them feel “big” or “important”, and that’s a shame, because it would be far better to feel piety and gratitude. As much as I might take pride in what I have done with myself, it all came to be by tapping into something far superior.
It gives a whole new meaning to that old saying: “God helps those who help themselves.” I despised the phrase when I was unwilling to understand it, and now its lesson has become indispensable to me.
What I call the Stoic Turn, where we flip our priorities from the things beyond our power to the things within our power, must therefore also involve acting with Providence instead of against it.
Once I know what I was made for, I can also be at peace about why everything else was made; the many components are intended to work together.
When I wonder how a fellow can hold his head high through the thick or thin, I am forgetting that what he carries inside himself has transcended his outside conditions, and that he remains absolutely confident in the place of his nature within the entirety of Nature.
While the foolish man puts his trust in wealth, pleasure, or fame, the wise man defines himself by who he is, not by what happens to him. It can’t be enough to nod along approvingly, since putting the principle into practice demands a total reformation of values.
If you tell me how Stoicism is helping you to fulfill your goal of becoming a rock star, I’m afraid you might be missing the point.
Just as a decorated mane won’t make the lion any fiercer, or lipstick won’t make the pig any prettier, so too the frivolous bells and whistles of life won’t make a man any better.
—Reflection written in in 1/2013
IMAGE: Roman mosaic, from Salakta, Tunisia (3rd century AD)
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