Are You Too Much Of A Coward? | Where Philosophy Begins

0:00You probably heard the headlines about all the different cuts to foreign aid and food benefits. This is having a profound impact on the world's poorest people and the world's poorest communities. But, you know, just hearing about that, that's not what stoicism is about. Stoicism is, to me, what you're going to do about it. And that's where GiveWell comes in. GiveWell is trusted by tens of thousands of donors each year because they provide free and independent research that helps you understand how to have a big impact. GiveWell has spent the last 18 years researching global health and poverty alleviation, and they direct funding to the highest impact opportunities.

0:39Over 150 ,000 donors have already trusted GiveWell to give more than$2.5 billion over the last several years, and research suggests that these donations will save over 300 ,000 lives. I myself am one of those donors. I donate to GiveWell every year. It means a lot to me. And you can find all their research and recommendations on their site for free. And thanks to the donors that sponsor this research, GiveWell doesn't take a cut from your tax-deductible donation to their recommended funds. And if this is your first gift through GiveWell, you can have your donation matched up to$100 before the end of the year or as long as matching funds last.

1:13To claim your match, go to GiveWell.org and pick Daily Stoic from the drop-down menu under podcast. That's how they know that you heard about GiveWell from the Daily Stoic and you'll get your donation matched. That's GiveWell.org, code the Daily Stoic to donate or find out more. Look, if you're listening to this podcast, you've probably heard of HelloFresh, right? They're the number one meal kit in America. They make home cooking easier with chef-crafted recipes and fresh ingredients delivered straight to your door. This fall, they're serving up even more to love. It's not the HelloFresh you remember.

1:46It's even better. HelloFresh is bigger. They've doubled their menu. You can choose up to 100 options each week. It's healthier. You can choose from 15 plus high protein recipes, and they now help you eat greener with veggie packed recipes that have two or more veggies per week. And it's tastier. You can get steak and seafood recipes delivered every week for no extra cost. They have three times the seafood options. They also have hearty fall recipes like classic beef chili or honey glazed pork tenderloin. We just got home from a week away. We're trying to think about what we're going to eat this week.

2:20It was such a relief to see that HelloFresh box sitting on our doorstep when we got home. They've got everything you need for the recipe that they pick out. There's no last minute trips to the store. Plus, the meals are delicious and easy to make. The best way to cook just got better. Go to HelloFresh.com slash stoic10fm to get 10 free meals plus free breakfast for life. One box with active subscription. Free meals applied as a discount on the first box. New subscribers only varies by plan. That's HelloFresh.com, Stoic 10 FM, to get 10 free meals plus free breakfast for life.

2:57Welcome to the Daily Stoic Podcast. On Friday, we do double duty, not just reading our daily meditation, but also reading a passage from the Daily Stoic, my book, 366 Meditations on Wisdom, Perseverance, and the Art of Living, which I wrote with my wonderful collaborator, translator, and literary agent, Stephen Hanselman. So today we'll give you a quick meditation from the Stoics with some analysis from me, and then we'll send you out into the world to turn these words into works.

3:36Are you too much of a coward? It's good that you're tough. It's good that you're a fighter, maybe even trained in wrestling, as so many of the Stoics were. It's good that you're a risk taker, that you've put yourself out there, pushed through fear and doubt to do what others are afraid to do. But it's important that you don't forget that there is much more to the virtue of courage than just this. There's a great song that talks about being too much of a coward to admit when you are in need. Marcus Rius makes a similar note to himself in meditations, reminding himself that even the bravest toughest soldiers sometimes have to reach a hand up and ask a comrade for help what of it he basically says that's part of the job too stoicism is not just invulnerability if such a thing exists stoicism is having the self-awareness to know when you are struggling it's having the courage to admit when you could use a hand it's having the wisdom not to pretend that you know the answer you can't learn what you think you already know, Epictetus says.

4:31It takes daring and toughness to go to therapy, perhaps more than just white knuckling it does. It's a brave thing to share your struggles with a friend or hire a coach or an expert to help you get better at something. It takes a confident person to ask a question or admit, I don't know. Don't be like the cowards who are too fragile or fearful to do this. Be truly courageous. That's obviously the idea behind Courage is Calling, my book on the first of the Stoic Virtues, which, you know, it's been a good time talking about courage is not just running into a burning building or, you know, betting it all on some crazy idea.

5:07It's also asking for help. It's being vulnerable. It's sharing, opening up all that stuff. So if you haven't read Courage is Calling yet, I think you'll like it.

5:24I got an amazing night's sleep last night. One, because my six-year-old fell asleep in the car at like six o 'clock and he transferred him from the car seat to the bed and it stuck, which is just magic. So he's in bed way earlier than normal. But I sleep really well every night because I have a 8 Sleep Pod 5 Ultra, which is 8 Sleep's best product. I've used 8 Sleep for many years now and it's just totally transformed how I sleep, made me sleep better, made my wife sleep better. It's amazing. So basically, Eight Sleep is this topper that goes over your mattress. It can heat and cool both sides separately.

6:04It can raise and lower each side separately. So it helps you fall asleep faster, stay asleep, and then wake up better. Eight Sleep buzzes me to wake gently every morning, as opposed to some loud blaring alarm. And then I can check the app and it tells me my sleep score. It even helps me optimize my day based on how I slept. If you want to survive the holidays like a pro and just generally sleep better, head over to 8sleep.com slash Daily Stoic and use code Daily Stoic to get$350 off your very own Pod 5 Ultra. The best part is you still get 30 days to try it at home and return it if you don't like it.

6:44But I know you will. Trust me, your body will thank you for this investment in better sleep, shipping to many countries worldwide. See details at eightsleep.com slash dailystoic.

7:00Where philosophy begins. This is the March 1st entry in the Daily Stoic. Today's quote, it's from Epictetus' Discourses. This ends our streak of like five weeks of Marcus Aurelius entries in a row. I swear the book actually is a mix of quotes. Just a coincidence, I guess. but this is from Epictetus' Discourses 126. An important place to begin in philosophy is this, a clear perception of one's own ruling principle. Philosophy is intimidating. Where does one start? With books? With lectures? With the sale of your worldly possessions? None of these things. Epictetus is saying that one becomes a philosopher when they begin to exercise their guiding reason and start to question the emotions and beliefs and even the language that others take for granted.

7:57It is thought that an animal has self-awareness when it is able to fully recognize itself in a mirror. Perhaps we could say that we begin our own journey into philosophy when we become aware of the ability to analyze our own minds. Can you start with that step today? When you do, you'll find that from it, we really come alive, that we live lives, to paraphrase Socrates, that are actually worth living. It's funny, as I was reading this, I was thinking the other thing from Socrates. Socrates has two famous encounters with the oracle of Delphi. The first one says, is there any man wiser than Socrates?

8:41And the Delphi says, no. I was actually just reading Emily Wilson's fascinating little biography of Socrates. And she says, one way to think about this is that actually the Delphi was saying, there's no one wiser than Socrates. Not that Socrates is wiser, that the Delphi was saying basically, or that the oracle was basically saying everyone is dumb and not very wise, but that's neither here nor there. The thing that Socrates takes from the oracle that he basically founds his philosophical thinking and practice around, which the Stoics love and admire and talk about so much and ultimately sort of trace their lineage back to.

9:20Socrates takes his cue from a famous inscription at the Oracle, the one that says, know thyself. And I think that's what Epictetus is saying here. When we have the ability, the philosophy starts at home. It starts by knowing the self, by asking the self questions, by getting in touch with this power we have, which is our rational mind. And also understanding, I think, that we are not always inherently rational, right? And so, of course, philosophy is also big theoretical questions and it requires enormous brain power and study. But it also, I think, starts somewhere much simpler, much more accessible.

10:07What we're doing here in this podcast, what we do in the books, what we do by just thinking about this stuff and asking ourselves questions. Questioning what we think. Questioning other people. That's what Socrates did. He went around and he asked questions. And he asked questions about those answers and he kept going and going and going. He didn't necessarily get to an answer exactly, but he did somehow get to some clarity in that. And even, you know, to go back to the thing about is anyone wiser than Socrates, right? Socrates gets this sort of enigmatic answer and he just goes and he asks. And he has to think about himself too.

10:56he goes, I don't feel wise. I don't think that I'm smarter than other people. So why would I be considered potentially the wisest man in Athens? And that's where he slowly eventually comes to this realization that maybe the wisdom, maybe his superpower is that he knows what he doesn't know, or he knows that he knows little. And from this place of intellectual humility, but fundamentally from this place of self-awareness, the ability to examine himself, to put himself up to the test, to know himself. That's where his wisdom began. That's what it was all about. And to me, that's such a great entry point into Stoic philosophy and a great entry point into to the month of March.

11:52Hopefully the weather is warming up where you are. Hopefully things are getting better. Hopefully you're coming out of maybe that winter funk a little bit. I'll give you one. Knowing that I tend to get a little depressed in the winter, then I get grouchy and that the longer it goes on, just when I feel like I can't keep doing this, I got to make major changes in my life, the seasons start to shift and suddenly I feel better. I got more energy. like there's light at the end of the tunnel, all of that. It's going, oh, okay. And then it's only somewhat recently after being alive for three plus decades that I have the awareness to go, oh, that's a force that's operating on me here.

12:31That's changing and influencing and directing my opinions, my emotions, my actions, my aversions and desires. And hopefully I'll be a little better at that this year. Talk to y 'all soon.

13:01Thanks so much for listening. If you could rate this podcast and leave a review on iTunes, that would mean so much to us and it would really help the show. We appreciate it and I'll see you next episode. My family owns a 2023 Toyota 4Runner, and honestly, it's my favorite vehicle that I've ever owned. Around town, it's smooth and reliable, but where it really shines is on our trips into the backcountry. We've taken it on backpacking adventures to Colorado and New Mexico, loaded it up with gear, and never had to think twice about whether it could handle the terrain. That's what Toyota trucks are built for.

13:34Off-road confidence, rugged durability, and the freedom to explore. Toyota has a long history with the outdoor community, and they're committed to helping more people get out there and experience what nature has to offer. From remote trails to scenic byways, Toyota Trucks empowers you to take the detour, roam freely, and discover places that still feel wild and untouched. And they're not just making great trucks, they're working to expand access to adventure so more people can connect with the outdoors and pass that passion on to the next generation. Discover your uncharted territory. Learn more at toyota.com slash trucks slash adventure dash detours.

14:06That's toyota.com slash trucks slash adventure dash detours. You hear that? That's not just a Toyota truck. That's the sound of no crowds, no alerts, no distractions, and no telling what you'll find next. You know, like a detour. so why would you ever take a tour when you could take a detour Toyota Trucks