You Can Never Undo This

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1:04Welcome to the Daily Stoic podcast, where each day we bring you a passage of ancient wisdom designed to help you find strength, insight, and wisdom in everyday life. Each one of these passages is based on the 2 ,000-year-old philosophy that has guided some of history's greatest men and women. For more, you can visit us at DailyStoic.com.

1:31You can never undo this. Maybe the secretary was incompetent. Maybe Hadrian was working himself inhumanely hard. Maybe the stakes were extremely high, that lives were hanging in the balance on the dispatch that was being prepared. Maybe anyone would have snapped. In any case, Hadrian did snap. In anger and frustration, he not only snapped and yelled, but he grabbed a stylus off the desk and he stabbed his secretary in the eye with it. Hadrian had the power of life and death in a time when staff and slaves were expendable. So, in this fit of rage, he used it. Still, it was shocking and horrifying to all who witnessed it.

2:08Even Hadrian seemed to understand that he had crossed a line. Begging for the man's forgiveness later, he offered favors or money or a promotion. Galen, Marcus Aurelius' doctor, would write later that when the man was told he could have anything he wanted, the man promptly replied that he would like his eye back. for what gift could provide compensation for the loss of an eye, Galen asked. The truth is nothing can undo what we do out of anger. We can't take back what we said. We can't turn back the clock on the harm we've inflicted or the mistakes that we have made. This is why Seneca wrote his famous essay on anger, which we actually carry in The Painted Porch.

2:45He said, the only cure for anger is prevention, stopping yourself before you do the thing that you regret, before you take away something that even the most powerful person cannot replace. You must tame your temper before it is too late. And this idea of taming your temper, conquering yourself, right? So you don't do things that you regret. So you don't hurt other people. This is the idea behind the tame your temper challenge we have here at Daily Stoic. One of, I think, the best things that Stoicism can teach us is how to manage extreme and destructive emotions like our anger problem. And as I say, you might not have an anger problem, but anger is a problem for all of us.

3:24It's a big part of what we talk about in the Tame at Your Temper course. 10 days of challenges, exercises, video lessons, and bonus tools based on Stoic philosophy. Materials to help you deal with your anger in a constructive manner. We will give you the tools that you need, not just to manage your anger, but to leave it in the past so you can focus on what's important. Living a virtuous and fulfilling life. You can learn the wisdom of the great thinkers and leaders of history through this course, Marcus Aurelius, Seneca, Abraham Lincoln, even Mr. Rogers, and many others. You'll be able to use our unique exercises to break free from the cage that anger has built around you and see the world and yourself in a new light.

4:05Each day, you'll be able to watch a new video from me, Ryan Holiday, author of The Obstacles The Way, Ego Is The Enemy, Stillness Is The Key, and of course, The Daily Stoic, as I explain the ideas behind the words and shed light on the path that you're on, but that I am also on. Because again, we are all struggling to tame our temper and we will all be better if we can get closer to that. Being able to control your anger is a difficult but worthwhile goal. It will take time and effort, won't be free, but by changing your perspective and developing techniques to control your temper, it will ultimately be achievable and life-changing.

4:41So take the first step on the path to a calmer and more fulfilling future, check out Taming Your Temper, the 10-Day Stoic Guide to Controlling Your Anger. You can click the link below or you can just go to dailystoic.com slash anger.

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