The Stoics pointed out failures only to say: you are capable of better.
Consider one brilliant and inspiring part of Martin Luther King Jr.'s approach to civil rights. In the 1950s and '60s, he didn't simply point out how hypocritical and flawed the United States was. He didn't use his immense skill as an orator to paint a depressing, bleak picture.
Instead, he worked hard to capture the true essence of what America was supposed to be. He took the central beliefs of the founders, justice, freedom and equality, and said: we can live up to this. We can do this together. We are capable of better.
America didn't hear this message straight away. Large parts of the population didn't want to hear it at all. So King and his followers showed them. They took to the streets and, through the new medium of television, made it undeniable how far America had fallen short of its ideals. Faced with that spectacle, the country worked, little by little, to reach for the higher standard he set.
The Stoics took a similar tack. Unlike some philosophies that use logic to make life seem meaningless and small, the Stoics sought to inspire people to reach their full potential. They would point out failures, but only to make a larger point:
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Look at you. You're better than this. You can do more. You need to do more.
Marcus Aurelius said this to himself: you studied this philosophy your whole life, and now you're in a position of power. Live up to it. Make good on your promises. Be what your father hoped you could be.
Of course, it isn't easy. We will fall short along the way, sometimes embarrassingly so. It took hundreds of years for the equality promised in America's founding documents to be made real, and the work still isn't finished. We will fall short of our own ideals too, because we're human and the standards are high. As King put it:
MARTIN LUTHER KING JR.
“There is something of a civil war going on within all of our lives. There is a recalcitrant South of our soul revolting against the North of our soul. And there is this continual struggle within the very structure of every individual life.”
But we have to keep trying. Make some headway in that battle today. Then get up and do the same tomorrow.
TRY THIS TODAY
Write down one standard you once set for yourself and have let slip. Take one step back towards it today.
Much of what I've learned about Stoicism comes from Ryan Holiday. Find more of his writing at dailystoic.com and ryanholiday.net.
While I have edited much of this content, there are some cases where I have taken Ryan Holiday's words directly. I've included them because I think they are powerful and will be helpful for you. They are also helpful for me, and I've put them here so I can learn and understand more myself.
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