This Is How You Strengthen Your Soul

According to the great Jesuit Monk Anthony DeMello, there are three intellectual feats that we struggle with on a regular basis, that are harder than just about any physical activity on the planet. Just three. They are, he said, in this order:Returning love for hate. Including the excluded. Admitting you are wrong.✉️ Want Stoic wisdom delivered to your inbox daily? Sign up for the FREE Daily Stoic email at https://dailystoic.com/dailyemail🏛 Get Stoic inspired books, medallions, and prints to remember these lessons at the Daily Stoic Store: https://store.dailystoic.com/📱 Follow us: Instagram, Twitter, YouTube, TikTok, and Facebook See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info. 📢 Share | ⚙️ Manage Subscription

Speaker names marked ? are inferred from speaking time and the show’s known hosts — they are not voice-verified.

• 0:03Ryan Holiday?

  Welcome 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, dailystoic.com.

• 0:27Ryan Holiday?

  According to the great Jesuit monk Anthony de Mayo, there are three intellectual feats that we struggle with on a regular basis that are harder than just about any physical activity on the planet. Just three. They are, he said, in this order: Returning love for hate, including the excluded, admitting you are wrong. This is not a modern affliction. De Mayo, while certainly observing the world he was trying to serve, was also tapping in to an ancient idea with which the Stoics would have wholly agreed. Three more quotes. If you must be affected by other people's misfortunes, show them pity instead of contempt. Drop this readiness to hate. That's Epictetus.

• 1:12Ryan Holiday?

  No school has more goodness and gentleness. None has more love for human beings, nor more attention to the common good. The goal which it assigns to us is to be useful, to help others, and to take care not only of ourselves, but of everyone in general, and of each one in particular. That's Seneca. If anyone can refute me, show me I'm making a mistake or looking at things from the wrong perspective. I'll gladly change. It's the truth I'm after, and the truth never harmed anyone. What harms us is to persist in self-deceit and ignorance. That's Marcus Aurelius. Remember: Returning love for hate, including the excluded, admitting you are wrong. If you were weak and looking to get stronger physically,

• 1:57Ryan Holiday?

  you'd go to the gym. You'd hire a trainer. You'd watch videos to learn new exercises. You'd work at it. That's how muscles are built. If you were ignorant and looking to get smarter or sharper mentally, you'd read books. You'd hire a tutor, you'd play brain games and solve puzzles. You'd work at it. That's how knowledge is accumulated and intellect is built. Today, think about how you might strengthen your soul. Search for ways to be kinder, more inclusive, and more open-minded. Build your spirit like you would sculpt your body or fill your mind. You can be the light that you yourself sometimes need. There are fewer of those than any other type, which makes it more important. So work on that today.

• 2:40Ryan Holiday?

  Returning love for hate, including the excluded, admitting you are wrong.

• 2:54Ryan Holiday?

  Thanks for listening to the Daily Stoic Podcast. Just a reminder, we've got signed copies of all my books in the Daily Stoic store. You can get them personalized, you can get them sent to a friend. The Obstacle is the Way, He Goes the Enemy, Stillness is the Key, the leather-bound edition of the Daily Stoic, we have them all in the Daily Stoic store, which you can check out at store.dailystoic.com.