How To Always Be Well

In one of his letters, Seneca tells us of an old Roman pleasantry that friends would exchange when greeting each other: “If you are well,” one would say after inquiring how someone was doing, “it is well and I am also well.” It’s a nice little custom, isn’t it? If you’re good, I’m good, and everything is good. Nothing else matters. But of course, because this is Seneca, he couldn’t just leave it there. In fact, telling us about this old expression was just a device to make a point. A better way to say it, he writes, is “‘If you are studying philosophy, it is well.’ For this is just what ‘being well’ means. Without philosophy the mind is sickly, and the body, too, though it may be very powerful, is strong only as that of a madman or a lunatic is strong.”The point is that to the Stoics, the practice and study of philosophy was the only way to make sure all was well, no matter what was happening in the world. At war like Marcus Aurelius? Study philosophy in your tent at night. Unable to submit to Caesar’s tyranny like Cato? Read a little Socrates before your dramatic suicide. Shot down over Vietnam like James Stockdale? Say to yourself, as he did, “I am leaving the world of technology and entering the world of Epictetus.” As in…even in a POW camp, I can still practice and pursue philosophy…and be well for it! Nobody knows what the day or the week has in store for us. As much as we take care of ourselves and eat well, so much of our health is outside of our control. But the one way we can make sure that we are always well, that we are always getting better (mentally, spiritually, if not physically) is by the books we read, the questions we ponder, and the conversations we have. Now get studying! 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.

• 0:06Ryan Holiday?

  Welcome to The Daily Stoic, where each day we read a short passage designed to help you cultivate the strength, insight, wisdom necessary for living the good 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.

• 0:28Ryan Holiday?

  How to Always Be Well. In one of his letters, Seneca tells us of an old Roman pleasantry that friends would exchange when greeting each other. "If you are well," one would say after inquiring how someone was, "it is well, and I am also well." It's a nice little custom, isn't it? "If you're good, I'm good, and everything is good. Nothing else matters." But of course, because this was Seneca, he couldn't just leave it there. In fact, telling us about this old expression was just a device to make a point. A better way to say it, he writes, is, "If you are studying philosophy, it is well. For this is just what being well means. Without philosophy, the mind is sickly, and the body too, though

• 1:13Ryan Holiday?

  it may be very powerful, is strong only as that of a madman or a lunatic is strong." The point is that, to the Stoics, the practice and study of philosophy was the only way to make sure all was well, no matter what was happening in the world. At war, like Marcus Aurelius, study philosophy in your tent at night. Unable to submit to Caesar's tyranny like Cato, weed a little Socrates before your dramatic suicide. Shot down over Vietnam like James Stockdale, say to yourself, as he did, "I am leaving the world of technology and entering the world of Epictetus," as in, "Even in a POW camp, I can still practice

• 1:57Ryan Holiday?

  and pursue philosophy and be well for it." Nobody knows what the day or the week has in store for us. As much as we take care of ourselves and eat well, so much of our health is outside of our control. But the one way we can make sure that we are always well, and that we are always getting better mentally, spiritually, if not physically, is by the books we read, the questions we ponder, and the conversations we have. Now get studying.

• 2:25Ryan Holiday?

  If you like the podcast that we do here and you want to get it via email every morning, you can sign up at dailystoic.com/email.

• 2:36Ryan Holiday?

  Thank you.