This is a Day About Love

Here we are on Christmas Eve once again. The last couple of years, we took time during this holiday to look at the beautiful symmetry between two of the greatest philosophers to ever live: Jesus and Seneca. It’s incredible to think that these two men were born in the same year, in similarly distant provinces of the Roman empire. Few would have expected the impact that both would have on the world. Nor would Seneca or Jesus have imagined how their journeys would mirror each others’: Both would be immensely popular in their own time, and long after. Both would run afoul of the powerful interests of their time. Both would be forced, in their final moments, to live their teachings—Jesus, on the cross, asking for forgiveness for the people who had wronged him. Seneca as he comforted his friends and family when Nero’s goons came to demand his suicide. Tacitus would note how long ago Seneca had made plans for such an ordeal, writing that “even in the height of his wealth and power he was thinking of his life’s close.” So too had Jesus. Because, despite their brilliance and their blessings, both these men—like us—were mortal. We could spend hours sitting and thinking about the remarkable similarities between Jesus and Seneca...and them and us. As much as life has changed in two thousand years, as unique and unprecedented as their circumstances were, it’s not that different than our lives today. Maybe that’s not a bad thing to spend some time thinking about tonight. Rather than focusing on what presents you’re going to get tomorrow, try to think of what you’re going to do with the gifts you were born with. Instead of thinking about what you’re going to eat, think about all the people without anything at all. Don’t think about your vacation. Think of this present moment, because it’s all you have. Take a minute to sit with some of the ideas from those two great men and what they learned about life and love:“And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony.” —Jesus“Nature bore us related to one another … She instilled in us a mutual love and made us compatible … Let us hold everything in common; we stem from a common source. Our fellowship is very similar to an arch of stones, which would fall apart, if they did not reciprocally support each other.” —Seneca“This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.” —Jesus“Hecato, says: ‘I can show you a philtre, compounded without drugs, herbs, or any witch's incantation: If you would be loved, love.’ Now there is great pleasure.” —Seneca“But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return, and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, for he is kind to the ungrateful and the evil.” —Jesus “Wherever there is a human being, there is an opportunity for a kindness.” —SenecaWhether you’re a Christian or a Stoic, today is a good day to remember that these ideas are not just something to “believe.” They’re something you do. You have to put the words, whether they are Seneca’s or Jesus’, to work. You have to live them. Not just with your crazy family, not just on Christmas, but every day of your life. Happy Holidays! 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.

• 0:29Ryan Holiday?

  Here we are on Christmas Eve once again. The last couple of years, we took time on this day and on Christmas Day to look at the beautiful symmetry between two of the greatest philosophers to ever live, Jesus and Seneca. And maybe that's not a bad way to spend some time on Christmas Eve or over the holidays. It's incredible to think that these two men were born in the same year in similarly distant provinces of the Roman Empire. Few would have expected the impact that both would have on the world, nor would Seneca or Jesus have imagined how their journeys would mirror each other. Both would be immensely popular in their own time and long after. Both would run afoul of the powerful interests

• 1:14Ryan Holiday?

  of their time. Both would be forced in their final moments to live their teachings: Jesus on the cross, asking for forgiveness for the people who had wronged him; Seneca, as he comforted his friends and family when Nero's goons came to demand his suicide. Tacitus would note how long ago Seneca had made plans for such an ordeal, writing that "even in the height of his wealth and power, he was thinking of his life's close." So too had Jesus. Because despite their brilliance and their blessings, both these men, like us, were mortal. We could spend hours sitting and thinking about the remarkable similarities

• 1:54Ryan Holiday?

  between Jesus and Seneca, and them, and us. As much as life has changed in 2,000 years, as unique and unprecedented as their circumstances were, it's not that different from our lives today. And maybe that's not a bad thing to spend some Time on this Christmas today, thinking about, rather than thinking about what presents you're going to get, try to think of what you're going to do with the gifts you were born with. Instead of thinking about what you're going to eat, think about all the people without anything at all. Don't think about your vacation. Think of this present moment because it's all you have. Take a minute to sit with some of the ideas from these great men and what they learned about life and love. And above all these, put on

• 2:38Ryan Holiday?

  love which binds everything together in perfect harmony, Jesus said. Nature bore us related to one another. She instilled in us a mutual love and made us compatible. Let us hold everything in common. We stem from a common source. Our fellowship is very similar to an arch of stones, which would fall apart if they did not reciprocally support each other, Seneca said. This is my commandment that you love one another as I have loved you, Jesus said. Wherever there is a human being, there is an opportunity for kindness, Seneca said. But love your enemies and do good and lend expecting nothing in return, and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, for He is kind

• 3:21Ryan Holiday?

  to the ungrateful and the evil, Jesus said. So whether you're a Christian or a Stoic, today is a good day to remember that these ideas are not just something to believe, they are something to do. You have to put the words, whether they are Seneca's or Jesus's, to work. You have to live them, not just with your crazy family, not just on Christmas, but every day of your life. Happy holidays from Daily Stoic. Hey, everyone. I just wanted to invite you to do the 21-day New Year, New You Daily Stoic Challenge that we're starting. We know, as Epictetus said, that the real delight comes from focusing on our own improvement day to day, on doing the work, on doing the

• 4:05Ryan Holiday?

  training we know to be the person we want to be. Well, you can do that with our new Daily Stoic New Year, New You Challenge. It's started very soon, so check it out, dailystoic.com/challenge.