Who Will You Look For?

If you look out at the world right now, what you’ll see at first glance is a pretty terrible picture of desperation. Steep market declines. Fear. Panic. Unemployment. People in hospitals. Leaders who have fallen down on the job at every level of government, who actually feel no shame, saying things like, “I don't take responsibility at all.”But if you choose to be a bit more deliberate about how you look, you might see something else—a pretty amazing picture of dedication. Ryan describes why the way you choose to perceive things is so important on today's Daily Stoic Podcast.***If you enjoyed this week’s podcast, we’d love for you to leave a review on Apple Podcasts. It helps with our visibility, and the more people listen to the podcast, the more we can invest into it and make it even better. Sign up for the Daily Stoic email: http://DailyStoic.com/signupFollow Daily Stoic:Twitter: https://twitter.com/dailystoicInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/dailystoic/Facebook: http://facebook.com/dailystoicYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/dailystoicSee 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?

  Who will you look for? If you look out at the world right now, what you'll see is a pretty terrible picture. You'll see steep market declines. You'll see people out of work. You'll see people in hospitals and people who are afraid. You'll see leaders who fell down on the job at all levels of government, who actually feel no shame in saying things like, "I don't take responsibility at all." But if you choose to be a bit more deliberate about how you look, you might see something else. You'll see frontline responders who are working such long shifts with such dedication that their faces are creased with the indentations from their masks and shields. You'll see doctors staying away from their own families, exposing themselves to the virus as they treat countless

• 1:14Ryan Holiday?

  patients, just trying to make a difference. You'll see members of the armed forces stationed all over the world, helping people of all nationalities. You'll see people putting out supply depots in their front yards. You'll see ordinary folks checking on neighbors, supporting local businesses from afar, and staying home to help flatten the curve. So how will you choose to see the world today? Who will you look for and to? Which handle, to borrow Epictetus's phrase, will you choose to grab as you grapple with the reality of what is happening? Because one handle will make you despair, the other will give you hope. One inspires

• 1:56Ryan Holiday?

  you to be better, the other only makes you angry. When I was a boy and I would see scary things in the news, Mr. Rogers famously said, "My mother would say to me, 'Look for the helpers. You will all..." Always find people who are helping. There's a lot to be scared and disappointed about right now. There's a lot to be angry about, particularly at leaders who have betrayed our trust and neglected their duties. But there's also a lot to be encouraged about. The good thing about crises is that they are opportunities for heroes. They show the worst and the best in us. The Stoics remind us that we can only choose what we focus on.

• 2:36Ryan Holiday?

  We can choose what we see, and most important, we can choose whose example we are going to follow in, what picture we are going to help contribute to. Thanks for listening to the Daily Stoic Podcast. If you could leave us a review in iTunes, it helps a great deal. And of course, if you know anyone who would benefit from these messages, please spread the word. Thanks.