You Must Surrender

One way to read The Odyssey is that it’s a story of human perseverance. Odysseus is cunning and determined, he’s willing to do everything and anything to get back to Ithaca...and eventually, because of that, he finally does. That’s certainly the interpretation of Tennyson in his poem “Ulysses”:“We are not now that strength which in old days Moved earth and heaven, that which we are, we are; One equal temper of heroic hearts, Made weak by time and fate, but strong in will To strive, to seek, to find, and not to yield.”But there is also a way to read The Odyssey as illustrating the exact opposite lesson. Because basically every delay and impediment on Odysseus’s long journey home is completely his fault. He says he wants to get back to Ithaca, and then proceeds to constantly undermine himself. It’s only towards the end, when he finally stops and actually listens to the gods (most of whom favor him) that he quickly makes any real progress. In fact, they finally come out and tell him this when Odysseus tries to argue with their instructions for surviving Scylla and Charybdis (he wants to stand and fight, they tell him to dart through). “Goddess, please, tell me the truth, is there no other way?" Odysseus pleads. The goddess answers, "No, you fool! Your mind is still obsessed with deeds of war. But now you must surrender to the gods."Marcus Aurelius talked about practicing the “art of acquiescence.” Seneca and Epictetus spoke often about surrendering to fate—understanding that we are not in control, accepting that there is a larger plan for us spelled out in the logos. It seems like resignation, and it’s a very scary thing for us to try. So most people don’t. We refuse to yield, like Odysseus, and we never end up getting where we want to go. The concept of Amor Fati is quite paradoxical. It’s acceptance fused with determination. It’s the ability to go along and make the best of something—even if every ounce of your being would rather stand and fight. It seems crazy, but it works. Because there is more at work behind the scenes than we know. There is a bigger picture we cannot see. And even if there wasn’t, the universe is much stronger than we are. That’s why it’s better to flow with it than impotently resist it. 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?

  You must surrender. One way to read the Odyssey is that it's a story of human perseverance. Odysseus is cunning and determined. He's willing to do everything and anything to get back to Ithaca, and eventually, because of that, he finally does. That's certainly the interpretation of Tennyson in his poem Ulysses. "We are not now that strength which in old days moved earth and heaven; that which we are, we are, one equal temper of heroic hearts, made weak by time and fate, but strong in will to strive, to seek, to find, and not to yield."

• 1:09Ryan Holiday?

  But there is also a way to read the Odyssey as illustrating the exact opposite lesson, because basically, every delay and impediment on Odysseus's long journey is completely his fault. He says he wants to get back to Ithaca, and then proceeds to constantly undermine himself. It's only towards the end, when he finally stops and actually listens to the gods, most of whom who favor him, that he quickly makes any real progress. In fact, they finally come out and tell him this, when Odysseus tries to argue with their instructions for surviving Scylla and Charybdis. "He wants to stand and fight, they tell him, to dart through."

• 1:53Ryan Holiday?

  "Goddess, please tell me the truth," Odysseus pleads. "Is there no other way?" The goddess answers, "No, you fool, your mind is still obsessed with deeds of war, but now you must surrender to the gods."

• 2:10Ryan Holiday?

  About practicing the art of acquiescence. Seneca and Epictetus spoke often about surrendering to fate, understanding that we are not in control, accepting that there is a larger plan spelled out in the logos. It seems like resignation, and it's a very scary thing for us to try, so most people don't. We refuse to yield like Odysseus, and we will never end up getting where we want to go. The concept of amor fati is quite paradoxical. It's acceptance fused with determination. It's the ability to go along and make the best of something, even if every ounce in

• 2:53Ryan Holiday?

  our being would rather stand and fight. It seems crazy, but it works, because there is more at work behind the scenes than we know. There is a bigger picture we cannot see. And even if there wasn't, the universe is much stronger than we are, and that's why it's better to flow with it than impotently resist it. In exciting news, we now have an obstacle is the way pendant. If you want to carry this idea with you everywhere you go, it's a necklace you can wear. It says the obstacle is the way in the front. It has a mountain path carved through the steep mountain up to the top. And on the back, it has that quote from Marcus Aurelius, "The impediment to action advances

• 3:38Ryan Holiday?

  action. What stands in the way becomes the way." You can check it out at dailystoic.com/store.