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BONUS | A Selfish Reason To Be Good

The Daily Stoic | Wondery+

Hosted by Ryan Holiday

2m
Transcript

Original podcast

Summary

Written by a model from the transcript; not yet reviewed.

This episode of the podcast explores the idea that doing wrong or acting unjustly inherently harms the perpetrator, drawing on insights from Marcus Aurelius and Seneca. The host explains that wrongdoing, such as lying or seeking revenge, rarely brings the expected satisfaction and instead leaves people feeling sick or full of anxiety. By recognizing that immoral behavior ultimately hurts oneself first, listeners can use self-awareness as a powerful deterrent against bad actions.

  • Recognize that doing wrong or acting unjustly ultimately harms yourself first. 1:35
  • Reflect on how wrongdoing actually makes you feel instead of expecting catharsis. 2:11
  • Use the uncomfortable feelings associated with wrongdoing as a powerful deterrent against bad actions. 2:57

Highlights

  • 1:35

    Wrongdoing Harms Oneselfinsight

    A speaker reads from Marcus Aurelius about how the person who does wrong makes themselves evil and hurts themselves.

  • 2:19

    Physical Reality of Crimedata

    The host notes there is a reason that there is often vomit at crime scenes, highlighting the sickness of bad actions.

  • 2:57

    A Selfish Deterrentstrategy

    The host suggests putting yourself in touch with the negative feelings of wrongdoing as a practical deterrent.

Quotes

  • “The person who does wrong, does wrong to themselves.”
    Unnamed speaker · 1:35
  • “The unjust person is unjust to themselves, making themselves evil.”
    Unnamed speaker · 1:39
  • “The next time you do something wrong, try to remember how it made you feel.”
    Ryan Holiday · 2:11
  • “If you need a selfish reason not to do wrong, put yourself in touch with these feelings.”
    Ryan Holiday · 2:57
  • Indeed 0:16–1:13
  • Daily Stoic 3:09–3:37
  • Humana 3:47–4:16

About this episode

“The person who does wrong, does wrong to themselves. The unjust person is unjust to themselves—making themselves evil.” —Marcus Aurelius, Meditations https://store.dailystoic.com/collections/stoic-works/products/meditations-marcus-aurelius-premium-leather-edition-gregory-hays-translation, 9.4 Thenew 10th Anniversary Edition of https://store.dailystoic.com/pages/the-daily-stoic-10The Daily Stoic https://store.dailystoic.com/pages/the-daily-stoic-10https://store.dailystoic.com/pages/the-daily-stoic-10is out NOW! 👉 Grabhttps://store.dailystoic.com/pages/the-daily-stoic-10your copy here: https://store.dailystoic.com/pages/the-daily-stoic-10 🎟️https://www.dailystoiclive.com/DAILY STOIC LIVE https://www.dailystoiclive.com/| Ryan Holiday is coming to a city near you https://www.dailystoiclive.com/! Grab tickets here https://www.dailystoiclive.com/ | https://www.dailystoiclive.com/ 🎙️AD-FREE https://dailystoic.supercast.com/| Support the podcast and go deeper into Stoicism by subscribing toThe Daily Stoic Premium https://dailystoic.supercast.com/ - unlock ad-free listening, early access, and bonus content:https://dailystoic.supercast.com/ ✉️ FREE STOIC WISDOM https://dailystoic.com/dailyemail | Want Stoic wisdom delivered to your inbox daily? Sign up for the FREE Daily Stoic email athttps://dailystoic.com/dailyemail -- Stop online threats before they become real-world attacks. Visit ironwall.com/DAILYSTOIC and request a free Risk Assessment to see exactly how exposed your executives are. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy https://acast.com/privacy for more information.

Transcript

0:00
2:31

634 words · 4 speakers

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

Topics

  • Meditations

Page updated · transcript and summary are machine-generated