This Was The Difference (and it makes ALL the difference)

Marcus Aurelius and his son Commodus shared the same DNA. They, like all fathers and sons, probably shared some of the same tendencies and weaknesses. So how did they turn out so differently? 🎟️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 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy https://acast.com/privacy for more information.

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

• 0:00Ryan Holiday?

  I was at someone's home gym the other day and they had a tonal. And I was like, man, that thing is nice. I gotta get me one of those. It's hard to go to the gym. It's discouraging. Even if you get yourself there, the results can be discouraging. But with tonal, you can actually see your progress with every workout and you can do it without leaving your house. Tonal is the ultimate strength training system for a reason. Tonal provides the convenience of a full gym and the guidance of a personal trainer at home in one sleek system. And you don't have to second guess your form. Are you doing it right? Are you accidentally taking shortcuts? Tonal gives you real time coaching cues to dial in your form and help you lift safely and effectively.

• 0:41Ryan Holiday?

  After a quick assessment, Tonal sets the optimal weight for every move and increases it in one pound increments to get you stronger. As I said, it's ratcheting up the physical load, but reducing the mental load. You can choose from expert led workouts in strength training or high intensity interval training or yoga or mobility. You'll love it. Right now, Tonal is offering our listeners 200 bucks off your Tonal purchase with promo code TDS. That's tonal.com and use promo code TDS for $200 off your purchase. Tonal.com TDS 200 bucks off. Welcome to the Daily Stoic Podcast, designed to help bring those four key Stoic virtues, courage, discipline, justice, and wisdom into the real world.

• 1:27Ryan Holiday?

  This was the difference, and it makes all the difference. Marcus Aurelius and his son Commodus shared the same DNA. They, like all fathers and sons, probably shared some of the same tendencies and weaknesses too. They both knew from an early age that they would hold power. So how did they turn out so differently? Well, Hadrian selected for Marcus Aurelius some of the greatest minds of antiquity to be his teachers and advisors. Hadrian gifted Marcus a stepfather whom he admired and listened to in Antoninus. Marcus, we're told by historians from his time, tried to do the same for Commodus. He selected the best men in the Senate to guide him.

• 2:11Ryan Holiday?

  He tried to be what Antoninus had been for him. The difference was that Marcus Aurelius continued to listen to his advisors. Commodus eventually stopped. We've said recently that it's okay to be inexperienced, to have flaws, to not know things. So long as you surround yourself with people who are experienced, who compensate for those weaknesses, who teach you. But Commodus is a reminder that there is another step. You have to be willing to listen to those people and to continue to listen to those people. You can lead a horse to water, as they say, but you can't make it drink. Someone can have all the tools, all the talent, all the potential in the world.

• 2:55Ryan Holiday?

  But realizing that potential depends on humility, depends on doing real work. Will you do it?

• 3:18Speaker 01

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