| We don't know what Antoninus said to the customs officer in Tusculum, but we know it was something that stuck with Marcus Aurelius. Can we guess that it was something kind? Something patient? Something decent? From Antoninus, we should expect nothing less. Why else would Marcus have noted it in Meditations as an example of something he admired. It wouldn't have been Antoninus losing his temper at someone, acting like some Karen who had been wronged. No, it was probably something more like the story we know about Cato, who traveling ahead of his baggage train was received rudely by the town who did not recognize the powerful dignitary in front of them. Cato shrugged the slight off and went about his business and when the town's mayor came later to apologize, Cato smiled and reminded him to treat strangers better. Not all your visitors will be Cato's, he said. In Right Thing, Right Now (which is available for preorder…right now), there is a story in the "Be Decent" chapter about the famed lawyer Clarence Darrow. He and his son had gotten terrible service in the dining car of a railroad that Darrow had once represented. "Will you report him to the Chicago and North Western when you get back?" his son asked about the waiter. "No, no, son," his father said, brushing off the slight. "Never hurt a man who is working for his living." How we treat the little guy says a lot about us. How we treat the gate agent at the airline. How we treat the customer service representative. How we treat the waiter and the barista. This says a lot about us. Even when, perhaps especially when, they aren't treating us well. Can we control our emotions? Can we contain our frustration? Can we remember that they are almost certainly having a hard time too? That no amount of yelling at someone making an hourly wage will make a plane appear or fix a stupid corporate policy? We all have bad days…which means other people have bad days, too. We should strive to be patient. We should strive to understand. We should try to be Cato's and Antoninus' and Darrow's—be the bigger person, be worthy of the wealth or responsibility or power we have. We're not better than anyone, but we can try to be the bigger person. That's what justice is, after all. It's about how we treat others and the standards we hold ourselves to. Even if no one is watching…even if "this call is being recorded for quality assurance purposes." This idea of lowercase justice being just as valuable as the Justice System is one of the main themes of Ryan Holiday's newest book Right Thing, Right Now… The book is not a series of political statements or admonishments about all that is wrong with the world, but a book full of practical strategies about how to be a bigger person and respond to others with patience and kindness. How to treat the little guy with decency and respect. How to stand up for what you believe in. How to be your own referee in the game of life. If you've gotten anything out of these emails over the years, it would mean a lot if you supported this book. Preorders make a huge difference for authors (and bookstores) when trying to get a book off the ground. Because we'd like to encourage you to do so, we have some exciting preorder bonuses like a signed page from the original manuscript (full of Ryan's handwritten changes) and a special welcome video from Ryan explaining how writing the book changed him as a writer, plus a preview of his next book on wisdom. We also worked with the publisher to do an initial run of signed, numbered first-editions—we're getting close to running out of these, so grab yours while supplies last! We also have unsigned copies of the book cheaper than Amazon, too. Head here to preorder Right Thing, Right Now and learn how to receive your bonuses TODAY! *** | 
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