All they would have wanted was to get home. To get free. To get safe.
There in that horrible fetid prison camp, you'd think that those soldiers would have done anything to leave. But no, they insisted on conditions. They held themselves to a standard. Led by future Admiral James Stockdale—himself just recently steeped in Stoic philosophy—the prisoners of war in Vietnam sought to conduct themselves with honor and insisted they would not return home without it.
So they resisted. They took care of each other. They suffered greatly rather than cooperate with the enemy or criticize their own government. They would not accept special treatment. They would not undermine each other. The idea, again, was to live—even in a prison, even under torture—in such way that when or if they did ever make it back, they could hold their heads high.
Now, hopefully, we will never be subjected to such a thing. But each of us leaves our house each day. Each of us is sent on missions, each of us does our stint in this situation or that one. The question is, then, will we return with honor? Or will we be changed and degraded by the circumstances? By our choices?
Marcus Aurelius' famous line about striving not to be "stained purple" was his own way of talking about returning with honor—he wanted to be able to leave public life with clean hands and a clean conscience. As we tell the story in Lives of the Stoics (signed copies here) Cato approached his job in Cyprus the same way—most Romans before him returned from the provinces with full pockets and shameful secrets. He returned honestly and with honor.
Again, what about you? Whatever you do, wherever you're going—today and in life—can you conduct yourself in such a way that you can return with honor? Let that be your standard: not just to make it back, but to make it back with your character intact.
This Week On The Daily Stoic Podcast:
The Heaviest Crown in America: The Quarterback's Throne | Seth Wickersham
In America, kings don't wear crowns, they wear helmets. Being an NFL quarterback is the ultimate crown and it never comes free. Today, award-winning journalist Seth Wickersham joins Ryan to pull back the curtain on football's most scrutinized position. They dive into why players can't walk away, the intense loneliness at the top, and how the pressure can consume a player's life.
Momentous delivers effective supplements built in collaboration with the best minds in human performance and made with meticulously sourced ingredients that are NSF Certified for Sport®️.
A core tenet of Stoic philosophy is living life with intentionality—adding life to your years, not just years to your life. Momentous Longevity is a first-of-its-kind formula that works from within to deliver a powerful approach to 5 core drivers of cellular performance, so you can live longer and better.
With six clinically-studied compounds—Niagen®️ Nicotinamide Riboside, NAC, Betaine, PQQ, Vitamin C, and B Vitamins—Longevity provides 360° cellular support for both brain and body, helping you sustain the strength, focus, and resilience that define Performance for Life™️.
Visit www.livemomentous.com and use code DAILYSTOIC for 35% off your first subscription order.
No comments:
Post a Comment