I subscribe to the Daily Stoic. I try to practice it like religion, even though it says not to because that would be unreasonable.
In light of my own past circumstances, and the ones naturally coming up I found myself feeling punished for being successful. However, in true stoic-fashion bemoaning my problems doesn’t make them better so I resolved to pick my damn-self up and realize that whatever is going on, is just going on and it’s temporary. Then this came across….
“It was today in Central Belgium some 203 years ago that the more than 100,000 crack British, Dutch, Belgian, and Prussian troops defeated a resurgent Napoleon and his army of 72,000 for the last time in the Battle of Waterloo. It was a magnificent victory, one that finally put France’s explosion of violence, destruction, and ambition to an end. And yet the now immortal words uttered by Wellington as his crowning achievement developed on the battlefield in front of him were simply, “There is nothing so bad as a battle won except a battle lost.”
This comment was in part a deprecation of the horrors of war. Wellington had lost a lot of friends in that battle (and saw some 48,000 soldiers on both sides killed or wounded). But it was also a comment that captures a larger Stoic theme—that great victories, accomplishments, and honors take a toll. Seneca would point to successful people with their mansions, their lofty perches in public life, the hard-won fame of their name, and remind his friends that these things were not free. No, he said, they come at the cost of life.
Not quite literal life as it did in Wellington’s case, but close to it. The fortune of a lawyer, Seneca would want us to remember, came from long hours arguing in courtrooms—hours away from their family, away from philosophy, from serving the common good. The power of a politician comes from the hours spent in backrooms making deals and assembling coalitions of supporters often solely for personal gain and ego. Seneca himself knew this all too well, he knew what his power and influence had cost him. And of course, spending the time and losing is hardly to be preferred to spending the time and winning—that was Wellington’s point. A battle won is better than a battle lost…but only by so much.
It’s far better—and something we each need to think about today with our bitter turf wars and grandiose ambitions alike—to make sure every battle that can be avoided is avoided. Do we need to chase this or that just because other people are? Must we accept an opportunity simply because it’s offered? Is competition a sign that’s something is valuable or not? Why am I fighting over this? Do I need to be?
Because sometimes the only thing close to as bad as not getting what you wanted is getting everything you ever wanted.”
Wow. I said. F~~~ing wow. That captured the foundation of what I was thinking “what the hell did I do to deserve such treatment?” Then it dawned on me “you are as successful as you are because you incurred a debt. A debt to yourself and to the others who supported you. This is the debt being called due.”
As bleak as it is, from the other side of the fence people are always going to want what they don’t have or think they can get from you because they think they are losing the battle if they don’t have everything they want. Taking you down for being successful is the only way they can do it. However, the comfort in this is knowing that they will never be happy with everything and you can be happy with nothing.
Happy MGTOW’ing guys. I don’t know you, but I love you.
If it floats, flies, or fucks, it is cheaper to rent....
fixthem_flythem 1 year, 7 months ago.
