Jesus and Seneca's Parallel Wisdom on Kindness, Resilience, and Ethics
TL;DR
- Stoicism's core virtue is justice and ethics, emphasizing kindness and compassion, not a justification for being insensitive or disrespectful under the guise of not controlling others' feelings.
- Engaging with news and political events requires action and impact, not just outrage or sharing on social media, necessitating a focus on where one can make a tangible difference.
- Anxiety stems from one's own opinions, feelings, and expectations about external events, rather than the events themselves, empowering individuals to discard anxiety by choosing their reactions.
- The "obstacle is the way" principle involves learning from repeating patterns by understanding their meaning and planning different actions, rather than dwelling on past mistakes that cannot be changed.
- Jesus and Seneca, living concurrently, shared overlapping teachings on kindness, duty, and resilience, offering a dual legacy of wisdom for personal growth and ethical conduct.
- Disengagement from relationships due to differing viewpoints should be distinguished from unbotheredness; lines are drawn when opinions translate into actively harming others.
Deep Dive
The Daily Stoic podcast episode "These Legacies Are a Gift" argues that the teachings of Jesus and Seneca, despite their vastly different backgrounds, offer remarkably parallel wisdom on kindness, duty, resilience, and self-awareness. This shared philosophical ground suggests that profound ethical and practical guidance can emerge independently across cultures and eras, presenting a powerful, accessible legacy for modern individuals to apply.
The core implication of this parallel wisdom is that timeless principles for living a good life are not exclusive to any single tradition, making them universally available. For instance, Jesus's emphasis on loving one's neighbor and Seneca's focus on kindness both point to the Stoic virtue of justice, which underscores the importance of ethical conduct and compassion in human interaction. Similarly, their shared teachings on enduring hardship--Jesus on rejoicing in trials and Seneca on fortifying oneself through constant misfortune--highlight the Stoic practice of viewing obstacles not as impediments but as opportunities for growth. This framing encourages individuals to reframe their perception of challenges, understanding that resilience and strength of character are forged through adversity. Furthermore, the episode touches on the concept of premeditatio malorum (premeditation of evils) through Seneca's insight on not fearing future suffering or dwelling on past suffering. This Stoic technique, aimed at reducing anxiety by focusing on what is within our control, is presented as a direct parallel to Jesus's admonition not to worry about tomorrow. The overlapping advice from these disparate figures demonstrates that practical strategies for managing anxiety and emotional well-being are enduring, not dependent on specific contexts.
Ultimately, the convergence of Jesus's and Seneca's teachings serves as a profound gift, offering a robust ethical framework and practical tools for navigating life's difficulties. The episode suggests that by embracing this shared legacy, individuals can find strength and insight, regardless of their specific spiritual or philosophical allegiances, underscoring the enduring power of wisdom to guide us toward a better life.
Action Items
- Audit inbox: Mark all emails as read to establish a clean slate for managing communication.
- Measure anxiety source: Identify personal opinions and expectations as the root cause of anxiety, not external events.
- Practice kindness: Implement justice and compassion in interactions, avoiding misappropriation of Stoicism to justify being a "jerk."
- Engage impactfully: Focus on actions within personal sphere of influence rather than solely consuming or reacting to news.
- Analyze repeating patterns: Differentiate between dwelling on past mistakes and learning from recurring situations to prevent future occurrences.
Key Quotes
"Remarkably, Jesus and Seneca lived nearly parallel lives, with many sources suggesting they were born in the same year. Even more striking are the overlaps in their teachings."
This quote highlights a surprising historical parallel between two influential figures, Jesus and Seneca, noting their contemporaneous existence and the convergence of their philosophical and ethical messages. Ryan Holiday points out this overlap to suggest that profound wisdom can emerge from different traditions and eras, offering a shared foundation for ethical living.
"Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself that's Jesus wherever there is a human being there is an opportunity for kindness that's Seneca."
Ryan Holiday uses this parallel to demonstrate the shared core values between Jesus and Seneca, illustrating how seemingly distinct spiritual and philosophical traditions can arrive at similar ethical imperatives. He emphasizes that both figures promoted compassion and the recognition of shared humanity as fundamental principles.
"The things aren't causing my anxiety right the airport doesn't give me anxiety public speaking doesn't give me anxiety political events aren't why I'm nervous and frustrated and worrying right those things are objective they are outside me I am the source of the anxiety right the one thing that all the things that get that that that I am anxious about have in common is what it's me it's you right we're the common variable."
This quote from Ryan Holiday addresses the internal source of anxiety, positing that external events are not the direct cause but rather our internal reactions and opinions about them. He argues that recognizing oneself as the common variable in anxious experiences is a crucial step toward managing and overcoming anxiety.
"The central stoic virtue is justice and ethics right kindness compassion how our actions impact other people that that really matters."
Ryan Holiday clarifies a common misconception about Stoicism, asserting that its core virtue is not indifference but justice and ethical consideration for others. He emphasizes that Stoicism, in its true form, prioritizes kindness, compassion, and the impact of one's actions on the community.
"The problem is we have confused reading about what's happening and being outraged about what's happening and sharing things on social media about what's happening with doing anything about what's happening right and that's really the problem."
Ryan Holiday identifies a critical issue in modern engagement with societal problems, distinguishing between passive outrage and active contribution. He argues that simply consuming and reacting to news, especially on social media, is not equivalent to making a tangible difference.
"I guess what sometimes we dwell on mistakes that we have made or things that we wish we hadn't done sometimes I'll be on one of my walks as I'm saying and I'll just be like violently assaulted by a thought of something dumb I said a really long time ago and you know what good is kicking myself about I can't unsay it I can't unthink it."
Ryan Holiday discusses the unproductive nature of dwelling on past mistakes, explaining that rumination on unchangeable events offers no benefit. He suggests that while reflecting on the lessons learned from errors is valuable, getting stuck in self-recrimination is a misdirection of energy.
Resources
External Resources
Books
- "The Obstacle Is the Way" by Ryan Holiday - Mentioned in relation to managing recurring negative patterns and learning from mistakes.
Articles & Papers
- "Meditations" (Marcus Aurelius) - Referenced as a source for understanding anxiety as a self-generated issue.
People
- Jesus - Discussed as a historical figure with teachings overlapping those of Seneca.
- Seneca - Discussed as a historical figure with teachings overlapping those of Jesus.
- Marcus Aurelius - Author of "Meditations," referenced for his insights on anxiety.
- Ryan Holiday - Author of "The Obstacle Is the Way," discussed in relation to managing recurring patterns and facing challenges.
Organizations & Institutions
- The Daily Stoic - Podcast and platform for Stoic-inspired content.
- Toyota Trucks - Sponsor of the episode, featured in promotional segments.
- Xbox - Mentioned as the audience for a talk given by Ryan Holiday.
Websites & Online Resources
- dailystoic.com/challenge - URL for signing up for the Daily Stoic New Year New You challenge.
- dailystoic.com/life - URL for information on joining Daily Stoic Life.
- dailystoiclive.com - URL for information on Ryan Holiday's live events.
- store.dailystoic.com - URL for the Daily Stoic Store.
- dailystoic.com/dailyemail - URL for signing up for the FREE Daily Stoic email.
- toyota.com/trucks - URL for learning more about Toyota Trucks.
Other Resources
- Stoicism - The philosophical framework discussed throughout the episode, including its principles and potential misinterpretations.
- New Year New You challenge - A program offered by The Daily Stoic.
- Email bankruptcy - A personal goal set by Ryan Holiday for the upcoming year.
- Mental mori - A Stoic concept related to remembering death.
- Deathbed remorse - A Stoic concept related to reflecting on past actions.
- Muscle velocity - A strategy mentioned in relation to political tactics.