The Myth of the Self-Made Individual and Stoic Interconnectedness - Episode Hero Image

The Myth of the Self-Made Individual and Stoic Interconnectedness

The Daily Stoic · · Listen to Original Episode →
Original Title:

TL;DR

  • The myth of the "self-made" individual is inaccurate, as all significant achievements are built upon the guidance, inspiration, and support of numerous other people throughout one's life.
  • Stoicism's "circles of concern" framework promotes expanding empathy beyond oneself to include family, community, and even future generations, fostering a broader sense of responsibility.
  • AI tools, while powerful repositories of knowledge, cannot replace human wisdom, experience, and intuition, which are essential for discerning truth and avoiding deception.
  • Embracing acceptance of uncontrollable external events, coupled with a focus on one's own response and subsequent actions, is a core Stoic practice for navigating challenges.
  • Stoicism encourages courage by highlighting that valuable life experiences and achievements often lie beyond comfort zones and require brave decisions and actions.
  • Zeno's founding of Stoicism after losing his fortune in a shipwreck demonstrates how personal disaster can be a catalyst for profound philosophical insight and lasting impact.

Deep Dive

The prevailing myth of the self-made individual is fundamentally flawed; true achievement is invariably a product of collective effort, drawing upon the guidance, inspiration, and support of others. This understanding, rooted in Stoic philosophy, highlights that even the most successful individuals owe their accomplishments to a network of mentors, teachers, and influences, suggesting that embracing this interconnectedness is crucial for personal growth and impactful contribution.

The narrative of self-creation, often celebrated in popular culture, obscures the reality of our interdependence. Zeno, the founder of Stoicism, lost everything in a shipwreck but found his calling through the guidance of Crates, a teacher. Similarly, Epictetus learned from Musonius Rufus, Seneca from Analus, and Marcus Aurelius meticulously lists the 17 influential figures who shaped him in his Meditations. Arnold Schwarzenegger, often seen as the epitome of a self-made man, himself acknowledges being a "creation of hundreds of people." This pattern underscores a universal truth: no significant achievement occurs in a vacuum. Success is a collaborative endeavor, built upon the accumulated debts and lessons from countless individuals who shape our lives, our environments, and our very perspectives. Recognizing this dependency is not a sign of weakness but an acknowledgment of reality, enabling a more profound engagement with the world and a greater capacity for impact.

Stoicism offers a framework for navigating this complex reality, particularly through the concept of "circles of concern." This idea, originating from the Stoic Hierocles, posits that our natural inclination to care for ourselves expands outward to encompass our family, community, nation, and ultimately, all of humanity and even future generations. The philosophical work of personal growth, therefore, involves consciously expanding these circles, fostering empathy and a sense of responsibility for those beyond our immediate sphere. This outward expansion is vital because wisdom, a core Stoic virtue, cannot be passively received; it must be earned through experience and diligent effort. Even advanced tools like AI, while capable of processing vast amounts of information, require human interpretation, experience, and critical discernment to distinguish truth from plausible falsehoods. Without a strong foundation of knowledge and the ability to identify misinformation, individuals risk being misled, highlighting that genuine insight remains a uniquely human pursuit. This pursuit often involves courage, as Stoicism encourages embracing risks and making difficult decisions, understanding that growth and progress lie on the other side of fear and the status quo.

Ultimately, the Stoic perspective reframes achievement not as an isolated feat of will, but as a testament to the power of community and shared endeavor. The "myth" of the self-made individual fails to acknowledge the intricate web of relationships and influences that underpin all significant accomplishments. Embracing this interconnectedness, and actively working to expand our circles of concern, allows for a more authentic and impactful engagement with the world, recognizing that true progress is built through collective effort rather than solitary ambition.

Action Items

  • Analyze personal network: Identify 3-5 individuals who significantly influenced your development and acknowledge their contributions.
  • Document key lessons learned: For 3-5 significant past challenges, record the specific guidance or inspiration received from others.
  • Evaluate current projects: For 2-3 ongoing initiatives, identify areas where external collaboration or mentorship could accelerate progress.
  • Practice expanded circles of concern: Consciously consider the impact of your actions on 3-5 groups beyond your immediate circle (e.g., community, future generations).

Related Episodes

Key Quotes

"There has never been such a thing as a self-made man. There has never been such a thing and there never will be."

The speaker argues that the popular notion of a "self-made" individual is a myth. This perspective challenges the idea that success is achieved solely through individual effort, suggesting instead that external help and influence are always present.

"We are all in debt as we've talked about here on the daily stoic we are all the sum of the debts and lessons as book one of meditations its title we accumulate from countless people who shape our lives we are the product of our influences our environments our family and our friends."

The author explains that individuals are not isolated entities but are shaped by a multitude of influences and contributions from others throughout their lives. This highlights the interconnectedness of personal development and the collective nature of achievement.

"Stoicism is not a recipe for being a better sociopath it is a philosophy built around the common good."

Ryan Holiday clarifies that Stoicism is fundamentally concerned with the well-being of society and collective benefit, not individualistic gain at the expense of others. This counters a potential misinterpretation of Stoic principles as purely self-serving.

"The work of philosophy growth as a human being is about being able to expand those circles or to bring those outer circles inwards to care about people that you've never met to care about people who have never been born you don't control them sure but you care about having a positive impact on them."

This quote, referencing Hierocles, describes the philosophical growth within Stoicism as the expansion of one's concern beyond oneself to encompass a wider community and even future generations. The speaker emphasizes that this outward-looking care is a key aspect of human development.

"Wisdom isn't something anyone can give us we have to earn it to do the work that's what i think's so interesting about ai people are talking about what it's going to replace you know that it's the sum total of all human knowledge except you still have to interpret what it spits out."

The speaker posits that true wisdom cannot be passively received but must be actively acquired through personal effort and critical thinking. This idea is presented in contrast to the capabilities of artificial intelligence, suggesting that AI, while vast in its data, still requires human interpretation.

"Acceptance is just accepting the facts and then the part that's in my control is the response what i tell myself about it and what i do next so that's kind of how i try to think about acceptance."

The speaker defines acceptance within a Stoic framework as acknowledging reality, with the individual's control lying in their internal response and subsequent actions. This approach separates the external circumstances from the internal reaction and decision-making process.

Resources

External Resources

Books

  • "Be Useful: Seven Tools For Life" by Arnold Schwarzenegger - Mentioned as a book that references the idea of not being self-made.
  • "Meditations" by Marcus Aurelius - Mentioned as a source of inspiration and a book that opens with a list of influential figures.
  • "Dialogues of Socrates" - Mentioned as the text Zeno was reading when introduced to philosophy.

Videos & Documentaries

  • Arnold Schwarzenegger episode (YouTube) - Mentioned as a video to check out.

Articles & Papers

  • "The Daily Stoic Premium" (Supercast) - Referenced as a subscription service for ad-free listening and bonus content.

People

  • Zeno - Founder of Stoicism, mentioned for his story of losing everything and turning to philosophy.
  • Crates - Teacher nicknamed "the door opener," mentioned as a guide to Zeno.
  • Epictetus - Stoic philosopher, mentioned as a student of Musonius Rufus.
  • Musonius Rufus - Teacher of Epictetus.
  • Seneca - Stoic philosopher, mentioned in relation to Analus.
  • Analus - Mentioned as a teacher of Seneca.
  • Cleanthes - Stoic philosopher, mentioned as a student of Chrysippus.
  • Chrysippus - Stoic philosopher, mentioned as a student of Cleanthes.
  • Marcus Aurelius - Roman Emperor and Stoic philosopher, mentioned for opening "Meditations" with a list of influential figures and for his concept of practicing virtue.
  • Arnold Schwarzenegger - Mentioned for discussing the idea of not being self-made and for referencing "Meditations."
  • Ryan Holiday - Mentioned as the author of "The Daily Stoic" and other books, and as someone who talks to organizations about Stoicism.
  • Hierocles - Stoic philosopher, mentioned for his concept of concentric circles of concern.
  • Socrates - Ancient Greek philosopher, mentioned in relation to Zeno's introduction to philosophy.
  • Tolstoy - Mentioned in relation to a quote about Lincoln.
  • John Hay - Mentioned as the secretary of Lincoln and the source of a quote.
  • Lincoln - Mentioned in relation to a quote.

Organizations & Institutions

  • The Daily Stoic - Podcast mentioned as a source of daily Stoic-inspired meditations.
  • The Painted Porch - Bookstore mentioned as a place to purchase Arnold Schwarzenegger's book.
  • The White House - Mentioned as a location where Ryan Holiday gave a talk.
  • Dell Technologies - Mentioned for their Cyber Monday sale on Dell PCs and accessories.
  • Toyota - Mentioned for their trucks and commitment to outdoor adventures.
  • Art19 - Mentioned in relation to privacy policy.

Websites & Online Resources

  • dailystoic.com - Referenced for signing up for the FREE Daily Stoic email.
  • dailystoic.com/dailyemail - Referenced for signing up for the FREE Daily Stoic email.
  • store.dailystoic.com - Referenced for Stoic-inspired books, medallions, and prints.
  • dailystoic.live.com - Referenced for finding cities to hear Ryan Holiday talk about Stoic philosophy in person.
  • dailystoic.supercast.com - Referenced for subscribing to The Daily Stoic Premium.
  • toyota.com/trucks/adventure/detours - Referenced for learning more about Toyota trucks and adventure.
  • dell.com/deals - Referenced for Cyber Monday deals on Dell PCs and accessories.

Other Resources

  • Stoicism - Philosophy discussed throughout the text, focusing on concepts like the myth of the self-made man, the dichotomy of control, circles of concern, and virtue.
  • Tyrian purple - Rare purple dye mentioned as Zeno's former trade.
  • Stoic circles of concern - Concept discussed as a way to expand care for others.
  • Dichotomy of control - Concept mentioned in relation to Stoic philosophy.
  • AI - Discussed as a tool that can be fooled and requires human interpretation.
  • Cyber Monday - Mentioned as Dell Technologies' biggest sale of the year.
  • Virtue - Discussed as a Stoic concept comprising four parts.
  • Acceptance - Stoic concept discussed in relation to things outside of one's control.
  • Influence - Discussed as a category between control and no control.
  • Probabilistic decision - Mentioned as a safer way to approach decisions when there is influence but not full control.
  • Stoic Premium - Ad-free version of the podcast with bonus content.
  • Stoic inspired books, medallions, and prints - Items available at the Daily Stoic Store.
  • The myth of the self-made man - Concept debunked throughout the text.
  • The common good - Mentioned as a principle Stoicism is built around.
  • Wisdom - Discussed as something that must be earned and interpreted.
  • Intelligence, skill, insight, experience, intuition - Factors contributing to wisdom.
  • Bullshit - Mentioned as something to be spotted, especially when using AI.
  • Possessions - Discussed in relation to not clinging to them, referencing Epictetus's lamp.
  • Logic - Mentioned as a principle of Stoicism.
  • Courageous decision - Discussed as necessary for growth and risk-taking.
  • Four Stoic virtues - Mentioned as a core part of Stoic philosophy.

---
Handpicked links, AI-assisted summaries. Human judgment, machine efficiency.
This content is a personally curated review and synopsis derived from the original podcast episode.