Do You Practice For Rejection? | A Little Knowledge Is Dangerous

whatshot 25 snips

Jul 14, 2023

Fear of rejection often stems from unfamiliar experiences we avoid, keeping us from seizing opportunities. Embracing life's challenges can transform our approach to uncomfortable truths. The importance of intellectual humility is emphasized, encouraging a lifelong commitment to learning. Knowledge is portrayed as a double-edged sword, requiring caution and honesty. By cultivating awareness of our limitations, we can redefine our pursuit of understanding and personal growth.

08:27

forum

Ask episode

web_stories

AI Snips

view_agenda

Chapters

menu_book

Books

auto_awesome

Transcript

info_circle

Episode notes

question_answer

ANECDOTE

I Cannot Think It

Shakespeare uses the line "I cannot think it" to express disbelief in characters like Iago and a nameless orphan.
Seneca's calm reaction to his death sentence by Nero exemplified this, as he wasn't surprised by Nero's cruelty.

volunteer_activism

ADVICE

Premeditation of Evils

Anticipate negative behaviors from others; don't be surprised by cruelty or dishonesty.
Prepare for the worst-case scenarios, so you can handle them effectively when they arise.

question_answer

ANECDOTE

Musonius Rufus's Teaching

Musonius Rufus, Epictetus's teacher, was a demanding teacher who expected full attention.
He challenged Epictetus's dismissal of a mistake, highlighting the importance of not underestimating potential consequences.

Get the Snipd Podcast app to discover more snips from this episode

Cultivating Intellectual Humility for Lifelong Learning

06:54 • 2min

chevron_right

The Cautious Pursuit of Knowledge

In *Ego Is the Enemy*, Ryan Holiday delves into the concept of ego and its detrimental effects on personal and professional success. The book is divided into three sections: Aspiration, Success, and Failure, each offering valuable lessons and perspectives. Holiday draws on a vast array of stories and examples from literature, philosophy, and history, featuring figures such as George Marshall, Jackie Robinson, Katharine Graham, Bill Belichick, and Eleanor Roosevelt. These individuals achieved great success by conquering their own egos, and their strategies and tactics are presented as models for readers. The book emphasizes the importance of staying grounded, continually learning, and embracing a mindset of growth rather than letting ego hinder development.

Othello

The Tragedy of Othello, the Moor of Venice

William Shakespeare

Written around 1603, 'Othello' is a tragedy that delves into the destructive nature of jealousy and the vulnerability of trust in relationships. The play follows Othello, a Moorish general in the Venetian army, whose marriage to Desdemona is manipulated by his ensign Iago, leading to tragic consequences. Iago exploits Othello’s insecurities about his race and marriage, sowing seeds of doubt that ultimately result in the death of Desdemona and Othello's own downfall. The play is renowned for its exploration of racial and cultural issues, as well as its nuanced portrayal of human nature and the complexities of love and trust.

The Daily Stoic

366 Meditations on Wisdom, Perseverance, and the Art of Living

Ryan Holiday

Stephen Hanselman

This book provides 366 meditations on Stoic wisdom, featuring new translations of passages from Epictetus, Marcus Aurelius, Seneca, and other Stoic philosophers. Each day, readers are presented with a Stoic lesson explained in modern language, along with advice on how to apply these lessons in everyday life. The book is organized temporally and thematically across the twelve months of the year, making it a daily resource for practicing Stoicism.

Discourses

Epictetus

The Discourses of Epictetus are a series of informal lectures written down by his pupil Arrian around 108 AD. The philosophy of Epictetus is intensely practical, directing students to focus on their opinions, anxieties, passions, and desires to distinguish what is within their control from what is not. The teachings aim to make people free and happy by living virtuously and 'according to nature. ' The Discourses cover a wide range of topics, including friendship, illness, fear, and poverty, and how to acquire and maintain tranquility. They are set in Epictetus' classroom in Nicopolis and reflect his earnest and often humorous style of teaching.

Lives of the Stoics

The Art of Living from Zeno to Marcus Aurelius

Ryan Holiday

Stephen Hanselman

This book presents the fascinating lives of twenty-six ancient Stoics, from Zeno to Marcus Aurelius, organized in digestible mini-biographies. It vividly brings to life the stories of key Stoic philosophers, such as Seneca, Epictetus, and Cicero, and demonstrates how their philosophies shaped their actions and legacies. The authors intertwine historical context with philosophical insights, making the book both educational and entertaining. It shows how Stoic principles can be applied to modern life, emphasizing virtues like Courage, Justice, Temperance, and Wisdom.

Richard III

William Shakespeare

The play, part of Shakespeare's 'first tetralogy,' depicts Richard's ruthless ambition and his use of deception, manipulation, and violence to become King Richard III. After the death of his brother, King Edward IV, Richard orchestrates the deaths of his nephews, court noblemen, and other opposition to secure the throne. His reign is marked by terror and eventually leads to his downfall when Henry Tudor, Earl of Richmond, challenges his claim and defeats him at the Battle of Bosworth Field. Richmond then becomes King Henry VII, ending the Wars of the Roses and starting the Tudor dynasty.

Part of the reason we’re afraid of things is that we’re unfamiliar. We don’t know what it’s like to bomb on stage in front of people, but it seems bad–so we avoid any scenario where something like that might happen. We’ve been turned down or blown off once or twice, asking someone out, asking for help, and it was unpleasant enough that we decided we did not want to explore those feelings any further. We don’t know, or don’t remember what it’s like to be living paycheck-to-paycheck anymore…so we make our financial decisions accordingly.

The result is that this uncertainty, this unfamiliar looms large in our lives. It makes us conservative. It makes us keep to ourselves. It makes us struggle alone by ourselves. It turns us away from potential opportunities–to meet someone new, to do something cool, to start our own thing.

---

And in today's excerpt from The Daily Stoic, Ryan discusses how the Stoic's advocated holding a sense of responsibility when choosing what information to consume, and why this is increasingly vital in today's media-saturated world.

✉️ Sign up for the Daily Stoic email: https://dailystoic.com/dailyemail

🏛 Check out the Daily Stoic Store for Stoic inspired products, signed books, and more.

📱 Follow us: Instagram, Twitter, YouTube, TikTok, Facebook

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Home Top podcasts Popular guests