This Is Universal

Jul 18, 2019

Explore the timeless urge to escape urban chaos for the tranquility of nature, a practice dating back to Ancient Rome. Discover how Marcus Aurelius's views on interconnectedness resonate today, emphasizing our shared humanity. Join seasoned traveler Matt Kepnes as he reflects on a decade of adventures, revealing that despite cultural differences, we all seek the same essentials—happiness, security, and connection. His insights highlight that while our journeys may differ, the essence of what we desire is universally shared.

Ask episode

AI Snips

Chapters

Books

Transcript

Episode notes

INSIGHT

Ancient Escapes

Traveling to see the world feels like a modern phenomenon, but ancient Romans also sought escapes.
This practice might have influenced Marcus Aurelius's belief in sympatheia, or universal interconnectedness.

INSIGHT

Citizen of the World

Marcus Aurelius considered himself a citizen of the world, emphasizing universal connection.
This reflects the Stoic concept of sympatheia.

INSIGHT

Universal Desires

Matt Kepnes, a world traveler, observes that people are fundamentally the same everywhere.
Despite cultural differences, everyone desires happiness, safety, and love.

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

Get the app

Traveling—that itch to get away, to hit the road, to see the world—feels like a distinctly modern craze. Yet it was common in Ancient Rome for people to escape the heat and the frenzy of the bustling city to get away for some time in the countryside. It is likely that those excursions influenced Marcus Aurelius’s belief in sympatheia—the belief in mutual interdependence among everything in the universe, that we are all one.

Marcus Aurelius liked to say that he wasn’t a citizen of Rome, but of the world. Matt Kepnes, or better known as “Nomadic Matt,” quite literally is a citizen of the world. Matt spent a decade living out of a backpack, traveling the world. He captures the journey and everything it taught him in Ten Years A Nomad, which released this week. In our interview with Matt for DailyStoic.com, we were curious to find out if—given all the different cultures he’s lived in and the people he’s met—it’s been his experience that we really aren’t all that different from each other. Matt said:

People really are the same everywhere. Interacting with people, watching them commute, pick up laundry, go grocery shopping, and do all the other everyday things you did back home—you really internalize the idea that, fundamentally, we all just want the same things: to be happy, to be safe and secure, to have friends and family who love us. The how of what we do is different but the why of what we do is universal.

This is true not only right now, but it’s true for the past and the future. Humans are humans are humans—for good and for bad. How much better a place would the world be if we could all remember this? If the Stoic concept of sympatheia was never far from our minds (it’s why we created a reminder of it to carry in your pocket)? Certainly we'd get along better, collaborate better, and be more understanding of each other. If you’ve done any bit of traveling, Matt’s answer likely reminds you of your own experiences of being far from home but finding comfort in realizing that the people are just like you. Doing their best. Just wanting to feel happy, safe and secure, loved—and around the people who put them there the most. That is universal.

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