Explore F. Scott Fitzgerald's letter to his daughter, emphasizing the importance of duty and virtue over fleeting happiness and external achievements.
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Quick takeaways
Teaching children to believe in duty and virtue provides a more meaningful and fulfilling life.
Chasing external success without prioritizing duty and personal growth can lead to emptiness and unfulfillment.
Deep dives
The Importance of Teaching Duty
F. Scott Fitzgerald's letter to his daughter highlights the importance of teaching our children to believe in duty. While happiness and pleasure are fleeting and can lead to a shallow pursuit of external things, duty and virtue offer more meaningful rewards. By instilling a sense of duty, teaching our kids to contribute to the common good, cultivate their talents, and uphold virtues such as stoicism, courage, moderation, justice, and wisdom, we help them lead a more purposeful and fulfilling life.
The Limitations of Chasing External Success
Focusing solely on external achievements and fame, as Fitzgerald did, can come at a high cost. Despite his accomplishments, he ended up broken in the end. This serves as a reminder that chasing external success might lead to short-term gains but can leave individuals empty and unfulfilled in the long run. As parents, it is crucial to teach our children to believe in something greater than temporary happiness and pleasure, and instead, to prioritize duty, family, personal growth, and the development of virtuous qualities for a more meaningful and balanced life.
"In August 1933, F. Scott Fitzgerald wrote a letter to his young daughter Frances who was away at camp. It's a beautiful, personal letter from a man who was flawed—failed by his own parents—but tried, especially at the end of his short life, to step up and do the right thing."
Learn more about what Fitzgerald tried to teach his daughter, and what you can learn form his example, in today's Daily Dad Podcast.
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