The Daily Stoic - There’s Nothing Better Than A Simple Pleasure

Episode Date: May 26, 2020

"The Spartans were known for their simple, rustic ways. Unlike the citizens of Athens, who dined on the most gourmet fare, the Spartans ate almost nothing but “gruel,” a kind of broth or blood pudding. Visitors noted just how unappetizing this soup was, but to the Spartans, who were constantly training and working, it was delicious. Why? Because they said that hunger was the best flavoring."Learn more about the simple pleasures in life in today's Daily Stoic Podcast.***If you enjoyed this week’s podcast, we’d love for you to leave a review on Apple Podcasts. It helps with our visibility, and the more people listen to the podcast, the more we can invest into it and make it even better.Sign up for the Daily Stoic email: http://DailyStoic.com/signupFollow @DailyStoic:Twitter: https://twitter.com/ryanholidayInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/ryanholiday/Facebook: http://facebook.com/ryanholidayYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/dailystoicSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

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guided some of history's greatest men and women. For more, you can visit us at dailystowach.com. There's nothing better than a simple pleasure. The Spartans were known for their simple rustic ways. Unlike the citizens of Athens who dined on the most gourmet fare, the Spartans ate almost nothing but gruel, a kind of broth or blood pudding. Visitors noticed just how unappetizing this soup was, but to the Spartans who were constantly training and working, it was delicious.

Why? Because they said that hunger was the best flavoring. That's true, isn't it? When your thirsty, a cold glass of water is about the best-tasting thing in the world. When you've been locked down in quarantine for weeks, a fast food hamburger starts to sound like an incredible delicacy. Imagine what returning to Rome after exile must have been like for Santa Cah, or Musonius Rufus.

Imagine the first day of freedom for epitetus, how the air must have felt, how they must have walked the streets, embrace their friends, sat at their favorite cafe, or visited their favorite shops. There is nothing better than a simple pleasure, except perhaps being reunited with a simple pleasure you have long been without. Marcus Aurelius reminds us how little is needed for the simple life. He shows us in the most beautiful passages of meditations, how a look out the window at some ripe grain, the mouthwatering sensation of fresh bread, or retreat into oneself after a busy hectic day can feel like a million bucks. He doesn't

just write about it, but like you, he must have loved picking blackberries or staying up late with a page turner or the joy of baking or the satisfaction of doing a good turn. We don't need to become the emperor to feel good. We don't need fancy restaurants. We don't need to travel to exotic locations. We have so much available to us right now. There are so many accessible and ordinary pleasures right here, and the events of the world as of late are a powerful reminder of this.

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