The Daily Stoic - Will You Do Your Duty?

Episode Date: October 27, 2020

"In one sense, it’s hard to argue with the statistics that any individual’s vote makes a difference. One person out of so many? When more than 50% of the population doesn’t even bother? In a country of gerrymandering and voter suppression? In the other, it’s stunning to think that the 2016 US presidential election, which saw some 135 million votes, was decided by roughly 77,000 ballots across three states. Michigan was swung by just 10,000 voters.But to this argument, the Stoic would scoff. Whether your vote counts or not is not the reason that one should engage in the democratic process."Ryan describes why a Stoic takes the time to engage carefully with the democratic process—and exhorts everyone to vote—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 Daily Stoic:Twitter: https://twitter.com/dailystoicInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/dailystoic/Facebook: http://facebook.com/dailystoicYouTube: 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.

Hey, prime members, you can listen to the Daily Stood Podcast early and add free on Amazon Music. Download the app today. Hi, I'm David Brown, the host of Wondery's podcast business wars. And in our new season, Walmart must fight off target. The new discounter that's both savvy and fashion forward. Listen to business wars on Amazon Music or wherever you get your podcasts. music or wherever you get your podcasts. Welcome to the Daily Stoic. For each day we read a short passage designed to help you cultivate the strength, insight, wisdom necessary for living good life. Each one of these passages is based on the 2000-year-old philosophy that has guided some of history's

greatest men and women. For more, you can visit us at dailystowach.com. Will you do your duty? In one sense, it's hard to argue with the statistics that any individual's vote makes a difference. One person out of so many, when more than 50% of the population doesn't even bother, in a country of gerrymandering and voter suppression, yet on the other hand, it's stunning to think that the 2016 US presidential election, which saw some 135 million votes, was decided by roughly 77,000 ballots across three states. Michigan was swung

by just 10,000 votes. But to this argument, the Stoic would scoff whether your vote counts or not is not the reason why one should engage in the democratic process. First off, the Stoics are explicit that the philosopher is obligated to contribute to the polis and to participate in politics. In fact, this is an essential difference between the Epicurians and the Stokes. But more important, the idea that one should only do something if their preferred outcome is guaranteed, violates just about everything we talk about here. As Marcus Aurelius wrote, you must build up your life action by action and be content each one achieves its goal as far as possible, and no one can keep you from this. Which is to say,

the act of casting a ballot is in your control, who gets elected is not. The latter is not an excuse from the duty of the former. Think about how dangerous the logic of non-voting would be if extrapolated out. Almost no difference is made by the individual who decides to do the right thing, to do an act of kindness, to insist on a truth when a falsehood is easier, to be a good parent, to care about the quality of their work. Are these reasons to be a liar, a cheat, an asshole, a bad parent, or a poor craftsman? Of course not. And imagine what the world would be like if everyone insisted that it was. A better world is built action by action, vote by vote, even if the vast majority of those votes and actions are thwarted.

Being good, like voting is in our control, whether it has a noticeable or significant impact on the world is not, but we do it anyway because it's our duty. The same is true for voting today in the next election in every election. Make your tiny contribution to the common good because it will make a difference. If not to the whole, it will make a difference to you. And the fact that pretty much all the politicians we can choose from are a choice between the lesser of two evils. Well, Marcus Aurelius reminds us that we shouldn't go around expecting Plato's Republic.

This is the real world. So who you vote for, that's your call. Just make sure that the stoic virtues of justice and fairness and sympathy and character, good character and Sympathia and character, good character influences your decision. I mean that guys, please vote. I just I feel good about it. I know I can explain to my children in the future that I made the right decision. I know not everyone agrees with how I use my platform, but I don't use my platform here to win or lose fans. I do and say what I think is right because I think it's right. And I hope you do the same. And I hope that means voting. Apathy is not the right choice. As General Mattis says, cynicism is cowardice. The decision not to vote because you think they're all the same. That doesn't matter.

That's not what a stoic does. Stoke does the right thing. Even if it makes no difference, even if it makes only a tiny difference, even if it is just one person standing alone against a multitude of incompetence or evil, it doesn't matter. Do the right thing, cast your vote, cast it soon. If you can safely vote in person, please do vote in person. If you're sending in a mail and ballot, send it in ASAP, the earlier it's in, the better, look, we don't know how the election is going to go here in America, but what we can say, what we should commit to each of us is to respect the rule of law, to respect each other, to not get caught up in the manipulations of the mob or of fascists and to comport ourselves with dignity and

poise and responsibility and most of all with justice and fairness and goodness. Be safe everyone. Don't forget to subscribe to this podcast on iTunes or your favorite podcast app. And if you don't get the Daily Stoke, go to dailystoke.com slash email. Hey, prime members. You can listen to the Daily Stoke early and add free on Amazon music. Download the Amazon music app today, or you can listen early and add free with Wondery Plus in Apple podcasts. Celebrity feuds are high stakes. You never know if you're just gonna end up on

Page Six or Du Moir or in court. I'm Matt Bellesai. And I'm Sydney Battle and we're the host of Wondery's new podcast, Dis and Tell, where each episode we unpack a different iconic celebrity feud. From the buildup, why it happened, and the repercussions. What does our obsession with these feuds say about us? The first season is packed with some pretty messy pop culture drama, but none is drawn out in personal as Brittany and Jamie Lynn Spears. When Brittany's fans form the free Brittany movement dedicated to fraying her from the infamous

conservatorship, Jamie Lynn's lack of public support, it angered some fans. A lot of them. It's a story of two young women who had their choices taken away from them by their controlling parents, but took their anger out on each other. And it's about a movement to save a superstar, which set its sights upon anyone who failed to fight for Brittany. until wherever you get your podcasts. You can listen ad-free on Amazon Music or the Wondering app.