Simple Stoic Advice
On Fame
On Fame
The beautiful thing about Stoic philosophy is the advice contained within it is just as applicable today as it was when it was first written all those many years ago. We can learn a great deal from interpreting the advice provided and using it to our advantage as we go throughout our own lives.
Today’s quote comes to us courtesy of Seneca from his essay, On the Shortness of Life:
Quote
“When you see a man repeatedly wearing the robe of office, or one whose name is often spoken in the Forum, do not envy him: these things are won at the cost of life.”
Advice
Both Seneca and Marcus Aurelius write about the pitfalls of fame. Many pursue fame for fame’s sake. They want to be seen or famous, they want money and power. The Stoics viewed fame with indifference, if not at times, a hinderance. They believed if fame was achieved through living their lives virtuously, then it was okay. But they knew that it could be gone at any second.
Marcus himself wrote:
“Beautiful things of any kind are beautiful in themselves and sufficient to themselves. Praise is extraneous. The object of praise remains what it was — no better and no worse.”
In this quote, however, Seneca writes that fame is actually a slave. By winning public office, as he references, the individual gives up his time and life. You have devoted yourself to the people and thus, the people own your time.
There is a trade-off for everything in life. While you may become famous, you could also lose control of your life and others may in fact be the ones who control you.
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