I

May 10th

DON’T BE INSPIRED, BE INSPIRATIONAL

“Let us also produce some bold act of our own—and join the ranks

of the most emulated.”

—SENECA, MORAL LETTERS, 98.13b

t was common in Greek and Roman times, just as it is now, for
politicians to pander to their audience. They would lavish effusive praise
on the crowd, on their country, on inspiring military victories of the past.
How many times have you heard a political candidate say, “This is the
greatest country in the history of the world”? As orator Demosthenes
pointed out, we’ll gladly sit for hours to hear a speaker who stands in front
of some famous or sacred landmark, “praising [our] ancestors, describing
their exploits and enumerating their trophies.”
But what does this flattery accomplish? Nothing. Worse, the admiration
of shiny accolades distracts us from their true purpose. Also, as
Demosthenes explains, it betrays the very ancestors who inspire us. He
concluded his speech to the Athenian people with words that Seneca would
later echo and still resounds centuries later. “Reflect, then,” he said, “that
your ancestors set up those trophies, not that you may gaze at them in
wonder, but that you may also imitate the virtues of the men who set them
up.”
The same goes for the quotes in this book and for other inspiring words
you might hear. Don’t just admire them. Use them. Follow their example.