The Daily Stoic

“I

June    29th

NO  EXCUSES

“It is  possible    to  curb    your    arrogance,  to  overcome    pleasure    and pain,   to  rise    above   your

ambition,   and to  not be  angry   with    stupid  and ungrateful  people—yes, even    to  care    for them.”

—MARCUS AURELIUS,   MEDITATIONS,    8.8

was just born this way.” “I never learned anything different.” “My parents set a terrible example.”
“Everyone else does it.” What are these? Excuses that people use to justify staying as they are instead of
striving to become better.
Of course it’s possible to curb our arrogance, control our anger, and be a caring person. How do you
think others do it? Certainly their parents weren’t perfect; they didn’t come out of the womb incapable of
ego or immune to temptation. They worked on it. They made it a priority. They solved it like they would
solve any other problem: by dedicating themselves to finding a solution, making incremental progress
until they did.
They became who they are. Just like you can.