- Morning Bites
- Posts
- Whatever you aspire, ego is your enemy ⚔️
He is a bold surgeon, they say, whose hand does not tremble when he performs an operation upon his own person; and he is often equally bold who does not hesitate to pull of the mysterious veil of self-delusion, which covers from his view the deformities of his own conduct.
A long time ago, around the year 374 B.C., one of the most prominent and well known teacher in Athens, Isocrates, wrote a letter to a young man.
Said letter contained a compilation lessons and advice for the man to read and learn, as he was about to face a series events following his father´s dead which would test him in all possible ways.
Isocrates, being a close friend to this man’s parent, opted to gift as much knowledge as possible to the young Athenean, hoping it would help him make the right decisions.
The adviced ranged from practical to moral, all communicated in what Isocrates called the ¨noble maxims”.
As he put it; this were precepts for the years to come.
Unfortunately, the kid, named Demonicus, was as ambitious as any of us are at some point in our lives, yet he was unaware this is a dangerous path, and without the right tools, it’s a self-destructing one.
Yet, Isocrates proceded to share lessons that would not only help Demonicus, but would eventually be passed on for thousands of years to come, and today I’ll share them with you.
No adornment so becomes you as modesty, justice, and self control: for these virtues by which, as all men are agreed, the character of the young is held in restraint
Practice self-control, and abhor flatterers as you would deceivers; for both, if trusted, injure those who trust them.
Be affable in your relations with those who approach you, and never haughty; for the pride of the arrogant even slaves can hardly endure.
Be slow in deliberation, but be prompt to carry out your resolves.
The best thing which we have in ourselves is good judgement.
Constantly train your intellect, for the greatest thing in the smallest compass is a sound mind in a human body.
Though this are just some of the lessons included in the letter Isocrates wrote to Demonicus, they’re enough to have us pondering on them for months, even years.
It’s truly incredible how timeless and even anachronic this knowledge can be.
How it’s still applicable today, and will continue to do so for years to come.
And if it sounds familiar, it’s because it is.
Shakespeare adapted this lessons into his play Hamlet as this quote shows:
This above all: to thine own self be true, And it must follow, as the night the day, Thou canst not then be false to any man. Farewell. My blessing season this in thee!
As if that wasn’t enough, Isocrates and Shakespeare managed to influence another, soon to be, very important figure in history: William Tecumseh Sherman
Unlike Napoleon and many others who rose quickly into success and fail just as fast, Sherman’s ascent was a slow and gradual one.
He spent his early years at West Point and later joined the army.
He then spent years traversing the entire United States by horse, from one posting to the other, learning a little from each one.
As Civil War started to break out, Sherman offered his services at the Battle of Bull Run, and since there was a dire shortage of leadership, Sherman was quickly promoted to brigadier general and was later summoned to meet President Lincoln and his top military adviser.
At the end of his trip, Sherman made a single yet strange request:
He’d accept his new promotion only with the assurance that he’d not have to assume superior command.
Can you imagine that?
An ambitious person turning down a chance to advance in responsibilities because he actually wanted to be ready for them?
That’s a rare sight to be held.
What made Sherman unique was that his realism allowed him to see things others couldn’t.
He was capable of detaching himself from his ego and understanding that there’s far more important things than fueling his false sense of worth.
He knew we wan’t ready, and knew the right choice wasn’t to rush things but rather be worthy of that title.
He knew that the most important tool against our ego is: DETACHMENT
Getting out of our own heads is the only way to see things as they truly are, unbiased.
One might say that the ability to evaluate one’s own ability is the most important skill of all. Without it, improvement is impossible.
Sherman was a man deeply connected to reality. He was a man who came from nothing, accomplished great things, and still managed to never feel that he was entitled to something.
We must learn from this.
To detach from our own minds.
To see oruselves as we truly are.
To understand that we are owed nothing.
And to be modest about our achievements.
That is the true path towards a lfie worth living.