"our spirit is never greater than when it lays aside everything not its own. By fearing nothing, it finds peace; by desiring nothing, it finds wealth".
- Seneca, Letters 87.3
One of the worst things for humans to desire is glory. It poisons the soul and ruins lives. Even so, human beings can’t get enough of glory.
The children's book “Ferdinand the Bull” from 1936 brilliantly nails our obsession with glory - and why it should be avoided. The book was an instant hit receiving praise from the likes of Ghandi and Thomas Mann. In 1938 - the year Hitler invaded Poland - Disney produced a cartoon-version of the book, loved particularly in peace-loving Sweden where this Disney-cartoon has been showed every year at Christmas since 1959.
Socrates and the Stoics is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.
See this post as well:
https://janniklindquist.substack.com/p/glory-vs-honor