This Is What We're Here For

The Daily Stoic for June 4th. “This Is What We’re Here For”.

“Why then are we offended? Why do we complain? This is what we’re here for.”
—SENECA, ON PROVIDENCE, 5.7b–8

Not really sure what to write today. Ryan Holiday seems to try to convey a positive message in this excerpt. Namely, that we are the result of evolution. Hundreds and hundreds of years of natural selection and survival refinement have brought me, you and the rest of us here.

“Life is not easy or fair, but we are bred for enduring this”, it claims.

Sometimes we go through good times, and sometimes every day is a constant struggle. As I would say I find myself in the latter category these days, I can hardly take solace in those words. Living in the present, and facing everyday challenges, our heritage or genes don’t really seem that important.

This Is What We’re Here For

However, it’s true that there’s only one natural choice. Keep on fighting every day. That, I can agree with.

I was raised in a humble family. Not that we were poor or anything, but as a kid, I sometimes found myself jealous of what other kids had that my parents couldn’t afford to give me.

With time, I have learned to be grateful for having all the chances of growing up in a first world country, while not taking everything for granted.

Nothing is easy, for no one. Some of us have been dealt with better cards, and some of us have had to work harder than others. There’s always someone above and someone below. The point is understanding that everything that makes life worth living requires hard work.

If it’s there for us without any effort, most probably is not that important… Or we won’t be able to fully appreciate it until it’s gone.

So during the hard times, I think it’s worthwhile to remind us not of our genes, or our heir, or our ancestors. It’s important to remind ourselves that we are doing that for us. Because this is what we’re here for.

Conclusion

Today’s Daily Stoic, “This Is What We’re Here For”, discusses how life is not supposed to be easy or fair. While I completely agree, it uses our ancestors, heir or genes to remind us to carry on. I am not sure I can relate to that. In my mind, it’s more about the future than it’s about the past.