The Best Way to Get Revenge 😳
The speaker discusses how the best form of revenge is not adopting the negative qualities of those who wrong you. Rather than retaliating against corruption, cruelty, and dishonesty in the world, one's philosophical job is to refuse to embody these same traits, preventing enemies from winning by corrupting your character.
Summary
The transcript explores the philosophy of revenge through the lens of Marcus Aurelius's meditations. The speaker notes that even the most powerful person in the world could enact heinous revenge, but Marcus Aurelius reminds himself that the superior approach is to not become like your enemy. The speaker observes corruption, cruelty, and dishonesty in the world and acknowledges that as a citizen, there is a civic duty to vote against these things and speak out against them. However, the more fundamental philosophical responsibility is personal: to refuse to embody these negative qualities yourself. The speaker emphasizes that if you allow the negativity around you to make you feel and act like those you oppose, then 'they are winning'—meaning your enemies have successfully corrupted you. The transcript references Stoic philosophy, suggesting that true victory and power come from maintaining command over yourself and your character rather than seeking external revenge.
Key Insights
- The speaker argues that the best revenge is refusing to become like your enemy, rather than retaliating against them
- The speaker identifies three things they oppose in the world: corruption, cruelty, and dishonesty
- The speaker distinguishes between civic duty (voting and speaking against wrongdoing) and philosophical duty (not embodying those same negative qualities)
- The speaker claims that if you allow negativity around you to change how you feel and behave, your enemies have achieved victory by corrupting your character
- Stoic philosophy holds that the greatest power is command of oneself
Topics
Transcript
[0:00] One of the things Mark Shu talks about in meditations, he talks about revenge a lot. You can imagine the most powerful man in the world, if he wants to get revenge on someone, he can do some pretty heinous things to people. But he tries to remind himself the best revenge is to not be like your enemy. I look out at the world and I go, I don't like the corruption. I don't like the cruelty. I don't like the dishonesty. I don't like any of this. Obviously, as a citizen, my job is to vote against those things, to speak out against those things. But my main job as a person philosophically is to not be…
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