The Little Book of Stoicism

Practice 35

It’s the Same Old Things

“Everything that happens is as simple and familiar as the rose in spring, the fruit in summer: disease, death, blasphemy, conspiracy . . . everything that makes stupid people happy or angry.” – Marcus Aurelius

“One generation passeth away, and another generation cometh: but the earth abideth forever.” Although this could be from Marcus Aurelius, it’s actually from the Bible.

Things have always been the same. Human beings have been doing what they do. Certain attitudes and practices have come and gone, but people and lives have always been the same—marrying, raising children, falling ill, dying, fighting, crying, laughing, feasting, pretending, grumbling, falling in love, lusting, and philosophizing.

Nothing new. The things are the same as ten generations ago, and will be the same in future generations. Seneca, Epictetus, and Marcus Aurelius had the same struggles as we’re having two thousand years later, that’s why their texts are still so relevant today.

Marcus reminds us that everything keeps recurring. “Evil: the same old thing. No matter what happens, keep this in mind: It’s the same old thing, from one end of the world to the other. It fills the history books, ancient and modern, and the cities, and the houses too. Nothing new at all.”

It’s easy to believe that what’s happening now is special. But as strong people, we must resist this notion, and be aware that with a few exceptions, things are the same as they’ve always been and always will be. The same old things.

We’re just like the people who came before us. We’re just brief stopovers until other people just like us will come when we’re gone. The earth abides forever, but we will come and go.

Before you take things too seriously, remind yourself that things that happen to you are not special. Hundreds have experienced it before you, and hundreds more will once you’re gone.

Sorry to tell you, but you’re not so special. What happens to you is not so special. How you behave is not so special.

This might help you put things in perspective. And not take everything so seriously. And not take yourself too seriously. It’s the same old things.

Also, this is another reason why we shouldn’t be surprised at trifles—those things happen again and again, we might want to be aware of that. Things break, people die, games get lost, people fail—as the rose in spring and the fruits in summer—things will always recur.