“Indeed, how could exile be an obstacle to a person’s own cultivation, or to attaining virtue when no one has ever been cut off from learning or practicing what is needed by exile?”
MUSONIUS RUFUS, LECTURES, 9.37.30-31, 9.39.1
Sometimes fate or circumstance deals us a hand of cards that is less than ideal. We might not get outright exiled like today’s quote in The Daily Stoic speaks about… but all the same, certain avenues may become closed off to us. This can be hard to accept.
If this happens, we can’t abandon our quest to always be learning, which is the duty of anyone looking to improve themselves or follow the stoic path. Instead, we have to forge ahead and keep “working within whatever room is left” as author Ryan Holiday nicely states.
In truth, there’s always room for learning. Difficult situations are a great opportunity to test if we can look at the situation differently, and view it as a challenge instead of an obstacle. They are a chance to ‘learn through challenge’, if you will. What are you made of? You’ll soon find out! And you’ll learn a lot about yourself in the process.
If you find yourself “exiled” into a situation that seems to block you from your chosen path, instead of slamming into a wall and giving up… see what you can still get done. See what you can practice, and what you can learn about the situation and about life, and what you can discover about how you respond to struggles.
But above all else, never stop learning!
