The Kind of Opportunity You Should Always Say Yes To

<p><a href='https://dailystoic.com/marcus-aurelius/'>Marcus Aurelius</a> and <a href='https://dailystoic.com/seneca/'>Seneca</a> both made no secret of their objection to escapism. They both spoke negatively of people who frittered their existence away, chasing one tourist destination after another. Seneca likened these folks to someone tossing and turning in bed, just trying to get comfortable. Meanwhile, they were sleeping their lives away. The only real retreat could be found by looking inward, Marcus said, by escaping into your own soul. </p><p>So you might think that the Stoics were homebodies. Nothing could be further from the truth. <a href='https://dailystoic.com/cato/'>Cato</a> visited countless places across the vast expanse of the Roman empire. So did <a href='https://dailystoic.com/panaetius/'>Panaetius</a> and Cicero and Seneca. Marcus Aurelius traveled as far as Budapest, some 750 miles from Rome. When he said he was a citizen of the world, he meant it—for he had seen large swaths of it. It can hardly be said that he or any of the Stoics were overly inclined to stick close to home. </p><p>However, what the travels of all those Stoics tended to have in common is that they were mostly done as part of their official duties. Cato traveled to visit philosophers under whom he wanted to study. Cicero traveled for official postings in distant lands. “Life is warfare and a journey far from home,” Marcus wrote, likely from Carnuntum, a distant Roman fortress near the borders of present-day Austria and Slovakia. Unlike his stepfather Antoninus, who never left Italy, Marcus Aurelius was on the road a lot as Emperor. Although it wasn’t always pleasant, it undoubtedly influenced his philosophy and his world view. He could have sent someone else to inspect the troops on his behalf, but he chose to go. He almost always said “Yes” to the opportunity to explore and see places he hadn’t been to. </p><p><a href='https://dailystoic.com/stoic-response-wanderlust-travel-bug/'>And so should you</a>. Even if it’s only a tri