Time has a Way of Humbling Us

<p><a href="https://www.thepaintedporch.com/products/philosophy13?_pos=1&amp;_sid=da053fa02&amp;_ss=r" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">In several of Seneca’s letters</a> he speaks about the power of bloodletting as a medical practice. In one, he actually remarks—with some superiority—how earlier generations had not yet discovered bloodletting and suffered for it.</p><p><a href="https://dailystoic.com/marcus-aurelius/?utm_source=convertkit&amp;utm_medium=convertkit&amp;utm_campaign=what-if-wrong" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Marcus Aurelius</a> hints at some other medical practices. He speaks of the treatment for ophthalmia—inflammation of the eye—and how doctors treated it with a bit of egg yolk. We also know that his doctor Galen gave Marcus opium for various pains and illnesses in old age.</p><p>Needless to say, none of these treatments are accepted or prescribed anymore. It’s interesting that the Stoics, who were so good at extrapolating out from the past, didn’t take a lesson from this—that so much of what we are certain about today will be disproven in the future. The point is (and it’s a point well made in Chuck Klosterman’s book <a href="https://geni.us/xxkCY1" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>But What If We’re Wrong?</em></a>) that we should always be questioning the status quo—and majority opinion.</p><p>Want Stoic wisdom delivered to your inbox daily? Sign up for the FREE Daily Stoic email at&nbsp;<a href="https://dailystoic.com/dailyemail" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://dailystoic.com/dailyemail</a></p><p>Get Stoic inspired books, medallions, and prints to remember these lessons at the Daily Stoic Store:&nbsp;<a href="https://store.dailystoic.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://store.dailystoic.com/</a></p><p>Follow us:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.instagram.com/dailystoic/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Instagram</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/dailystoic" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Twitt