A Shiny Offer

[DISCLAIMER]

Photo credit, fair use

When serving in the United States Marine Corps, I was keenly aware of predatory practices by off-base merchants who offered shiny items with the promise of debt bondage (the pledge of a person’s services as security for the repayment for a debt or other obligation).

As an example, car dealerships offered shiny new muscle cars with interest rates ranging up to 30%. Many young Marines gladly fastened their own chains and shackles in the form of indebtedness, all while driving vehicles which depreciated in value upon exiting the dealer’s lot.

Fortunately for me, I grew up in poverty (no pun intended). Therefore, I valued what little money I made. As such, I avoided the temptation of a shiny offer. When further contemplating this matter, a book that I’ve been steadily reading comes to mind.

As Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT) is informed by Stoic philosophy, this blog entry is part of an ongoing series regarding a book entitled The Daily Stoic: 366 Meditations on Wisdom, Perseverance, and the Art of Living by Ryan Holiday and Stephen Hanselman.

The authors quote ancient Stoic philosopher Seneca from his Roman tragedy with a Greek subject, Thyestes. “Atreus: Who would reject the flood of fortune’s gifts? Thyestes: Anyone who has experienced how easily they flow back” (page 120).

What junior Marine would dare to reject a shiny offer in the form of a brand new muscle car with which one may impress others? Anyone who understood how effortlessly one’s wealth departs from foolish behavior! About this matter, authors of The Daily Stoic state (page 120):

Thyestes is one of Seneca’s darkest and most disturbing plays. Even two thousand years later it remains a classic of the revenge genre. Without spoiling it, the quote above comes from the scene in which Atreus is attempting to lure his hated brother Thyestes into a cruel trap by offering him tempting and generous gifts. At first, Thyestes declines, to the complete bafflement of his enemy.

When discussing my reasoning for not wanting debt bondage with the promise of attaining the adulation of others, a number of Marines seemed surprised. It’s as though they’d never contemplated what awaited them down the line when they could no longer afford their payments.

Personally, it was tempting to have what they had – to venture off base and sign away my paychecks. However, what other Marines couldn’t see and that I could was precisely what kept my behavior in check. Regarding this topic, authors of The Daily Stoic state (page 120):

We are typically surprised when someone turns down an expensive gift or a position of honor or success. General William T. Sherman emphatically rejected offers to run for president of the United States, saying at one point: “I will not accept if nominated and will not serve if elected.” If his friend Ulysses S. Grant had made such a “Shermanesque statement” (as such rejections are now known), Grant certainly would have preserved his own legacy from the disastrous turn of events it suffered.

I appreciate Sherman’s quote. In similar fashion, I refused to willingly place chains and shackles on myself all for the sake of a shiny offer. Unwisely, many other Marines didn’t do the same. Concluding their examination of this matter, authors of The Daily Stoic state (page 120):

Despite his initial misgivings, Thyestes is ultimately tempted and persuaded to accept “fortune’s gifts,” . . . which turned out to be a ruse hiding devastating tragedy. Not every opportunity is fraught with danger, but the play was intended to remind us that our attraction toward what is new and shiny can lead us into serious trouble.

When considering this psychoeducational lesson, I invite you to think about a shiny offer you’ve once accepted and which didn’t serve well your interests and goals. Apply that example to your life in this moment, moving forward. After all, you don’t have to endure debt bondage (of sorts).

If you’re looking for a provider who tries to work to help understand how thinking impacts physical, mental, emotional, and behavioral elements of your life—helping you to sharpen your critical thinking skills, I invite you to reach out today by using the contact widget on my website.

As a psychotherapist, I’m pleased to try to help people with an assortment of issues ranging from anger (hostility, rage, and aggression) to relational issues, adjustment matters, trauma experience, justice involvement, attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, anxiety and depression, and other mood or personality-related matters.

At Hollings Therapy, LLC, serving all of Texas, I aim to treat clients with dignity and respect while offering a multi-lensed approach to the practice of psychotherapy and life coaching. My mission includes: Prioritizing the cognitive and emotive needs of clients, an overall reduction in client suffering, and supporting sustainable growth for the clients I serve. Rather than simply trying to help you to feel better, I want to try to help you get better!

Deric Hollings, LPC, LCSW

References:

Daily Stoic. (n.d.). Translating the Stoics: An interview with “The Daily Stoic” co-author Stephen Hanselman. Retrieved from https://dailystoic.com/stephen-hanselman-interview/

Holiday, R. and Hanselman, S. (2016). The daily stoic: 366 meditations on wisdom, perseverance, and the art of living. Penguin Random House LLC. Retrieved from https://www.pdfdrive.com/the-daily-stoic-366-meditations-on-wisdom-perseverance-and-the-art-of-living-d61378067.html

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