You might think that every little boy would want to be king, but Marcus Aurelius didn’t.
That’s the opening line in our fable The Boy Who Would Be King (we’re celebrating its fifth anniversary this month—you can get your signed copy here!), and it’s true. Marcus Aurelius supposedly wept when he found out he would be emperor…because he knew how many bad kings there had been in history (also, more sweetly, since he was just a boy, he did not want to move out of his mother’s house).
Although Marcus Aurelius had lost his father at age 3, it’s clear that he came from good stock and that his parents and grandparents had done a good job raising him. He was wary of power and did not lust for it. He wanted a quieter life. He did not prize fame or attention or wealth.
Why is it that so many of us try to impress ambition on our kids? Why are we trying to push them to become famous or powerful? Have we not seen the people who tend to get to these positions? Have we not seen how it works out for them?
There is nothing wrong with humility. There is nothing wrong with having a quiet life and a modest, fulfilling job. There is nothing wrong with not being a household name or not being super wealthy.
The goal should be happiness, whatever that might look like for our kids. Let’s not pressure them into a different direction for our own reasons, but support them on the path they choose for themselves. Always.
P.S. As mentioned, this month marks the five-year publishing anniversary of our fable The Boy Who Would Be King. It’s about the journey of a young boy who was chosen as the next emperor and, by training himself through philosophy, would go on to become one of the wisest and virtuous leaders in history (much like Marcus Aurelius). The parable is meant to explore what can happen when life calls us to something—do we rise to the challenge and achieve the greatness within us? It’s a theme to revisit and think about often, whether applying it to our own lives or in remembering it accordingly as we raise our kids.
