Recently NFL running back, Rashard Mendenhall retired from
the game of football at the young age of 26. A lot of people began asking him
the big question “why stop playing? You are only 26 and still healthy. You are
walking away from millions of dollars!” And in an interview with him about his
decision to leave the game on the Huffington Post website, he gives a lot of
answers that even though he may not think of it or know are quite stoic like
and not surprising some that are not very stoic like. Ill start off with the
not so stoic things he said.
He made some comments on how he never really let criticism
of non-supporters bother him, which is a very stoic thing as it is something
you cannot control. He then went to say, “That was until I realized that it actually had an impact
my career. Over my career, I would learn that everything people say behind
these computer and smartphones actually shape the perception of you -- the
brand, the athlete and the person. Go figure!” even if it does effect your
career what other people think a stoic would believe that that should not hold
you up or get hung up on what these people think. He then gets into what he
does not like about the NFL, which more highlights his stoic views.
He
thinks that it has become an entertainment business, he later quotes his
brother who is a high school football coach who said, “These kids don't want to
work hard. All they wanna do is look cool, celebrate after plays, and get more
followers on Instagram!" he replied by saying they might actually have it
figured it out. This compares with a stoic life because you should not live
life just wanting to look cool and continuously worry about what others think
of you, it should be about working hard to become the best you can be. Another
quote from him that models this is when he states “My focus has always been on
becoming a better me, not a second-rate somebody else.” When question on his
love for the game he replies saying, “I do. I always have. I am an athlete and
a competitor.” “I feel like I've done it all. I've been to two Super Bowls;
made a bunch of money; had a lot of success; traveled all over the country and
overseas; met some really cool people; made lasting relationships; had the
opportunity to give back to causes close to my heart; and have been able to
share my experiences and wisdom with friends, family and people all over the
world.”
He
loves the game clearly but does not excessive love the game to where he needs
to keep playing to satisfy life. He was able to take control and choose to
retire from the game still in a healthy state. Stoic I believe would look at
that as honorable because he exercised his choice in life of something he can
control. This I think is comparable to stoics idea on taking ones own life,
although not the same thing they believe suicide is honorable if you are put
into a situation that might keep you from living a virtuous life and done what
you need to in life also in the sense of being able to have control over
choice. Lets say him retiring is like him taking his own life. Gruesome, I know
but the comparison makes sense. He made the choice to leave the game because he
did not see a need in it anymore the way it is now just sacrificing his self
for the entertainment of others, which is a circumstance that he was in that he
believed would make him live a less virtuous life. He also believed that he has
accomplished a lot of greatness in the game of football. This relates to a
quote from Letters From a Stoic by
Seneca that says, “It doesn’t matter how long the action is, but how good the
acting is.” So even though he is retiring early, what matters is that he
accomplished a lot in that little amount of time. Giving more justification to
him under his own choice leaving the game of football. A lot of his response
just give the idea of rationality and reason that the stoics live by. Last
thing where he shows his reason comes toward the end of the interview when he
says “I think about the rest of my life and I want to live it with much
quality. And physically, I am grateful that I can walk away feeling as good as
I did when I stepped into it.” He shows good reason in something he can control
which is living a quality life after football instead of staying and maybe
taking on abuse that later could hinder his life. Although that is not totally
stoic like because he is thinking mostly of the future, he is making rational
choices that can put him in better situations for quality of life.
Read
the full interview at http://www.huffingtonpost.com/rashard-mendenhall/rashard-mendenhall-retirement-_b_4931316.html
Citation:
Seneca,
Lucius Annaeus, and Elaine Fantham. Letters From a Stoic. Oxford: Oxford
University Press, 2003. Print.
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