It is a beloved Jewish teaching that when it comes to spiritual service and growth, one can learn lessons from every person. For example, the 18th century mystic Reb Zusha said that from a child, one can learn to never sit still and to keep striving for what he wants. From a thief, one can learn to keep trying to attain the “treasure” (that is, spiritual growth)—if a thief fails one night, he will try the next night, and so on.
The same holds true for the path of one’s psycho-emotional growth. When it comes to recovery, whether it is recovery from a mental illness or an addiction, one can learn a lot from all kinds of people. Even from a rather violent (though compelling), figure currently in the public’s eye, the ancient gladiator, Spartacus.
The character of a warrior (or gladiator), in general, and the freedom-fighting gladiator Spartacus in particular, offers many points of instruction for those struggling with emotional health.
In our friend Barry Strauss’s beautifully written history, The Spartacus War, the very real man Spartacus (as opposed to the dramatic character beloved by filmmakers and audiences), comes vividly to life. Though portrayed in popular entertainment as well as some historical sources as a “man of passion, thirsting for freedom and burning for revenge,” Strauss says that Spartacus’s actions actually “tell a different story”:
Read the entire blog post at Psychentral.com on the Therapy Soup blog.
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