SR04 · Module
Dichotomy and Trichotomy of Control
Sorting all things into what is up to us and what is not up to us (Epictetus, Enchiridion 1), the Stoic archer metaphor (Cicero, Antipater), preferred indifferents, and fair accountability under moral luck (Nagel, Williams).
Cues
Showing 9 of 9 cues
“A man's shortcomings are taken from his epoch; his virtues and greatness belong to himself.”
“Make the best use of what is in your power, and take the rest as it happens. Some things are up to us and some things are not up to us.”
“The work of changing - indeed, the work of living - cannot be done on one’s behalf by another person ... We can learn important lessons from those who have gone before us ... But, ultimately, each of us faces a unique configuration of challenges and a very personal responsibility for the choices we make in moving onward with our lives. We have only partial information, limited understanding, and imperfect control.”
“Always to seek to conquer myself rather than fortune, to change my desires rather than the order of the world, and generally to believe that nothing except our thoughts is wholly under our control, so that after we have done our best in external matters, what remains to be done is absolutely impossible, at least as far as we are concerned.”
“Some things are up to us and some are not up to us. Our opinions are up to us, and our impulses, desires, aversions - in short, whatever is our own doing. Our bodies are not up to us, nor are our possessions, our reputations, or our public offices ...”
Holding agency and moral luck in tension
Even if we retreat from outcomes to judge only inner character and intention, constitutive luck is already at work there; yet if we excuse everything due to luck, human agency vanishes, so we must hold personal responsibility and compassion for luck together.
The Stoic archer and preferred indifferents
Like an archer who controls his training, aim and release but not the wind or target once the arrow leaves the bow, we control our health and work habits but not genes, illness or outcomes; health and wealth are preferred indifferents, but worth lies in what we do with the situation.
Philosophy as a way of life
In the ancient Stoic sense, a philosopher is not an academic theorist but a practitioner of the art of living who masters inner discourse rather than tethering contentment to worldly success and luck.
FrameworkSelf-discipline and impulse controlStatus anxiety and wealth comparison4 more related links
Life as a game of dice
The conditions of our existence at any moment are like dice already thrown: the roll cannot be changed and must be accepted, while how skillfully we play the dice after they fall is entirely up to us.