All We Control Is The Beginning of Things

<p>Clearly the Stoics were <em>doers.</em> They ran for public office. They fought in the army. They started business ventures. They created artistic works. How can this fit, though, with what <a href='https://dailystoic.com/marcus-aurelius/?utm_source=convertkit&amp;utm_medium=convertkit&amp;utm_campaign=all-we-control'>Marcus</a> called “<a href='https://dailystoic.com/how-to-not-fear-death/?utm_source=convertkit&amp;utm_medium=convertkit&amp;utm_campaign=all-we-control'>the art of acquiescence</a>?” Isn’t this resignation a contradiction? If you believe in a kind of predetermination, why bother?</p><p>Perhaps the way through this puzzle is best captured in a quote from Democritus, a pre-Socratic philosopher admired by the Stoics (<a href='https://dailystoic.com/seneca/?utm_source=convertkit&amp;utm_medium=convertkit&amp;utm_campaign=all-we-control'>Seneca most of all</a>). Democritus said, “Boldness is the beginning of action. But fortune controls how it ends.”</p><p>What that means is that the Stoic believes in their power to, say, write a book, but not in their power to determine whether people will like it or buy a lot of copies of it. A Stoic will fight bravely in battle but know that the outcome is determined by so many other things. They will run for office, they will start a business, they will compete in an athletic event—but whether they win? That’s not up to them. Whether they give it their best, boldest, and hardest effort? Well, that is. </p><p>That’s the message for today—in fact, it’s the perfect message for today, as we begin a new year and a new decade. All we control are the beginnings of things. We control how we start. We control our first move<em>.</em> Whether we say hello to a pretty stranger, but not whether they reciprocate. We can make the pitch, or the apology, <a href='https://prints.dailystoic.com/products/amor-fati-medallion-1?utm_source=convertkit&amp;utm_medium=convertkit&amp;utm_campaign=all-we-control'>but fortune controls whether its accepted</a>. We can plan the trip, but not