The Stoic Guide to Control and Fate
The Dichotomy of Control and Amor Fati
This week I have been reading about Epictetus who wrote about how we can live more harmoniously by taking responsibility for the things we can control. Every other thing we can not control are not worth thinking about.
Insightful Article: The Dichotomy of Control
Visual Inspiration: Where to Expend Energy
Conceptual Framework: Practice Amor Fati
Powerful Quote: Slave turned Philosopher, Epictetus
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The Dichotomy of Control
Stoic-philosopher Epictetus wrote about the Dichotomy of Control which poses that there exists two types of problems:
Things you can control
Things you can’t control
Those that are within our control should be given our full attention and mental energy; our beliefs, our judgement, our actions, our mood, our decisions, our desires.
And we have zero control on things like the economy, politics, the weather. Yet we let those things get us down and frustrate us.
This fantastic article translates a chapter from The Enchiridion and shares a three step framework for practical application of the Dichotomy of Control.
The intersection of where you should expend your energy
Practice Amor Fati
Amor Fati, first written by Nietzsche, is a mindset that draws close parallels to stoic virtues.
Translated to ‘Love of Fate’, Amor Fati is the embrace of whatever outcome may be bestowed upon us. To truly accept that things are out of our control which can lead to outcomes that can be good or bad for us.
Not just to accept fate but to love fate and then to play the hand you’re dealt.
Amor Fati forces us to focus on our inputs, the things we can control, and forget about the outcome which is out of our control.
It pushes us away from wishing things were different to accepting that this is the way things are and then doing something about it.
Powerful Quote of the Week
“Happiness and freedom begin with a clear understanding of one principle: Some things are within our control, and some things are not.” - Epictetus
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