Figs, Fate, and When to Quit (Meditations 4.6)

Practical Stoicism

This week I reflect on Meditations 4.6 and consider whether Marcus is really writing about death—or if he's reminding himself of the silliness of resisting what naturally unfolds. I explore the Stoic view of fate through the lens of the causal chain and point out where I think Stoicism allows some space for personal agency and emotional response. We also address the human tendency to lament things we cannot change, and I explain why indulging in that lamentation holds us back from our progress toward virtue.

In the second half of the episode, I respond to a thoughtful listener question about how to let go of responsibilities when you've taken on too much. We dig into the difference between permanent and elective roles, what Stoicism asks of us when it comes to stepping away from duties, and how to abandon certain roles without abandoning our moral character in the process.

“These are natural and necessary results from creatures of this kind, and one who wants this to be otherwise wants the fig-tree not to yield its acrid juice. And in general remember this, that within a very little while both he and you will be dead, and a little after not even your name nor his will be left.”
— Meditations 4.6

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