The Only Thing Worth Fearing

As the Stoics iterate, all we control is our output—our efforts and what we think of them. Epictetus depicts this effectively in Discourses and Selected Writings when he shares the example of a performing musician who errs only when he succumbs to the illusion that he actually had any control whatsoever over the audience's reception.

Epictetus goes on to describe the physical manifestation of this illusion: nervousness—that pesky, sweat-inducing state in which suddenly all that matters is another’s perception of you. It’s as absurd as it is natural. As Shakespeare famously wrote, "all the world’s a stage," and the nature of being calls us to perform daily.

In knowing this, we’re left with only one way to overcome the potentially debilitating states of nervousness and anxiety: acknowledging that our peace must begin and end with our efforts alone. This frees us from expectation, allowing us a clear space to determine what fears are worth possessing.

And so, what is worth fearing? Living in a diminished state should your worst fears come true. The power of cognition is the ability to anticipate—to imagine, visualize, and prepare. The Stoics were masters at reminding themselves of how easily anything could change at any moment, and trained a sort of proactive resilience as a result.

Fear not being ready for whatever it is you refuse to anticipate; prepare now.

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