You Need To Be Imbalanced

Book IV of Discourses And Selected Writings finds slave-turned-teacher and philosopher Epictetus describing the necessary dichotomies that accompany deciding who one wants to be. In the constructively-direct manner so distinctive of Stoic writing, his diatribe leaves no room for misinterpretation.

“And if you are committed to making progress and ready to devote yourself to the effort, then give up everything else," Epictetus urges. "Otherwise your ambivalence will only ensure that you don’t make progress. [...] To the extent you cultivate one [area] you will fall short in the other.”

The Stoics pulled no punches, and in our chosen pursuits, nor should we. A life of consequence is one of vicious imbalance—the aim being imbalance toward that which you deem most significant (temporarily or perpetually), and relative indifference toward the rest. Engaging this concept productively requires clarity in what the season demands, and of what you demand of the season.

Doing what few do requires embracing what few embrace, including that of meaningful progress anywhere requiring conscious disengagement elsewhere.

Training for a marathon requires one type of discipline, positioning oneself for a promotion or raising children, others still. Any endowed responsibility or meaningful pursuit will require periods of imbalance in the direction of your primary intent.

You're only pained by what you "missed out" on when you don't fully believe in what you were trying to gain. For this reason, know what it is you're trying to gain. Be necessarily imbalanced along the way.

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