The Stoics were towering figures of their own time. Marcus Aurelius was cheered in the streets. Cato was widely admired. Musonius Rufus was called the Roman Socrates. Their reputations preceded them, as it should with anyone who takes their commitment to the virtues of courage and discipline and justice and wisdom seriously.
But how do we square these reputations, which the men obviously cultivated and worked hard not to betray, with the idea that a Stoic isn’t supposed to care about what others think? How can one simultaneously try to protect their good name…and be indifferent to what their name means to others? After all, isn’t being respected by people, being well-known for our skills and talents and character, something that’s outside of our control?
This paradox is perfectly solved, fittingly, in a play about Cato. Written by Joseph Addison in 1712, Cato was immensely popular in its time, in fact, it was constantly quoted by the Founding Fathers in pivotal moments during the American Revolution. The line says, “We can’t guarantee success, we can do something better, we can deserve it.”
The same goes for reputations. Nothing we do can ensure we get the reputation we deserve, but we can deserve a good one. We don’t know whether people will recognize our honesty or hard work or grace under pressure, so we shouldn’t worry about it. We should spend a lot of time trying to be honest, trying to be dedicated, trying to be poised. Whether a scientist’s groundbreaking ideas will be understood is not up to them. The time they spend in the laboratory, the time they spend trying to communicate their ideas? That’s up to them.
No one can guarantee you a reputation on par with Cato or Marcus or Musonius. But there’s something better out there–deserving one.The Stoics were towering figures of their own time. Marcus Aurelius was cheered in the streets. Cato was widely admired. Musonius Rufus was called the Roman Socrates. Their reputations preceded them, as it should with anyone who takes their commitment to the virtues of courage and discipline and justice and wisdom seriously.
But how do we square these reputations, which the men obviously cultivated and worked hard not to betray, with the idea that a Stoic isn’t supposed to care about what others think? How can one simultaneously try to protect their good name…and be indifferent to what their name means to others? After all, isn’t being respected by people, being well-known for our skills and talents and character, something that’s outside of our control?
This paradox is perfectly solved, fittingly, in a play about Cato. Written by Joseph Addison in 1712, Cato was immensely popular in its time, in fact, it was constantly quoted by the Founding Fathers in pivotal moments during the American Revolution. The line says, “We can’t guarantee success, we can do something better, we can deserve it.”
The same goes for reputations. Nothing we do can ensure we get the reputation we deserve, but we can deserve a good one. We don’t know whether people will recognize our honesty or hard work or grace under pressure, so we shouldn’t worry about it. We should spend a lot of time trying to be honest, trying to be dedicated, trying to be poised. Whether a scientist’s groundbreaking ideas will be understood is not up to them. The time they spend in the laboratory, the time they spend trying to communicate their ideas? That’s up to them.
No one can guarantee you a reputation on par with Cato or Marcus or Musonius. But there’s something better out there–deserving one.