The Flow of Life

[from the Stoa app]

Whatever happens, love fate. Amor fati

There is a well-known Taoist fable of a farmer: One day the farmer’s horse ran away. Upon hearing the news his neighbours came to visit. “we're so sorry bad luck” they said . “Maybe” the farmer replied.

The next morning the horse returned. It brought three other wild horses. “Wow, that's great” the neighbours exclaimed. “Maybe” said the farmer.

The following day, the farmer’s son broke his leg while training a new horse. The farmers neighbours returned, to offer their pity. They said, “We're so sorry. Bad luck in the end”. “Maybe” answered the farmer.

The day after, military officials came to the village to recruit young men. Seeing that the farmer’s son’s leg was broekn, they didn’t draft him. The neighbours the farmer.

“In the end it was a happy story after all”! They said “Maybe”

The farmer internalise the Stoic Seneca’s maxim that we should treat fortune as if anything that is within her power will come to pass.

He does not trust prosperity nor despair at bad luck.

The German philosopher Friedrich Nietzche would add one detail to the story: we should enthusiastically say yes to life. The farmer accepts whatever happens.

He lets things come, lets them be, and lets them go.

In the farmer’s fashion we can all learn to respond to life with a little more “maybe”. But, does he willingly accept it?

It does not seem like the farmer loves fate.

Perhaps for me it is this detail that has always left something to be desired from this story. As Nietzsche writes; “My formula for what is great, amor fati: not to wish for anything other than which is; whether behind, ahead or for all eternity. Not just to put up with you inevitable-much less to hide it from oneself, for all idealism is lying to oneself in the face of the necessary-but to love it”.

The level of acceptance is enthusiastic acceptance.

The best people don't just tolerate the way things are, they embrace reality.

They see what is true, good, and beautiful in it.

You can do this by imagining yourself willing reality into existence.

In a real way, you do.

You've decided to stay here, alive.

You could leave at any moment.

You are responsible for who you are.

Everything else is outside of you - resisting it is futile.

Like the former, you cannot control the winds of fortune. Keep this in mind as you go throughout your day.