The trichotomy of control
Can the Stoics help us worry less?
The sum of zero
Have you ever worked exceptionally hard to achieve something and felt utterly crestfallen when you were unable to get it? Worse still, have you ever strived to achieve something, yet when you do, it leaves an ultimately hollow feeling?
These feelings are common. Humans are hardwired to be insatiable: our eternal dissatisfaction has moved humanity ever forward, but it can also play havoc on our minds.
Your parents may have once told you to enjoy the journey rather than seeking a goal, and there is truth in that statement.
In fact, I was reminded of this when reading the story of Steve House and Vince Anderson completing the first alpine style ascent — that is, without fixed ropes, carrying all of their equipment, and without leaving anything on the mountain — of the Rupal Face of Nanga Parbat.
“Success is the sum of zero. The choices we made, the weather we had, the mountain we climbed and descended, everything we risked: all these factors reached their culmination… and were erased. We lived the answer to every question presented. There is nothing left to ask. There is nothing left of our selves, only the ghost of what transformed us.”
