There were big moments in history where the Stoics—men and women we admire—made the wrong call. Cato self-righteously turned down an alliance with Pompey and thus drove him into the arms of Caesar (a story told in Right Thing Right Now). Seneca wavered, covered for, and continued to serve Nero (check out James Romm’s excellent book on this). Rusticus sentenced Justin Martyr to a gruesome death. Marcus Aurelius allowed the persecution of the Christians.

In her fascinating book on Pontius Pilate (which we’ve raved about and also had her on the podcast), Ann Wroe quotes the former British PM Tony Blair on what Pilate represents. “He commands our moral attention,” Blair explains, “not because he was a bad man, but because he was so nearly a good man. One can imagine him agonizing, seeing that Jesus had done nothing wrong, and wishing to release him. Just as easily, however, one can envisage Pilate’s advisers telling him of the risks, warning him not to cause a riot or inflame Jewish opinion. It is a timeless parable of political life.”

Seneca knowing that Nero was awful and unfit but telling himself he was a moderating influence (we have a great podcast on this complex too). Rusticus, whose story we tell in Lives of the Stoics, told himself that the law was the law, it was out of his hands. Cicero declined to pick a side in Rome’s civil wars, putting his finger to the wind like a politician. These Stoics were tested and they made the wrong call.

They command our moral attention because they could have done differently. We are them and they are us. Life puts us all in these situations, subjects us to these tests. Marcus Aurelius said that what mattered was that we did the right thing, whether we were tired or hungry, cold or well-rested, despised or loved. But the reality shows us how hard this actually is.

Their example humbles us. Teaches us. Shows us the costs of falling short.