In 2017, the New England Patriots were down 28-3 to the Atlanta Falcons in the third quarter of the Super Bowl. It had not been a good game. Fans had already begun to write the Patriots off. Announcers had serious doubts as to whether a comeback was possible. But somehow, against all odds, the Patriots would come back to win that game in one of the greatest victories in all of sports.
How was that possible? When we interviewed Martellus Bennett for the Daily Stoic podcast a few months ago, he had one explanation for how his team had managed to pull off such an incredible upset. New England, he said, was never rattled. They had practiced for so many different scenarios that being down that much didn’t crack their self confidence. In fact, he said that the team was so prepared for the Super Bowl that they had, in the weeks before the game, even practiced for the longer halftime. They had literally rehearsed what they would do with something as basic as 15 additional minutes of waiting between halves. It was actually easy to go back out on the field and do what they needed to do to win. They just had to revert back to their training.
To the Stoic, this makes perfect sense. Remember: Seneca said that misfortune lands most heavily when it was not expected. The idea of practicing, envisioning, training for all the contingencies of life, of a game, of a trying situation? This is how we ensure we’re able to navigate it correctly. Winging it? That’s for amateurs. Pros? The Patriots? They prepare.
We need to follow this example. Premeditatio malorum is not about tempting fate. It’s about being ready for any fate. Positive visualization without negative visualization is just dreaming—it’s fantasy. Visualization without preparation, without work? It’s worthless.
You have to practice. You have to be ready. For any of it. For whatever it is that your life may bring. Or you’re going to get crushed.
P.S. This was originally sent on January 29, 2021. Sign up today for the Daily Stoic’s email and get our popular free 7-day course on Stoicism.
