Epictetus has an interesting metaphor that explains the unique way the Stoics understood free will:
“Keep in mind that you are an actor in a play that is just the way the producer wants it to be. It is short, if that is his wish, or long, if he wants it long. If we wants you to act the part of a beggar, see that you play it skillfully, and similarly, if the part is to be a cripple, or an official, or a private person. Your job is to put on a splendid performance of the role you have been given.”
If we look at how actors approach their profession, there is actually a lot to learn from them. Because actors love acting, but it’s also a reality of the business that not all the opportunities they get to act will be with good material, nor do they control how well their fellow cast members perform (and what of movies that run out of funding or aren’t edited or marketed properly?). The point is: An actor has to learn how to focus entirely on their own performance. All they can do is deliver the hell out of their lines, and learn to let go of the rest.
That’s basically how the Stoics saw life. We don’t control where we were born or who our parents are or what color our skin is. We control how other people treat us about as well as we control the weather, which is to say not at all. We only control what we do with the material we were given.
But what if we explore those Hollywood and Broadway worlds a little bit further? What do great actors often go on to do? They teach themselves how to write, how to produce, how to direct. Or they use the money and fame they’ve earned from the stage or the screen as leverage to get better roles and better collaborators.
This too tracks to life. Yes, so much of it is out of our control. But we have a lot more agency than some people think. We can, through determination and skill, learn how to shape our own destiny. Control it? No. Shape it? Yes.
But that starts by turning in a splendid performance in our initial roles, even when we think no one is watching.
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