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February 4th

ON BEING INVINCIBLE

“Who then is invincible? The one who cannot be upset by anything

outside their reasoned choice.”

—EPICTETUS, DISCOURSES, 1.18.21

ave you ever watched a seasoned pro handle the media? No question
is too tough, no tone too pointed or insulting. They parry every blow
with humor, poise, and patience. Even when stung or provoked, they choose
not to flinch or react. They’re able to do this not only because of training
and experience, but because they understand that reacting emotionally will
only make the situation worse. The media is waiting for them to slip up or
get upset, so to successfully navigate press events they have internalized the
importance of keeping themselves under calm control.
It’s unlikely you’ll face a horde of probing reporters bombarding you
with insensitive questions today. But it might be helpful—whatever stresses
or frustrations or overload that do come your way—to picture that image
and use it as your model for dealing with them. Our reasoned choice—our
prohairesis, as the Stoics called it—is a kind of invincibility that we can
cultivate. We can shrug off hostile attacks and breeze through pressure or
problems. And, like our model, when we finish, we can point back into the
crowd and say, “Next!”