“…man is like a dog tied to a moving wagon. If the dog refuses to run along with the wagon he will be dragged by it, yet the choice remains his: to run or be dragged.”
Marcus Aurelius in Meditations
There are many questions about what the new normal will look like, as more martial arts academies in various parts of the world start to open their doors following the Spring 2020 Coronavirus quarantine.
A few months away from a regular training schedule has proven difficult for martial artists and athletes alike (maybe more than some initially thought it would).
Beyond declining fitness levels and having one less outlet for competitive catharsis, time away provides an opportunity for reflection. Maybe questions like these came across your mind (they definitely crossed my mind once or twice).
- Where do I stand within the landscape of my sport?
- How does my sport of martial art contribute to the forming and maintenance of my identity?
- How much is my sport or martial art contributing to my social well-being?
The truth is, taking time off from your routine sucks – especially when it’s designed around pursuing your passion or making the most of your time.
Reframing is a powerful psychological tool you can use to see unfortunate situations in a more positive way, but sometimes you just have to call the situation for what it is: unfortunate, shitty, annoying, and maybe even tragic or terrible.
That’s life. Try to escape the inevitable challenges life throws at you and you will end up face down on the pavement, wondering what went wrong.
Stoic philosophers sought to understand the inescapable hardships that come with being a human, using their teachings and knowledge to navigate life with their heads held high – regardless of the situation in front of them.
Here’s what we can learn from the stoics.
The Paradox of Stoicism
Stoicism is rooted in the idea that the world is organized in a rational and coherent way.
The universe, and all the individuals within it, is controlled and directed by an underlying force called the logos.
In this sense, stoic philosophy seems to be deterministic, meaning events and outcomes are determined by pre-existing causes. That doesn’t leave much room for free will.
If something bad happens to you, then the stoics believed that it was meant to happen. There’s nothing you can do about that.
Yet stoicism also stresses free will, and the individual’s ability to choose how they react to a given situation, even if that situation is inevitable.
How can these two ideas coexist?
The Analogy for Stoic Philosophy
“…man is like a dog tied to a moving wagon. If the dog refuses to run along with the wagon he will be dragged by it, yet the choice remains his: to run or be dragged.”
You get to choose how you react to every situation in life. As a martial artist and athlete, it’s important to acknowledge the inevitability of future setbacks and obstacles.
This doesn’t mean we should forget the present to worry about the hardships and misfortunes of tomorrow, but instead that we ought to stay ready to deal with what we know will surely be coming our way: adversity.
What if a second wave of the Coronavirus, or some other major world issue, forces you back home and forces your gym to close again?
Will you find a way to train, improve, and stay in shape at home? Or will you allow yourself to become overweight, complacent, and unskilled?
Will you run along the wagon or be dragged by it?
What if you return to training and get a serious injury that requires a lengthy recovery?
Will you put everything you have into the rehab to come back stronger? Or give up in the face of a lengthy recovery because of how much time and energy are required just to get back to baseline?
Will you run along the wagon or be dragged by it?
What if your return to training is significantly more difficult than you first thought, or your return to competition results in an embarrassing loss?
Will you get back to the drawing board and try make up for lost time? Or will you go with the flow and tell yourself this sport just isn’t for you anymore?
Will you run along the wagon or be dragged by it?
Flinch or Flex
So, what will it be?
If obstacles, challenges, and hardships are inevitable parts of life, why do we resist adversity so much?
Stoic philosophers understood that not only adversity, but change in general, is a very necessary part of life. Here’s another pertinent quote from Marcus Aurelius’ Meditations.
“Frightened of change? But what can exist without it?
What’s closer to nature’s heart? Can you take a bath and leave the firewood as it was? Eat food without transforming it? Can any vital process take place without something being changed?
Can’t you see? It’s just the same with you – and just as vital to nature.”
When you stand up to life, will you be ready to flex or ready to flinch?
If you know there will be a battle to be fought, will you stay ready or act surprised when the first aggressive advances are made?
Life as a martial artist and athlete won’t get much easier following the Corona-quarantine. For the most part, life does not get easier as we get older (at least, that’s what I’ve been noticing and that’s what I’ve learned from others so far).
No, life does not get easier – instead, we become better at dealing with life.
To flinch or to flex?
Whenever I am doubtful, I return to stoic philosophy and am comforted by the inevitability of the challenges ahead, and the sobering reality that I get to jog beside the wagon instead of being dragged by it.
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