"And this is why the end may be defined as life in accordance with Nature, or, in other words, in accordance with our own human nature as well as that of the universe, a life in which we refrain from every action forbidden by the law common to all things, that is to say, the right reason which pervades all things, and is identical with Zeus, lord and ruler of all that is.
"And this very thing constitutes the virtue of the happy man and the smooth current of life, when all actions promote the harmony of the spirit dwelling in the individual man with the will of him who orders the universe."
--Chrysippus, as cited by Diogenes Laertius, Lives of the Eminent Philosophers, 7.87
We are, I think, far too keen on creating dichotomy and conflict. It is one thing to employ words like peace and harmony, but quite another to put them into daily practice. Note how often we assume there must an obstacle in our paths, something to be conquered or defeated. In reality, the only thing that ever needs defeating is our own thinking and desire to defeat.
Nature is not some mysterious concept. Observe what something is, and thereby apprehend what perfects and completes it. Then view that thing in its rightful relationship to other things, seeing then how all things work together for a whole. If my own actions are in accord with my own nature, a being that is made to know the truth and love the good, those actions will also be in harmony with everyone and everything else around me.
No, there need be no conflict with my world. Even those things I assume to be somehow bad in Nature, like illness, suffering, or even death, play their own role in the good of the whole, and by our own choices we can participate in that good of the whole, taking all that is given us and turning it toward benefit.
The law common to all things is hardly obscure, though we may seek to ignore it in our vanity. It is, with no apology, a law of love, a reverence and respect for myself, for others, and for all things in the world, each in their rightful place.
I remember that I often avoided team sports as a child, not because I didn't enjoy the activity or the excitement, but because I didn't enjoy all the aggression and bickering that went with them. First, of course, one hated and derided the other team, and if we weren't winning, we started bickering among ourselves, freely casting blame and throwing about insults.
I knew already that I thought very differently. My opponent in a game is not my enemy, but I rarely found the sense of sportsmanship that respected the other players. I also learned that I understood winning very differently. Getting the most points was far less important to me than simply playing well for its own sake. I often noticed that if a score was so uneven that one side had no chance of victory, some players just gave up. Others, however, the ones I admired, continued to play the game with even more determination. They didn't stomp off yelling and cursing, but shook hands when they were bested.
It is worth noting that as in sport, so in life, and observe how different people choose very different standards of success and failure. A Stoic attitude, which is shared in common with all approaches of human decency, will not assume that people are intended to be in conflict with one another, that a good can only be achieved at the expense of others, or that anyone or anything is disposable. Harmony, a life of smooth current, is not a pipe dream. It is precisely what we are made for, and if someone else chooses not to live this way, I can still certainly do so.
Written on 8/2/2011
Image: Peter Apian, Cosmographia (1524)
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