XIII. Do Not Do Too Much

A practical warning about the extent of your commitments.

Democritus wrote that a person who wants to live in peace should not do too much, either in public life or in private. He was talking about unnecessary things, the obligations we accept without thinking, the meetings we agree to without reason, the social performances that cost time and give nothing back.

When something is genuinely necessary, do it. Not just a lot of it, but everything required, tirelessly, completely. When nothing is calling you to act, stay still.

When you do commit to things, hold your certainty lightly. Say: I will do this unless something prevents me. I will be there unless something comes up. I expect this to work unless it does not.

This is not weakness or lack of commitment. It is honesty about how much control you actually have. The wise person is not someone to whom nothing unexpected happens. They are someone who has already accounted for the possibility of the unexpected, so that when it arrives, it does not shatter them.

Fortune is always present. She does not announce herself. The only sensible response is to act on your best plan while knowing that the plan might meet resistance, and to remain calm when it does.