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By Root 1234 0

is that what is yours to take? Maybe. But Alcibiades died young, at about age forty-five, and is certainly not remembered as a good man, when he is remembered at all. Wisdom and philosophy do not counsel their students to grab the world by the throat and pummel it into sycophantic and terrified submission. Or even to try to change things very much. The exception is in the struggle against oppression. Situations can damage people terribly without killing them, and growing up in danger makes it nearly impossible to become okay. Ever seen what happens to the self-esteem and ability to function of a youngster who has been sexually molested; or what happens to someone who gets beaten regularly? To fight such tragedy, philosophers—usually from the oppressed group—do encourage heroic behavior. Most other heroic behavior is seen as foolhardy by philosophers. In Dostoyevsky’s Crime and Punishment, the “hero” is inspired by Napoleon to take what is his, which requires a first step, and the one he chooses is to get some money by a simple robbery. It works out badly. What he tried to take wasn’t his.

Choosing what to take as yours is rarely obvious as a well-worn path, but neither is it entirely unmarked. Erasmus wrote, in In Praise of Folly, “For the most part happiness consists in being willing to be what you are.” He has Folly add that “self-love has provided a shortcut.” He’s joking, but he still thinks it is best to love yourself, however you manage it. You have to be willing to be who you are. When we say that inside every fat person is a thin person dying to get out, we assume that no overweight person likes the body he or she sees in the mirror, and that cannot be true. A chubby family in a chubby town without much media is likely to feel just fine. Why not own being exactly what you are? A man walking down the street with a friendly Great Dane has got to allow himself to be a man walking down the street with a friendly Great Dane. Otherwise, he will be miserable and ridiculous. If he gets into the role, he may meet women! All sorts of people. He will become known around town as the Great Dane guy, which should not get in the way of his being whoever else he is the rest of the time. You can look in the mirror and accept playing a young person and later, with equal vigor, look in the mirror and accept playing an older person. What nonsense to prefer one role to the other. The blow of most awful shocks is accepting the fact that your old life is gone and now you are this blind guy, or this girl in a wheelchair. People report that after they accept their new identity they feel a lot better. Speeches motivating people to succeed have been around for a long time, but they have never been the purview of the wise. Philosophers often praise scholarship; some praise sensual delight; some praise devotion to family, friends, and community. They never praise seeking worldly successes in money and power. So if the wise do not give motivational speeches for worldly success, who has given the wisest motivational speeches?

One answer is characters in plays. Someone too brilliant to propose certainty may still lend his or her brilliance to a brazenly certain literary character. There is no more rousing speech to fight gleefully against all odds than that delivered on the eve of the St. Crispin’s Day battle in Shakespeare’s Henry V. The king’s armies are terribly outnumbered, and as they wait to launch the dawn attack, the men begin to lament their fates and fume against those back home in England in comfort. Henry scoffs, saying that for his part, he is glad their numbers are few: he is certain they are going to win and that the Englishmen now in their beds will be envious for all time.

This day is called the feast of Crispian:

He that outlives this day, and comes safe home,

Will stand a tip-toe when the day is named,

And rouse him at the name of Crispian.

He that shall live this day, and see old age,

Will yearly on the vigil feast his neighbours,

And say “To-morrow is Saint Crispian:”

Then will he strip his sleeve and show his scars.