June 14, 2026

Fate permitting, I will be courageous.

Zeno founded Stoicism in Athens around 300 BCE, teaching from the painted porch called the Stoa Poikile after losing everything in a shipwreck on his way to Greece. This quote captures something the Stoics were serious about: courage is not a guarantee you make about yourself in advance, it is a commitment you renew under actual conditions. Zeno knew firsthand that circumstances can strip away your plans, your property, and your certainty. What he kept was the intention to act well with whatever he was given, which is exactly what makes this relevant when you are facing something you cannot fully control today.