You said you were going to take care of it. You said it would be done by the deadline. You told them not to worry about it. Maybe you even made plans in your head. You set aside the time. You had every intention of doing it.
But what happened? You got distracted. You fell prey to perfectionism. You weren't feeling it. Whatever it was—you procrastinated. You didn't do it. You let it make you a liar.
Really, two Stoic virtues are at play here—both discipline and justice. We give our word to someone (or ourselves). Do we have the willpower to keep it? Do we have the honor to keep it? Or do we let stuff get in the way? Do we make excuses? Do we not take our promises, the fact that others are counting on us, seriously?
You get the sense that Cato and Marcus Aurelius took this commitment the most seriously of all the Stoics. They did what they said. They kept their end of the bargain. Even when it was hard. Even when they were tired, as Marcus writes, even when they were cold, whether it was appreciated or not.
Here is where the Stoic virtues of courage and wisdom also come into play (preorder Wisdom Takes Work today!). Do we push through the discomfort of difficult tasks and conversations? Do we manage our time effectively? Do we understand our limitations and ask for help when we need it? Do we follow through when the path becomes challenging—or do we retreat into easier activities or distractions?
That's what virtue is about. Showing up. Being consistent. Doing the thing. Even in the face of temptation, even when life intervenes, even if there was resistance. It's not about meaning well, it is doing well. Because you said you would. Because you're not a liar.
Marcus called the four virtues "touchstones of goodness" for this reason. Because when we embody each virtue in our daily lives, when we allow them to guide our decisions, we naturally become people of our word. We don't let distractions or excuses make us liars. Instead, we fulfill our commitments, keep our promises, and honor our word.
This is exactly why six years ago we launched the Stoic Virtues Series—four books dedicated to these virtues that have guided great men and women for thousands of years. The goal was not to write another collection of books, but to create something both inseparable and distinct, as the four virtues so obviously are.
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