Not Being Able to Govern Events

 

Montaigne offers wisdom, and an example, on how to live in this dreary age: "Not being able to govern events, I govern myself."

It might be true that we can govern events only rarely and to a limited extent in most times, and that we should in lieu of events govern ourselves always. But I think that events, now, have grown beyond anyone's control and the need to govern ourselves is urgent.

It's difficult to believe that anything or anyone can be tiresome, remarkably embarrassing and dangerous at one and the same time, but those who should be governing events have managed to be just that. Some drone on in a shambling, rambling, sometimes incoherent fashion about what they believe to be their own greatness and and malign those they dislike; some strike poses and prance about a stage in the manner of a television evangelist while they expound on death, destruction, fitness and grooming; some threaten to deploy troops against their fellow Americans in select cities.

There's something ugly about the state of our Glorious Union. It's become misshapen, repulsive, in the hands of pillagers. 

What can be done while things fall apart and the center cannot hold?  Montaigne's response is that of a Stoic.  Don't allow yourself to despair over things beyond your control.  Do the best you can with what is in your control.  It's possible to be reasonable and virtuous although others are neither.

There may be worse to come.  If that's to be, Hemingway was right that grace under pressure is admirable.