Protect Yourself Against Failure And Loss With The Stoic Reserve Clause – by Allan John

Tempering Disappointment With Expectation

The more we do, the Stoic philosopher Seneca tells us in his work entitled On Tranquility of Mind, the more we put ourselves in Fortune’s power, the more we tempt her.

In other words, the more tasks we take on, the more journeys we make, the more objectives we pursue, the more things there are that can go wrong.

We should always be aware then, of Fortune’s existence. We should never promise ourselves any outcome which is subject to her intervention.

This doesn’t mean that Stoicism urges us to limit our ambitions or give up altogether, however. It simply means we should try our best while simultaneously accepting that factors outside our control may prevent us from achieving what we set out to.

Seneca’s method for doing this was to suffix his intentions with what’s known as a “reserve clause”. In his aforementioned work, he gives us the following examples:

I will set sail unless anything happens to prevent me.

I shall get the job if nothing hinders me.

My financial operations will succeed unless anything goes wrong with them.

–On Tranquility of Mind 13

Rather than being a way to dampen our enthusiasm, as it may initially appear, it actually helps focus more of our efforts on what we can control. It prepares us for the setbacks that inevitably occur in life and ensures we aren’t stopped in our tracks for too long.

As Seneca goes on to explain, we temper disappointment using expectation:

This is why we say that nothing befalls the wise man which he did not expect—we do not make him exempt from the chances of human life, but from its mistakes, nor does everything happen to him as he wished it would, but as he thought it would:

Now his first thought was that his purpose might meet with some resistance, and the pain of disappointed wishes must affect a man’s mind less severely if he has not been at all events confident of success.

–On Tranquility of Mind 13

It comes down, as it so often does with the practical application of Stoicism, to a question of control. We control our intentions, our attitude, and even most of our actions, but we can’t control Fortune.

Accepting this and remaining aware of it means we don’t waste time trying to control Fortune when she’s at her work.

Try it with your own endeavors today and be ready to meet unexpected difficulty with equanimity if Fortune tries to disrupt you. The template is simple:

I will <achieve my outcome> unless <something outside my control> stops me.

Then proceed onward and give it your best.

The Importance of Intention

It’s this focus on what we can and should do that makes Stoicism so interesting to many who discover it.

The theory comes first, of course, but essentially it’s a practical philosophy. It urges us to act and tries to give us the wisdom we need to know when and how to act.

But for all the attention on action, something that often gets overlooked is the importance the ancient Stoics gave to what comes immediately before action. As we’ve already seen from Seneca’s suffixes, this is intention.

For the Stoics, intentions are entirely within our control, whereas the outcomes of our actions are not. Virtue can be found, then, in our intention to act virtuously.

Knowing that our actions may not always succeed, adding a “reserve clause” to our intentions is a means of reminding ourselves to focus on what depends on us.

We apply it to our intentions—not merely our desired outcomes themselves—to prepare ourselves for the unexpected.

In The Inner Citadel, Pierre Hadot expands on the importance of intentions as follows:

Stoic intentions are not “good intentions” but “intentions that are good”—in other words, firm, determined, and resolved to overcome all obstacles. It is precisely because the Stoic refuses to give up easily on his decision that he formulates a reserve clause.

–Hadot, The Inner Citadel (p. 194)

Outcomes aren’t guaranteed, says Hadot—we can only intend to do good and then apply our best efforts:

Whoever has the firm, fixed moral intention to carry out a given action is like an archer aiming at a target. It does not depend entirely on him whether he hits the target or not; likewise, he can only wish for the “goal” with a “reserve clause.”

…We encounter the same fundamental principle again and again: the only absolute value is moral intention, and it alone depends entirely upon us. It is not the result that counts—for this does not depend on us, but on Destiny—but rather the intention one has when seeking this result.

–Hadot, The Inner Citadel (p. 194-195)

So it isn’t solely a matter of acting and hoping for the best. We’re more likely to succeed if we take time to properly form our intentions.

What good do you intend to do? What might get in your way? How determined are you to persist despite difficulty?

And when your intention has been assembled, don’t forget to add a reserve clause.

The Art of Losing

In a fragment from one of his lost discourses (Fragments 2), the Stoic teacher Epictetus is noted as telling his students that anyone who is dissatisfied with the circumstances assigned him by Fortune is unskilled in the art of living, while anyone who nobly endures his circumstances and makes reasonable use of what they have to offer deserves to be called a good person.

One of these “circumstances assigned by Fortune” is loss. It’s one of those outcomes that isn’t usually up to us. It’s an event that would certainly be subject to a reserve clause.

The loss of so much in life is beyond our control and so if we’re to cultivate any sense of contentment we should be prepared to accept such unwelcome events and move on by focusing on the things that remain within our power.

The art of living, then, encompasses what we might call the art of losing. It’s an art we’re forced to practice. We’re constantly losing. We lose possessions, friendships, even time when spent badly. What choice do we have, other than to let go of what can’t be kept and be grateful for what we still have?

To echo Epictetus once more: We are capable of nobly enduring our circumstances and making reasonable use of what we have to offer.

It’s this positive perspective on loss and the habitual use of a reserve clause that can protects us. Nothing we’re capable of losing really belonged to us in the first place. Accepting this, accepting that everything external to us is essentially on loan, lessens the chances that we’ll perceive their inevitable disappearance as a disaster.

One final reminder that follows this tone of acceptance comes again from Epictetus, who reminds us not to claim true ownership of the things we’re capable of losing so that we’re ready for unfavorable outcomes.

This is wise preparation. It’s once again the reserve clause in action:

There’s only one path that leads to contentment—and this is a thought you should have at hand morning, noon, and night—and that is to renounce things that aren’t subject to will, to think of none of them as yours.

—Discourses 4.4.39

Over the past ten years, Allan John has developed a deep interest in practical Stoicism, as a means of self-improvement and a way to connect with and help others. His other interests include football, dogs, and the writings of Kurt Vonnegut. Allan publishes Stoic essays, exercises, interviews, and podcasts under the What Is Stoicism? banner. His website can be found at whatisstoicism.com and he is also active on Substack at whatisstoicism.substack.com