For or Against Those Who Stubbornly Stick to Their Decisions

When some persons have heard these words, that a man ought to be constant (firm), and that the will is naturally free and not subject to compulsion, but that all other things are subject to hindrance, to slavery, and are in the power of others, they suppose that they ought without deviation to abide by every thing which they have determined. But in the first place that which has been determined ought to be sound (true). I require tone (sinews) in the body, but such as exists in a healthy body, in an athletic body; but if it is plain to me that you have the tone of a phrensied man and you boast of it, I shall say to you, man, seek the physician: this is not tone, but atony (deficiency in right tone). In a different way something of the same kind is felt by those who listen to these discourses in a wrong manner; which was the case with one of my companions who for no reason resolved to starve himself to death.³³¹ I heard of it when it was the third day of his abstinence from food and I went to inquire what had happened. I have resolved, he said.—But still tell me what it was which induced you to resolve; for if you have resolved rightly, we shall sit with you and assist you to depart; but if you have made an unreasonable resolution, change your mind.—We ought to keep to our determinations.—What are you doing, man? We ought to keep not to all our determinations, but to those which are right; for if you are now persuaded that it is night, do not change your mind, if you think fit, but persist and say, we ought to abide by our determinations. Will you not make the beginning and lay the foundation in an inquiry whether the determination is sound or not sound, and so then build on it firmness and security? But if you lay a rotten and ruinous foundation, will not your miserable little building fall down the sooner, the more and the stronger are the materials which you shall lay on it? Without any reason would you withdraw from us out of life a man who is a friend, and a companion, a citizen of the same city, both the great and the small city?³³² Then while you are committing murder and destroying a man who has done no wrong, do you say that you ought to abide by your determinations? And if it ever in any way came into your head to kill me, ought you to abide by your determinations?

Some people hear that a person should be steadfast, and that the will is naturally free and cannot be forced. They also hear that everything else can be obstructed, enslaved, and controlled by others. So they suppose they must stick without exception to every decision they make. But first, the decision must be sound. I want strength in the body, but the kind found in a healthy, athletic body. If I can plainly see that you have the strength of a person in a frenzy, and you boast about it, I will tell you, “Man, see a doctor. That is not strength, but weakness.” Something similar happens in a different way to those who misunderstand these teachings. One of my companions, for no reason, decided to starve himself to death.³³¹ I heard about it on the third day of his fast and went to ask what had happened. “I have made up my mind,” he said. “But tell me what led you to decide. If your decision is right, we will sit with you and help you depart. But if your decision is unreasonable, change your mind.” “We ought to stick to our decisions.” “What are you doing, man? We ought to stick not to all our decisions, but to those that are right. Suppose you are now convinced that it is night. If you wish, do not change your mind, but persist and say, ‘We ought to stick to our decisions.’ Won’t you begin by examining whether the decision is sound? Shouldn’t that be your foundation, before you build firmness and security on it? But if you lay a rotten, crumbling foundation, won’t your miserable little building fall all the sooner? The more materials you put on it, and the stronger they are, the sooner it will fall. “Would you take from our lives, for no reason, a man who is a friend and companion? He is a citizen of the same city as we are, both the great city and the small one.³³² And while you are committing murder and destroying a man who has done no wrong, do you say you must stick to your decisions? If you ever somehow got it into your head to kill me, should you stick to that decision?”

Now this man was with difficulty persuaded to change his mind. But it is impossible to convince some persons at present; so that I seem now to know, what I did not know before, the meaning of the common saying, That you can neither persuade nor break a fool.³³³ May it never be my lot to have a wise fool for my friend: nothing is more untractable. 'I am determined,' the man says. Madmen are also; but the more firmly they form a judgment on things which do not exist, the more ellebore³³⁴ they require. Will you not act like a sick man and call in the physician?—I am sick, master, help me; consider what I must do it is my duty to obey you. So it is here also: I know not what I ought to do, but I am come to learn.—Not so; but speak to me about other things: upon this I have determined.—What other things? for what is greater and more useful than for you to be persuaded that it is not sufficient to have made your determination and not to change it. This is the tone (energy) of madness, not of health.—I will die, if you compel me to this.—Why, man? What has happened?—I have determined—I have had a lucky escape that you have not determined to kill me—I take no money.³³⁵ Why?—I have determined—Be assured that with the very tone (energy) which you now use in refusing to take, there is nothing to hinder you at some time from inclining without reason to take money and then saying, I have determined. As in a distempered body, subject to defluxions, the humour inclines sometimes to these parts, and then to those, so too a sickly soul knows not which way to incline: but if to this inclination and movement there is added a tone (obstinate resolution), then the evil becomes past help and cure.

Now this man was persuaded to change his mind only with difficulty. But some people cannot be persuaded at all right now. So I now seem to understand a common saying that I did not understand before: You can neither persuade nor break a fool.³³³ May I never have a wise fool for a friend. Nothing is harder to deal with. 'I have made up my mind,' the man says. Madmen have made up their minds too. But the more firmly they believe in things that do not exist, the more hellebore³³⁴ they need. Won't you act like a sick man and call in the doctor? Say, 'I am sick, master, help me. Consider what I must do. It is my duty to obey you.' The same applies here. You should say, 'I do not know what I ought to do, but I have come to learn.' Instead you say, 'Speak to me about other things. I have made up my mind about this.' What other things? What could be more important and useful than persuading you that it is not enough to make a decision and refuse to change it? That is the force of madness, not of health. 'I will die if you force me to do this.' Why, man? What has happened? 'I have made up my mind.' I have had a lucky escape, then, that you have not made up your mind to kill me. 'I take no money.'³³⁵ Why? 'I have made up my mind.' You may be sure that the same stubborn force you now use to refuse money could one day lead you to take it without reason. Then you would say, 'I have made up my mind.' In a diseased body prone to fluid buildup, the fluid flows sometimes to one part, sometimes to another. In the same way, a sick soul does not know which way to turn. But if stubborn determination is added to its shifting impulses, the disease becomes impossible to help or cure.