"Do not wait for Plato's Republic, but be satisfied with even the smallest step forward, and consider this no small achievement."
Orson Welles was twenty-five years old. He had never directed a movie, but RKO Pictures gave him full control of a new project. He walked onto the set of Citizen Kane not knowing the rules of Hollywood lighting, or the traditional rules of camera angles. He just started working.
Because he didn't know what was "impossible," he took action. He asked his cinematographer to do things that broke every rule in the industry. They literally dug holes in the concrete floor to get low-angle shots, and they used deep focus to keep everything sharp. He didn't wait to master the medium before he yelled action. Ignorance was his greatest weapon. He just built the thing he wanted to see.
Marcus Aurelius was the most powerful man on earth. He could have spent his reign trying to build a perfect utopian society. He knew that was a trap, and reminded himself not to wait for "Plato's Republic." That was a theoretical perfect world in a book.
If you wait for perfection, you'll never do anything. You'll just sit around planning. You'll read ten books on filmmaking and never shoot a single frame. The Stoic doesn't wait for the perfect condition. Take the smallest possible step forward today, and accept the messy reality of the work. Build the imperfect thing.
Errors & Corrections
- Don't hide behind preparation. We read books on a topic before we start. We think we're learning, but we're not. We're just procrastinating. Start before you're ready.
- Don't fear the rules. You don't know the "right" way to do it. Good. The experts are trapped by their own rules. Your ignorance lets you try things they would never attempt.
- Don't despise the small step. You want to launch a massive company. You refuse to just sell one product to one person. You will fail. Sell the single product. That's the achievement.
Applications to Modern Life
Work
You have an idea for a massive software overhaul. It'll take a year to build. Your boss will say no. Don't wait for the perfect rollout. Change one small piece of the codebase today. See if it works. Build the proof of concept.
Leadership
You want to build the perfect team culture. You spend weeks writing a massive manifesto. Put the pen down. Just be honest and clear in your next morning meeting. That small step builds actual culture. The manifesto is just paper.
Athleticism & Sport
You want to be an elite athlete. You wait until you can afford a private coach and a custom home gym. Stop waiting. Go to the cheap local gym and train today.
Politics
You want to fix the entire tax code. It feels impossible. Don't wait for a utopia. Help pass a tiny local ordinance that fixes one pothole in your neighborhood. Progress is incremental.
Social Media
You want to launch a video channel. You refuse to post anything until it looks like a Hollywood film. You'll never post. Shoot a rough video on your phone today and hit publish. Let it be bad.
Interpersonal Relationships
You want the perfect marriage. You expect every day to be a romantic comedy. That doesn't exist. Be satisfied with a quiet evening and a shared cup of coffee. The small moments are the actual relationship.
Maxims
- Start before you're ready.
- Small steps cover miles.
- Forget the republic.
In-depth Concepts
Plato's Republic
This was the ancient Greek blueprint for a perfect society. Marcus uses it as a shorthand for an impossible standard. The Stoic lives in the dirt of the real world. You don't govern a textbook.
Prokope (Progress)
True progress isn't a massive leap. It's a tiny, gritty step forward. The Stoic values the effort of the step itself. You don't judge the work by the size of the leap.