"If someone acts badly, that is their business. My business is my own character. Should I become angry and lose my own character because they lost theirs?"

In 1945, Branch Rickey signed Jackie Robinson to the Brooklyn Dodgers. Rickey knew the abuse Robinson would face. He told Robinson that he needed a player "with guts enough not to fight back." For two years, Robinson faced a torrent of hatred. Opposing players spiked him with their cleats. Pitchers threw fastballs at his head. Crowds screamed racial slurs that would break an ordinary man. Through it all, Robinson did not swing his fists. He did not scream back. He played baseball.

Robinson understood the dynamic perfectly. The "business" of the racist crowd was ignorance and hate. If Robinson had charged the mound or shouted profanities, he would have lowered himself to their level. He would have become exactly what they accused him of being—uncontrolled and violent. By refusing to mirror their behavior, he kept his own character pristine. He highlighted their ugliness by contrasting it with his own dignity. He defeated them not by fighting them, but by being better than them.

You often act like a mirror. When someone screams at you, you feel obligated to scream back. When someone is rude, you feel justified in being rude. You think this is strength. It is weakness. It is automatic, unthinking imitation. You are letting the worst person in the room dictate how you behave. Epictetus demands that you break the mirror. If they are acting like a beast, that is their tragedy. If you become angry and vicious in return, it becomes your tragedy.

Errors & Corrections

• Don't believe that "an eye for an eye" applies to character. If they act like a fool, do not punish yourself by becoming a fool too.
• Don't think that staying calm is "letting them get away with it." Realize that your composure is the ultimate proof of your integrity in that moment.
• Don't let your emotional state be determined by the emotional state of others. Guard your own mind as your primary business.

Applications to Modern Life

Workplace:

You might have a boss who leads through panic. They send frantic emails, set unreasonable deadlines, and create a culture of anxiety. It is tempting to become frantic yourself, to rush and make mistakes. Apply this teaching: Their panic is their business. Your business is professional execution. By remaining calm and methodical while they spin out of control, you become the anchor of the team. You prove your value by not catching the infection.

Interpersonal Relationships:

Arguments with a spouse or partner often spiral because of "emotional contagion." One person raises their voice, so the other raises theirs to match it. Soon, you are saying things you do not mean. Stop the spiral. When they lose their character to anger, hold tight to yours. Speak lower, not louder. This often breaks the tension because you refuse to feed the fire.

Politics:

Political opponents often use "bait." They say outrageous things specifically to make you lose your cool and look irrational. If you take the bait and explode in rage, you have lost the debate. You have handed them control over your character. Recognize the tactic. Let them have their outrage. You keep your reason.

Maxims

• Be a rock, not a mirror.
• Their vice is not your command.

In-depth Concepts

Moral Autonomy

The Stoics believed strictly in moral autonomy. No one can force you to do wrong. They can hurt your body, take your money, or ruin your reputation, but they cannot force you to degrade your own soul. That choice remains 100% yours, regardless of the pressure.

The Double Standard (in a good way)

We often have double standards where we excuse ourselves and judge others. Stoicism flips this. We should be strict with ourselves and tolerant of others. We demand perfection from our own character while accepting that others will often fail.

Counter-Mimesis

Humans are mimicking animals. We naturally copy the behaviors we see. Stoic training is a form of "counter-mimesis." It trains the mind to see a negative behavior and instinctively do the opposite, rather than the same.