Your Success is Your Character

BOLD and BRAVE, no Regret or Shame

A thought while reading The Illiad by Homer:

Perhaps our virtue should simply include bravery and boldness, and the only thing to avoid is any activity or behavior that causes shame or regret in ourselves.

Success isn’t as important

This is actually something interesting I learned:

It doesn’t matter whether you live or die on the battlefield. Only what counts is your bravery. Cowardice is the only vice.

For example there are some mortals that the gods favored, and the gods would actually protect them from being pierced by weapons in battle. Thus regardless of your skill, if you had a God protecting the other person, you wouldn’t kill them.

Thus in this sense your skill has limited impact. You also need the favor of the gods.

In real life:

Success is skill and luck.

You don’t control success 100%. You can control a great deal of your skill; but even your skill is dictated by a certain degree by your natural talents, endowments, and how you were raised.

What’s 100% in your control? Your appetite for danger, your courage, bravery, and brazenness.

On the flip side, cowardice is also something you can control. You can also control the ability to NOT regret your activities or behaviors.

Thus in life a simple way to live:

Lean towards the virtues of courage and bravery. Shirk away from the vices of cowardice and avoid activities which will inflict shame on you.

Success isn’t a virtue

I’m starting to think as well, success isn’t a virtue. The gods honored Hector as much as Achilles, and both were seen almost as equals, even though Achilles kills Hector.

The only “success” the ancient Greek heroes sought was eternal fame. But generally this meant some sort of death on the battlefield.

Success is your character

My interpretation is that “success”, “honor” and “fame” has to do with:

  1. Your personal courage, bravery, audacity
  2. Your ability to encourage others and rally the troops.
  3. Success through strength of your character, not through your wealth (not your gold, land, or possessions).