The Stoic Reserve Clause
A Useful Practice for Curbing your Perfectionism
The “reserve clause” is a way of overcoming emotional pain and as the perfect Sage cannot, by definition, be happy (eudaimon) if he is distressed, then he must act at all times according to this rule. — Donald J. Robertson
In a society that idolises high-pressure/high-flying careers, social media and way too much toxic advice disguised as self-help, ‘perfect’ has always seemed to be the end goal. We as a society cling to the fact that if we get that promotion, we lose 10 pounds or get past 1000 followers that our life will magically be better.
Deep down we all know that our idea of perfection is unattainable, and we know these goals won’t solve our problems, we know that our notion of this “perfect life” of our friend or favourite celebrity leads is a falsehood made by our interpretation of their life, so why do we still constantly strive for these irrational ideas of perfection?
Can we take a leaf out of the Stoics’ way of living, find a practice to keep our spiralling ideas of this elusive ‘perfect’ career, life, or appearance and find acceptance in the curve balls that life throws at us?
What is a reserve clause?
A key ideal we can pick up from the Stoics is trying to minimise and cope with the extreme negative emotions we feel, and almost every Stoic practice can be related, in some way, back to the Dichotomy of Control. That is, accepting there are things we can and cannot control, and trying not to get overwhelmed with things we have no control over. Having a reserve clause is a way to practise just this.
It aims to take away the pressure or that feeling of failure in the pit of your stomach when you haven’t completed a task after an unrelated issue arises. Most Stoics would simply utter the phrase “fate permitting” when setting out to complete a task or achieve a specific goal.
If an outside factor prevents the completion of said task, they can rest easy knowing that they tried to accomplish it to the best of their ability, without beating themselves up or over-thinking an issue which they possessed little to no control over at that moment.
What the Stoics had to say about reserve clauses
Make the best use of what is in your power, and take the rest as it happens. — Epictetus
Despite the ancient Stoics having different surroundings, technology and religion, the concept of the reserve clause they spoke of still holds up today. The ancient Stoics believed that Eudaimonia (a form of Happiness) could not be achieved if a person felt stress or was upset, that way in order to minimise the time spent in a state of stress, a tool to cope with this should be worked into outcomes that can be dictated more by “fate” than effort levels.
Marcus Aurelius was one of the more prolific Stoics when it came to discussing reserve clauses, and borrowed the example of an archer from the Stoic philosopher Antipater to explain the importance of accepting the outcome of a situation for what it is.
The archer is in control when he acquires the best equipment, improves his posture and practices daily. However, the second that arrow is released from the bow, it is propelled into uncertainty. The archer must accept the outcome of success or failure equally. It is up to the archer to put in the effort and give the arrow the best chance to reach the target, but whether it does or not, is in the hands of fate.
Seneca took the stance that as a rational and wise person, it is sensible to be pragmatic when considering possible outcomes of a given situation. Reminding people that simply putting your best put forward may not always yield the desired results:
The wise man considers both sides: he knows how great is the power of errors, how uncertain human affairs are, how many obstacles there are to the success of plans… he is protected by that reserve clause, without which he decides upon nothing and begins nothing. — Seneca the younger
A reserve clause in practice
As we mentioned above the Stoics would say the phrase “fate permitting” when setting out to do something, a simple example of this would be “I want to go into the city tomorrow, fate permitting”. That way if the person’s car unexpectedly breaks down, or there is an issue with public transport, they know that other external factors beyond their control can inhibit them from achieving what they set out to do.
Other phrases, you have probably said without realising it could be a reserve clause, include “God willing”, “providing nothing prevents me” or if like me, you were raised in Ireland then you will have had to follow up any outdoor-related plans with the phrase, “weather permitting”.
A useful exercise to incorporate a reserve clause into your planning of an event or goal would be, when setting your intention for a plan jot down, “tomorrow morning I will tend to my garden”, and follow that with a reserve clause such as, “as long the weather is suitable and I have all the correct tools”.
How this can help with curbing perfectionism
Reserve clauses aren’t just useful for short-term goals or the completion of daily tasks. Having a reserve clause could also reduce the amount of anxiety or trepidation (over time) felt surrounding the idea of having a “perfect” life, career or relationship that we so often see plastered throughout the media.
They can be used to find comfort in the fact that, even if we have the best intentions to achieve a more long-term goal, it may not turn out the way we planned, and that it could even work out better than we ever could have imagined.
With that being said, this is not about being complacent or deflecting blame when something isn’t going according to plan. Rather, is it more, accepting and acknowledging that just because certain barriers or obstacles arise, it doesn’t equate to a failure, it is just part of the process!
For example, you see a job posting you are enthused by. You think, “I would be a great fit for this company, providing nothing prevents me”. You update your resumé, write a cover letter, get invited for an interview, and spend a whole day prepping for the meeting and doing research on the company.
The interview went great and you felt you aced it, but another candidate had six months more experience than you, and they got the job. Whilst this is undoubtedly a setback, this is not a failure. You were still qualified for the job, and you still put your best foot forward by prepping to the best of your ability.
You can then go away from the situation with confidence by knowing exactly what you want from your future employer. That way you can now streamline your job search and find a role that is even more suited to you.
Final thoughts
A reserve clause is not meant to breed complacency or passivity in life. It is not there to accept that life has given you the underhand, therefore, why bother? No, it is to help you find peace and accept the obstacles life throws at you, without constantly feeling inferior or disappointed when a plan doesn’t come to fruition due to factors beyond your control.
It can be a way to bolster your goal-making without having that feeling that you are a failure because life got in the way, or even help you realise that your goal changed halfway through the process, as with life, your goals aren’t as linear as they may initially appear. The main takeaway is, that knowing you gave yourself the best chance to succeed- is in itself success, regardless of whether the outcome is what you initially anticipated.
