Chapter 33
When Fortune Plays by Its Own Rules
THAT FORTUNE IS OFTENTIMES OBSERVED TO ACT BY THE RULE OF REASON The inconstancy and various motions of Fortune [The term Fortune, so often employed by Montaigne, and in passages where he might have used Providence, was censured by the doctors who examined his Essays when he was at Rome in 1581. See his Travels, i. 35 and 76.] may reasonably make us expect she should present us with all sorts of faces. Can there be a more express act of justice than this? The Duc de Valentinois,—[Caesar Borgia.]—having resolved to poison Adrian, Cardinal of Corneto, with whom Pope Alexander…
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Critical Thinking Exercise
Map Your Vulnerability Points
Think of a time when you tried to control an outcome through manipulation, shortcuts, or deception - even small ones like exaggerating on a resume or gossiping to gain advantage. Map out all the ways this strategy could have backfired through random events or accidents. Then compare this to a time you achieved something through straightforward effort.
Consider:
- •How many failure points did the manipulative approach create versus the honest approach?
- •What random events or timing issues could have exposed your deception?
- •Which approach would you feel more confident defending if everything went public?
Journaling Prompt
Write about a situation where you're currently tempted to take shortcuts or manipulate outcomes. What would the honest, sustainable approach look like instead?
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