That is the hallmark of a true eccentric — not thinking you're all that eccentric, even when your every thought, word, and deed seems to set you apart from the rest of the world.
They thought you didn't have control over anything but you choices. And if you can't control something you shouldn't worry about it.
Here's that Epictetus guy again:
Some things are in our control and others not. Things in our control are opinion, pursuit, desire, aversion, and in a word, whatever are our own actions. Things not in our control are body, property, reputation, command, and in one word, whatever are not our own actions.
Success doesn't have to be something you see only on T.V. It's less to be something you see only on TV. It's less about being perfect than knowing what you're best at being properly aligned with your context. You don't need to be literally insane, like Jure Robic, but sometimes an ugly duckling can be a swan if it finds the right pond. The thing that sets you apart, the habits you may have tried to banish, the things you were taunted for in school, may ultimately grant you an unbeatable advantage.
Much of the advice we’ve been told about achievement is logical, earnest…and downright wrong. In Barking Up the Wrong Tree, Eric Barker reveals the extraordinary science behind what actually determines success and most importantly, how anyone can achieve it. You’ll learn:
• Why valedictorians rarely become millionaires, and how your biggest weakness might actually be your greatest strength
We need to stop thinking the world is fair. The lesson from cases of people both keeping and losing their jobs is that as long as you keep your boss or bosses happy, performance really does not matter that much and, by contrast, if you upset them, performance won't save you.
— Jeffrey Pfeffer, Power: Why Some People Have it and Other's Don't
