Finally, Stoic progress is not solitary self-optimization; it is service-oriented. Marcus reminds us that “what does not benefit the hive does not benefit the bee” (Meditations 6.54). Choosing effort prepares us to contribute reliably—at work, in family, and in civic life—because disciplined people can be counted on when stakes are high.
Thus the arc closes: by training our minds to prefer effort, we not only improve skills, we align character with a common good. Progress becomes more than personal gain; it becomes a way of belonging to something larger. [...]
