Marcus Aurelius isn't simply telling us to stay positive about bad luck—he's performing a sleight of hand with the very definition of fortune itself. The real twist is that suffering becomes *irrelevant* to your fate; what matters entirely is your response, the quality of your character in the face of it. A person who loses their savings but maintains their integrity has actually *gained* something, while someone who prospers through deception has lost the only thing worth keeping. When you're laid off unexpectedly, the Stoic move isn't pretending it doesn't sting, but recognizing that how you treat your former colleagues, how you manage your fears, and whether you stay honest while job-hunting—these are the only outcomes that truly belong to you.