The phrase “do what you do, and whatever happens” has become a kind of aphorism or motto. However, its popularity does not mean at all that the author of this statement is clearly known. So, for example, it is attributed to such famous Roman rhetoricians and political figures as Cato the Elder or Marcus Aurelius. However, among the many quotes from the latter, exactly such a phrase cannot be found. There is a similar one which says that what should be done, but what is destined will happen anyway. This is one of the principles of the philosophy of stoicism.
“Do what you do, and be what happens” - these or similar words can also be seen in ancient Eastern texts, for example, such as the Indian epic Mahabharata. One of the storylines of this great work describes a war between two warring dynasties. One of the heroes of the epic, Prince Arjuna, is very worried that his friends and relatives are on both sides of the front. To this, the person who controls his chariot (in fact it was the god Krishna, the embodiment of Vishnu), explains to him that the work of a real warrior and believer is, above all, the fulfillment of duty (dharma).
“Do what you do, and be what happens” - such a cry was one of the favorite slogans of many medieval knights. Therefore, over time, a French proverb formed, where the meaning of these words is conveyed. She loved to repeat and Leo Tolstoy. This phrase is so merged with Russian culture that even penetrated into the environment of political dissidents. At such famous events as "Sakharov May Day", these words often sounded like an example of the favorite phrase of the famous freethinker of Soviet times.
So who actually said: “Do what you do, and be what happens”? It is impossible to unequivocally answer this question. King Solomon in his parables and Dante in the "Divine Comedy", Kant in the famous
categorical imperative and Confucius in their thoughts on the purpose of human life - all of them somehow affirmed this.
Martin Luther, standing in Worms in front of a meeting of Catholics who demanded that he be renounced, said that he stood on this and could not do otherwise. So he thought the same way.
Some doubt whether there is moral relativism in this phrase. However, the actions of people who professed these principles tell us about their integrity and conviction. Therefore, when we interpret these words, we are not talking about something that cannot be done by normal and decent people. The whole point of this phrase is to act according to the dictates of your conscience, to do what is due, and not to think if the consequences will hurt you, and whether they will be beneficial to you. This does not mean that you do not need to think about the results of your actions at all. Of course, you need to calculate your path and try to manage the situation. But, unfortunately, it often happens that we are faced with a choice that we did not want to make. But still have to. And then each of us decides whether to betray
what you live for or not.
We can say that Jesus Christ in the parable, where he calls not to care about tomorrow and not think about what to do after, is also the author of this phrase. After all, the most important thing for a person in life is to remain himself, regardless of any obstacles.