A contemporary philosophical argument that boldly proposes resignation as the path to a fully realized self.

Traditional cultures have exercises that teach people discipline. Even modern philosophers, Hegel, Nietzsche, and Kierkegaard, paid special attention to striving for spirituality, although outside religious frameworks. However, if we are to grow, a more relaxed relationship to the self may be beneficial; hence the notion of resignation. A resigned will is not weak; it can resist itself and others. Such resignation is a man’s defense against becoming a mere element in a sequence of events. Art, philosophy, and mainly freedom all rely on the ability to create distance. In Who Says Anything about Winning?, Tereza Matejcková offers more than a history of a notion or a thematic reading of the legacy of respected thinkers; she offers a fresh view of self-acceptance and growth.

Tereza Matejcková is a philosopher, award-winning publicist, and popular public speaker. John Stuart Hoskins is a translator. Jaroslav Špirk studied translation and conference interpreting at Charles University, Prague. 

Introduction
[1] Bureaucrat: A Hero of Post-Heroic Times. On Georg W. F. Hegel
[2] Hunger Artist. On Arthur Schopenhauer
[3] Snake Shedding Its Skin. On Friedrich Nietzsche
[4] Knight of Infinite Resignation. On Søren Kierkegaard
[5] Indifferent Stranger. On Albert Camus
[6] Spying on Saints. On Emil Cioran
[7] Bartleby the Scrivener would prefer not to. On Giorgio Agamben
[8] Arrogance of a Mystic. On Simone Weil
[9] Final Scene: The Self and Resignation