The Romans had a word for a particular concept which I don’t think has ever been adequately conveyed anywhere throughout the English lexicon. This word, “discrimen“, signifies an instant of perilous and excruciating tension, when the achievements of an entire lifetime might hang in the balance. Notions such as “quandary” or “crisis point” don’t do the concept justice, and fail to capture the heroic acuity, concentration, and anguish necessary in selecting the pivotal course of action. When Ivan the Terrible murdered Andre Shuisky, when Caesar crossed the Rubicon, these are examples of discrimen.

Great Caesar Faces the Rubicon

To live successfully, you should seek to manifest as many of these moments as possible, and when they arrive, to recognize them for what they are. This should not be mistaken for favoring risk, insofar as it is a gamble. It means exposing yourself to high-stakes decisions that have been willfully hunted because you possess confidence in the outcome, or have identified the necessity of action.

Chance gambling does not reflect discrimen, because your only decision is whether or not to throw the dice. True discrimen requires a restless analysis of the situation, coupled with the conviction to unwaveringly carry out your resolution. Strategy is encouraged, and provisional planning over the course of years is expected, but the ideal is to act so greatly, so often, and with such resolve that your entire life is a succession of escalating discrimen with all prior triumphs consecutively heightening each other’s importance.