 The Stoics believe that having everything that occurs fated in this way is compatible with our deliberating and acting effectively. To see this, consider the following example. Suppose that I am a Stoic, and I contract cancer. As a Stoic, I realize that it has been true from eternity and fated either that I will recover from the cancer, or that I will not. But that does not render the outcome of my cancer inevitable or make it pointless for me to seek treatment. The Stoic Chrysippus says that certain outcomes are simple, while others are conjoined. Simple outcomes are ones that will occur no matter what I do. For instance, as a mortal being, that I will die is inevitable; it will happen no matter what I  do.[2]  In the case of such simple outcomes, deliberation and action would be pointless. However, other things are conjoined, where an outcome is linked to its cause, which is necessary for it to occur. For instance, if Oedipus is going to be born of Laius, that is conjoined with Laius and Jocasta having intercourse. In the case of my fated recovery from cancer, that fated recovery is conjoined to my action of seeking treatment, and Chrysippus says that the two are “co-fated”: it is fated (and causally determined) both that I will recover from the cancer and that I will seek treatment; it is through my fated action of seeking treatment that my fated recovery will occur (Fat. 30, LS 55S). Since my action of seeking treatment is causally efficacious in bringing about its purpose, it isn’t pointless. My action is itself both causally determined and causally efficacious. Furthermore, even if it’s causally determined that I’ll recover, counterfactuals like “if I don’t seek treatment, I will die” can still be true. As Chrysippus puts it, even if it’s true (and causally determined) that somebody will wrestle, it doesn’t follow that they’ll wrestle whether or not they have an opponent, and even if it’s true (and causally determined) that somebody will recover from a disease, it doesn’t follow that they’ll recover whether or not they call a doctor (Fat. 30, LS 55S).