While I agree with him that the various things that can affect our body (ultimately resulting in death) may be out of our control, Epictetus falters in simplifying the realm of choice as a binary - you either have control over something, or you don’t, according to him. Don’t ever speak of ‘good’ or ‘bad’, ‘advantage’ or ‘harm’, and so on, of anything that is not your responsibility. Unlike Seneca, who gives at least some due credence to the imperfectness of this world and ourselves, Epictetus has this tone of “stop whining lol” (there’s really no more accurate way of saying this). Never identify yourself as a philosopher or speak much to non-philosophers about your principles; act in line with those principles. But what is great and exceptional is perhaps the province of others, of Socrates and people of that kind.

Founded by Zeno of Citium, the Stoics competed with other Hellenistic schools such as the Epicurians and Cynics on the question what it is to live a good life. Don’t let the force of the impression when first it hits you knock you off your feet; just say to it, ‘Hold on a moment; let me see who you are and what you represent. I did enjoy the “sphere of choice” exercise: think whether all judgments you pass are within the sphere of choice or not; whether you can actually do anything about your complaints or about anything you hear.It forms certain and distinct preconceptions, which then can serve as measuring rod to evaluate all our sense impressions - this way we can learn to recognize truth and to see that good consists in a quiet mind (apathia).

While other animals are entirely subject to their instincts, humanity has a unique capacity for deliberation and choice. Back to my petty concerns, I would consider that during the next interview it would be best to remember beforehand very sincerely that there's nothing I can do to guarantee acceptance, and that all I can do is give it my all and fail gracefully, because it seems that jobs, possessions, relationships, and health are not enough by themselves to bring us peace of mind, and that accepting loss may be one of the most important abilities that any human being can learn. Although the teachings in the “Discourses” seem to be timeless, the actual text is not always easy to read. His owner, Epaphroditus, was himself a former slave who rose to become a secretary in the imperial courts of Nero and Domitian.Act well and provide an example, help them overcome their disability if they're open to it, and otherwise don't worry about it because, well, see above about Internals vs. By placing their identity in wealth, acclaim, power, sex, and luxury, did they not make themselves hostage to things that were objectively perishable, alienable, and morally neutral, and for which their desire manifested itself subjectively as greed, vanity, lust, gluttony, anger, envy, and other destructive passions?

As part of the universal city that is the universe, human beings have a duty of care to all fellow humans. To simplify, he seems to say that you should live a good life insofar as you can: consider all your behaviour carefully, be content with what you have, accept that all things are fleeting, and quietly set a good example rather than evangelising.Somewhere in book 2, Epictetus criticizes the Academics and Epicureans of contradictions and, ultimately, self-refutation. It is reasonable to suppose, then, that the divine nature and the nature of the good correspond” (II. A]nyone who knows how the whole universe is administered knows that the first, all-inclusive state is the government composed of God and man. Can an ethical system even be said to be coherent and consistent if it leads inevitably to self-annihilation? It certainly has provided me with the mental fortitude necessary to take on (or not take on) all that life throws at you without additional suffering.