Enter The Mind
Stoic teacher of control and inner freedom.
Epictetus was born in Hierapolis in Phrygia and spent part of his early life enslaved in Rome, where he came into contact with Stoic teaching. After gaining his freedom, he became a philosopher and later founded a school in Nicopolis after philosophers were expelled from Rome. He wrote nothing himself; his teachings survive through the notes of his student Arrian, especially the Discourses and the compact Enchiridion. His philosophy centers on the distinction between what is in our power and what is not, making freedom a matter of disciplined judgment rather than external circumstance.
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Begin with the anchor work, then sample a few representative passages before going wider.
Anchor Work
Compiled by Arrian from Epictetus's teachings, The Enchiridion is a compact Stoic handbook on what lies within our power and how to live without servitude to externals. Its short chapters turn Stoic ethics into practical exercises in judgment, desire, aversion, self-command, and freedom.
The Enchiridion
The condition and characteristic of a vulgar person is that he never looks for either help or harm from himself, but only from externals. The condition and characteristic of a philosopher is that he looks to himself for...
The Enchiridion
And if anyone tells you that you know nothing, and you are not nettled at it, then you may be sure that you have really entered on your work. For sheep do not hastily throw up the grass to show the shepherds how much...
The Enchiridion
As in a voyage, when the ship is at anchor, if you go on shore to get water, you may amuse yourself with picking up a shellfish or a truffle in your way, but your thoughts ought to be bent toward the ship, and...
Works
Ordered for usefulness first: anchor texts and the works most alive in the current excerpt corpus.
125 / 68 excerpts
Compiled by Arrian from Epictetus's teachings, The Enchiridion is a compact Stoic handbook on what lies within our power and how to live without servitude to externals. Its short chapters turn Stoic ethics into practical exercises in judgment, desire, aversion, self-command, and freedom.
Highlights
These are strong thread entry points drawn from the existing excerpt set.
The passage describes the behavior of a proficient Stoic, who avoids external judgments and focuses on self-improvement. The proficient censures no one, accuses himself when hindered, and remains cautious like a convalescent.
The marks of a proficient are that he censures no one, praises no one, blames no one, accuses no one; says nothing concerning himself as being anybody or knowing anything. When he is in any instance hindered or restrained, he accuses himself; and if he is...
The author advises to recall the appropriate virtue for each situation, such as continence for beauty or patience for insult. This habituation prevents being overwhelmed by external events.
Upon every accident, remember to turn toward yourself and inquire what faculty you have for its use. If you encounter a handsome person, you will find continence the faculty needed; if pain, then fortitude; if reviling, then patience. And when thus habituated,...
The author uses the metaphor of two handles to advise focusing on the positive aspect (e.g., brotherhood) rather than the negative (injustice) to endure a situation.
Everything has two handles: one by which it may be borne, another by which it cannot. If your brother acts unjustly, do not lay hold on the affair by the handle of his injustice, for by that it cannot be borne, but rather by the opposite—that he is your...
The author advises silence in discussions among the ignorant, following Socrates' example of avoiding ostentation and bearing being overlooked.
For remember that thus Socrates also universally avoided all ostentation. And when persons came to him and desired to be introduced by him to philosophers, he took them and introduced them; so well did he bear being overlooked. So if ever there should be among...
Signature Themes
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