Oct. 19, 2020
Enchiridion by Epictetus
Epictetus was born as a slave around 50 AD. After gaining his freedom he decided to dedicate his life to philosophy, even opening a school. He didn’t write much about himself, most of his knowledge was written down by his students, particularly Arrian.
Enchiridion
Enchiridion means handbook: practical guide for life
Starts with the dichotomy of control;
* Some things are in our absolute control, our thoughts, decisions, actions, likes/dislikes
* Some things are not in our control; our body, what others think, our position in life, property …
Only things that are in our control are good or bad, everything outside of our control is indiffeerent. We shouldn't worry about them.
Example: Epictetus had a lame leg.
Takeaways:
Don’t get so upset about things you can do nothnig about
Make a practiice of analyzing your impressions
Remind yourself of the impermanence of things
Be modest, do not grab too much (banquet comparison)
Respond to insults with humor
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