Epictetus: The Enchiridion

If you think that only which is your own to be your own, no man will ever compel you, no man will hinder you, you will never blame or accuse no man, you will do nothing involuntarily, no man will harm you, you will have no enemy, for you will not suffer any harm. 

Our own acts are all that are in our power: desiring a thing, turning away from a thing, movement toward a thing, and opinion. 

Know that body, property, reputation are not in your power. 

If it relates to anything which is not in our power, be ready to say, that it does nit concern you. 

Employ only the power of moving toward an object and away from it. 

WOW: In everything which pleases the soul or supplies a want, or is loved, remember to add this; what is the nature of this thing, beginning from the smallest? If you are kissing your child or wife, say it is a human being that you are kissing, for when they die you will not be disturbed. 

Likely wiser than I fully understand:

When you are going to take in hand any act, remind yourself what kind of an act it is. If you are going to bathe, place before yourself what happens in the bath: some splashing the water, others pushing against one another, others abusing one another, and some stealing; and thus with more safety you will undertake the matter, if you say to yourself, I now intend to bathe, and to maintain my will in a manner conformable to nature. And so you will do in every act: for thus if any hindrance to bathing shall happen, let this thought be ready; it was not this only that I intended, but I intended also to maintain my will in a way conformable to nature; but I shall not maintain it so, if I am vexed at what happens.

Men are disturbed not by the things which happen, but by the opinions about the things. 

For example, death is nothing terrible, the opinion that death is terrible is the terrible thing. 

When then we are impeded or disturbed or grieved, let us never blame others, but ourselves, that is, our opinions. 

It is the act if an ill-instructed man to blame others for his own bad condition; it is the act of one who has begun to be instructed to lay the blame on himself; and of one whose instruction is completed, neither to blame another, nor himself. 

This is really crazy. I don’t get it. 

As on a voyage when the vessel has reached a port, if you go out to get wa-ter, it is an amusement by the way to pick up a shell-fish or some bulb, but your thoughts ought to be directed to the ship, and you ought to be constantly watching if the captain should call, and then you must throw away all those things, that you may not be bound and pitched into the ship like sheep: so in life also, if there be given to you instead of a little bulb and a shell a wife and child, there will be nothing to prevent (you from taking them). But if the captain should call, run to the ship, and leave all those things without regard to them. But if you are old, do not even go far from the ship, lest when you are called you make default.

Profound. Really profound

Disease is an impediment to the body, but not to the will, unless the will itself chooses. Lameness is an impediment to the leg, but not to the will. And add this reflection on the occasion of everything that happens; for you will find it an impediment to something else, but not to yourself.

Never say about anything, I have lost it, but say I have restored it. Is your child dead? It has been restored. Is your wife dead? She has been restored. Has your estate been taken from you? Has not then this also been restored? Take care of it as a thing which belongs to another, as travelers do with their inn.

Is a little wine stolen? Say on the occasion, at such a price is sold freedom from perturbation

I LOVE this. Might be the most eloquent thing I’ve read this year: 

Remember that in life you ought to behave as at a banquet. Suppose that something is carried round and is opposite to you. Stretch out your hand and take a portion with decency. Suppose that it passes by you. Do not detain it. Suppose that it is not yet come to you. Do not send your desire forward to it, but wait till it is opposite to you. Do so with respect to children, so with respect to a wife, so with respect to magisterial offices, so with respect with wealth. 

Interesting - But if you take none of the things set before you, and even despise them, then you will not only be a fellow banqueter of the Gods, but also a partner with them in power. 

Remember that thou art an actor in a play of such a kind as the teacher (author) may choose; if short, of a short one; if long, of a long one: if he wishes you to act the part of a poor man, see that you act the part naturally; if the part of a magistrate, (do the same). For this is your duty, to act well the part that is given to you; but to select the part, belongs to another.

Wish not to be a senator or a general, but a free man; and there is only one way to this, to care not for the things which are not in our power. 

Remember it is not he who reviles you or strikes you who insults you, but your opinion about these things as being insulting.

Very interesting:

Let death and exile and every other thing which appears dreadful be daily before your eyes; but most of all death: and you will never think of anything mean nor will you desire anything extravagantly.

True, I guess

If you abide by the principles of your philosophy, these men who first ridiculed will afterward admire you: but if you shall have been overpowered by them, you will bring on yourself double ridicule. 

Acquire money then, your friends say, that we also may have something. If I can acquire money and also keep myself modest, and faithful and magnanimous, point out the way, and I will acquire it. But if you ask me to lose the things which are good and my own, in order that you may gain the things which are not good, see how unfair and silly you are.

Well, what is the price of lettuces? An obolus perhaps. If then a man gives up the obolus, and receives the lettuces, and if you do not give up the obolus and do not obtain the lettuces do not suppose that you receive less than he who has got the lettuces; for as he has the lettuces, so you have the obolus which you did not give. In the same way then in the other matter also you have not been invited to a man's feast, for you did not give to the host the price at which the supper is sold; but he sells it for praise (flattery), he sells it for personal attention. Give then the price, if it is for your interest, for which it is sold. But if you wish both not to give the price and to obtain the things, you are insatiable and silly. Have you nothing then in place of the supper? You have indeed, you have the not flattering of him, whom you did not choose to flatter; you have the not enduring of the man when he enters the room.

These things happen (when your neighbor’s slave breaks his cup). When your cup is also broken, you ought to think as your neighbors cup was broken. 

Transfer this reflection to greater things also. When your or another man’s child is dead, it is one of the things which happen. 

Interesting from the Olympic anecdote - in heat, in cold, you must not drink cold water

See the full life you are signing up for. 

If an Olympian, abstain from delicacies, exercise, strain the hand, put the ankle out of the joint, sometimes be flogged, and after this be defeated. 

When you have considered all this, if you still choose, go to the contest. If you do not, you will behave like children. 

Profound:

But with your whole soul you will be nothing at all. But like an ape you imitate everything that you see, one thing after another pleases you. For you have not undertaken anything with consideration, nor have you surveyed it well; but carelessly. 

Might be wisdom:

In this way then you will discover your duty from the relation of a neighbor, from that of a citizen, from that of a general, if you are accustomed to contemplate the relations. 

Let silence be the general rule. What is necessary, say in few words

Refuse altogether to take an oath. If not, refuse as far as you are able. 

If a man has reported to you, that a certain person speaks ill of you, do not make any defense (answer) to what has been told you: but reply, The man did not know the rest of my faults, for he would not have mentioned these only.

Very profound. Infinite loops before technology….

As also in the matter of the shoe, if you go beyond the necessities of the foot, the shoe is gilded, then of a purple color, the embroidered: for there is no limit to that which has once passed the true meas-

ure.

The measure of possession (property) is to every man the body. 

This idea is revolutionary 🤯

Everything has two handles, the one by which it may be borne, the other by which it may not. If your brother acts unjustly, do not lay hold of the act by that handle wherein he acts unjustly, for this is the handle which cannot be borne; but lay hold of the other, that he is your brother, that he was nurtured with you, and you will lay hold of the thing by that handle by which it can be borne.

Wild:

At a banquet, do not say how a man ought to eat, but eat as you ought to eat. If a conversation comes to theorems, generally be silent; for there is great danger that you will immediately vomit up what you have not digested. 

For even sheep do not vomit up their grass to show the shepherds how much they have eaten; but when they have infernally digested the pasture, they produce externally wool and milk. 

When at small cost you are supplied of everything for the body, do not be proud of this. How much more frugal the poor are than we, and how much more enduring of labor. If you ever wish to exercise yourself of labor endurance—if you are ever very thirsty, take a draught of cold water, and spit it out, and tell no man. 

You can kill me but you cannot harm me