The Rules of Life: Epictetus’ View As rational beings, we can become conscious of the law that guides all things. Virtue consists in conscious agreement with the inevitable order of things. According to Epictetus’ The Enchiridion, one acts with the virtues of Stoicism: human imperfection, prudence, temperance, and courage. We can relate what Epictetus is saying to our own lives. It appears that some comfort comes in knowing that one has no control over the predetermined. Epictetus represents a myriad of concepts.
One concept of which being that one should live with the awareness of human imperfection and finitude. He expresses the sentiment that one is able to relinquish the feelings of disrespect and desire by allowing all that is ill-fated to appear before one’s eyes each day. Epictetus states, “Let death and exile and everything that is terrible appear before your eyes every day, especially death; and you will never have anything contemptible in your thoughts or crave anything excessively” (XXI).
It is important that we are attentive to the fact that there is much unhappiness and despair in this world.
If we do not expose ourselves to such matters, these things will consume us. Epictetus also conveys that prudence is key. It is important to look at all the things that surround one’s dealings. If these things are not rendered, the outcome will cause one to disgracefully discontinue that which he is doing. One must recognize what it is that he is getting into before actually partaking in it. Epictetus states it clearly: For each action, consider what leads up to it and what follows it, and approach it in the light of that.
The Essay on Do The Right Thing
The movie Do the Right Thing, a group of people in the district of Brooklyn, have had enough and tensions are growing in this black ghetto area. The only local businesses are a Korean grocery and Sal's Pizzeria. Mookie, Sal's delivery boy, manages to always be at the center of the action. The movie Do the Right Thing is a movie about a neighborhood that suffers from lack of diversity. On a hot ...
Otherwise you will come to it enthusiastically at first, since you have not borne in mind any of what will happen next, but later when difficulties turn up you will give it up disgracefully… You must either work on your ruling principle, or work on externals, practice the art either of what is inside or of what is outside, that is, play the role either of a philosopher or of a non-philosopher. (XXIX) The example of an athlete is adapted to clarify this belief. If one wants to be a star athlete, then it is important for one to train properly and work hard before the event. Supposing that one does not prepare for the event, then the expectation should not be that one would succeed. Provided that one is willing to train for this event then one should continue and do his best to fulfill this desire.
However, if one does not want to put the labor in, then he should set his sights on something that is attainable with such a frame of mind. Temperance is a sign of moral excellence. Epictetus says that one ought exude self-control at all times. For, it is inevitable that one will find oneself in the face of adversity, rumor, and conceit on numerous occasions in a life span.
Epictetus dispenses his insight into this matter: Be silent for the most part, or say what you have to in a few words… Divert by your own talk, if you can, the talk of those with you to something appropriate. If you happen to be stranded among strangers, do not talk… If someone reports back to you that so-and-so is saying bad things about you, do not reply to them but answer, ‘Obviously he didn’t know my other bad characteristics, since otherwise he wouldn’t just have mentioned these’… wish to have happen only what does happen, and for the person to win who actually does win, since that way you will not be thwarted. (XXXIII) Epictetus directs one to see the stability in leading a frugal life.
Perhaps one may be lead to believe that Epictetus is contradicting himself in some instances. As it is easy to see that he says, talk with few words, and then continues to mention that one must change an inappropriate subject by diverting your own talk. However, the best way to consider this is to realize that every circumstance is different, and to each, one must adapt appropriately. He is simply stating that it is essential for one to establish a certain disposition to be used when they are unaccompanied or surrounded by people. It is also critical for one to regard that it is only their judgment about things that make them bad, and not the things themselves. This represents courage and self-reliance.
The Essay on Make Things Happen Life Article Single
Magazine Critique Single is an independent word that means freedom, in social terms. Freedom is basically another word for having the time of your life with as little responsibility and as much fun as possible. Socializing with whomever you desire gives you that lack of restrictions, and almost unlimited options in the societal game. In other cases, there comes a time when being single means being ...
Epictetus employs death to depict his point in this passage, “Death is nothing dreadful (or else it would have appeared dreadful to Socrates), but instead the judgment about death that it is dreadful-that is what is dreadful” (V).
As was discussed in lecture, men are disturbed not by things, but by the views which they take of things. This is the cause for extended and unnecessary grievances. It is through the nature of a simple man to accuse others when something bad happens to him, and it is the great man who sees that it is neither himself nor others that cause him to feel grievance. Epictetus puts it rightly in saying, “An uneducated person accuses others when he is doing badly; a partly educated person accuses himself, an educated person accuses neither someone else nor himself” (V).
This is, perhaps, one of Epictetus’ most influential ideas.
As this is clearly something that those in today’s society can relate and utilize from day to day. Epictetus shows us many instrumental concepts in The Enchiridion. He believes that there is a law that guides all things and that virtue consists in the imminent order of things. Human imperfection and the idea of limit is a realization that many have yet to come to. In addition, caution is valuable when setting out to achieve a goal. It is important to look at all factors before jumping into something that could end up causing one pain and frustration in the end.
One must convey a sense of self-control at all times. Epictetus gives us insight on how to live a frugal life. Finally, men are disturbed not by occurrences, but by the views which they take of these happenings. The man of great intelligence accuses neither himself nor another when something goes poorly in his life. As we have seen, it is easy for one to relate Epictetus’ beliefs to his own life in today’s society.
The Essay on Of Mice and Men 68
The story Of Mice and Men is written by John Steinbeck. John Ernst Steinbeck was a California novelist, he attended Stanford University. Steinbeck worked at odd jobs(Oxford University 722). He started off writing short stories and romantics. Steinbecks fiction combines with realism and romance, but not always harmoniously( 722 ). Most of his stories settings were rural areas, where people live ...
It is an amazing feat for Epictetus to have written The Enchiridion so long ago, and for it to apply to our current world.
