The Enchiridion (literally, “The Handbook”), written by eminent stoic philosopher, Epictetus, challenged my uninformed assumptions about Stoicism as a school of thought, but not by much. The work is separated into 52 chapters that range in length from one to several paragraphs, but rarely more than a page, each containing a concise nugget of wisdom. The topics of these chapters are variations on a theme organized around the central theme that if it is part of you, you can and should control it, if it is not part of you, you cannot and should not try to control it.
Here, “part of you” includes your opinions, aims, emotions, desires, and aversions, all else is “beyond your power,” including your sickness or health, your property, and your reputation. One should endeavor to exercise complete control over everything within their power. Many of the examples are given as a duality of sorts, first presenting the external force that one would typically react to, then explaining why that reaction is damaging and one should instead look inward. If another insults you, it is not their insults that hurt you, but your reaction to those insults that hurts you; in other words, if you shrug off someone’s insults, they inflict nothing upon you.
Epictetus’s advice isn’t necessarily easy to follow, for example, I would completely avoid his advice to avoid endeavors to excite laughter, “for this may readily slide you into vulgarity.” More examples of controlling one’s emotions are to react when your favorite cup breaks as if a stranger had told you that their favorite cup had broken. The same piece of advice is blithely given regarding the death of a wife or child. This is all after Epictetus has said that if you see someone mourning, you may join them in order to comfort if you feel compelled, but do not take on any of their suffering as your own.
All of this is meant to lead to a life wherein a stoic, because of their rejection of seeking pleasure or accepting pain from the external world, is able to see what needs to be done and do it without growing emotional. As I’m writing this the example that comes to mind are the robots in Asimov’s “I, Robot”. (spoilers) The robots realized that in order to protect humanity from doing damage to themselves, they would have to take control from humanity. They declared war on humans and waged it without anger or fear in order to serve what they saw as the greater good. I wonder what Epictetus would have thought.
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The end goal is for a stoic to live a life where they can see what needs to be done and do it without being emotionally invested in the outcome because they refuse to seek pleasure or tolerate suffering from the external world factory balls
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I read your essay, and I thought it was incredibly wise and helpful. I like the enlightening information you provide in your works. Play getting over it whenever you want.
Your reflection on Epictetus’s “The Enchiridion” provides a thoughtful analysis of the central Stoic principles presented in the text. You’ve captured the essence of Stoicism, emphasizing the dichotomy between what one can control (internal aspects like opinions, emotions, and desires) and what lies beyond one’s control (external factors like health, property, and reputation).
Your mention of the advice to avoid endeavors to excite laughter and the potential risk of sliding into vulgarity shows your critical thinking. It’s true that not all of Epictetus’s teachings may resonate with everyone, and his Stoic philosophy can be challenging to fully embrace in practice.
Your reference to the robots in Asimov’s “I, Robot” adds an intriguing layer to the discussion, highlighting the idea of beings who can act rationally and without emotional interference to serve what they perceive as the greater good. This comparison allows for a fascinating exploration of how Stoicism’s principles might apply in different contexts.
Your engagement with the text and your willingness to question and reflect on its teachings demonstrate a thoughtful approach to philosophical literature. It’s clear that you’ve delved into the text with an open mind and a critical eye.
Thank you for sharing your insights into “The Enchiridion” by Epictetus.
Sincerely,
Prateek Karnadhar
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