"Of things, some depend upon ourselves, others do not depend upon ourselves." This simple opening line of The Enchiridion (c. 125 CE), the defining handbook on stoicism, contains Epictetus’ entire philosophy boiled down to its most essential: control what you can control and do not concern yourself with what you cannot.
A direct influence on legendary thinkers like Marcus Aurelius, Epictetus prescribes constant vigilance for the burgeoning stoic. Vigilance not just of the physical world, but of the internal reactions to the physical world. It is those reactions, he argues, that cause true discomfort and pain. To achieve this vigilance, it is necessary to ground oneself in logic and reason, seeing the trials and tribulations of the world as trials to overcome by force of will and strategy rather than personal attacks or unscalable barriers. For the modern reader, The Enchiridion offers a simple and direct guide for living unshackled by the burdens of hyper-individualization and a digestible doorway into stoic philosophy.
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