The Enchiridion
By Epictetus


Translated by Elizabeth Carter

1. Some things are in our control and others not. Things in our control
are opinion, pursuit, desire, aversion, and, in a word, whatever are
our own actions. Things not in our control are body, property, reputation,
command, and, in one word, whatever are not our own actions.

The things in our control are by nature free, unrestrained, unhindered;
but those not in our control are weak, slavish, restrained, belonging
to others. Remember, then, that if you suppose that things which are
slavish by nature are also free, and that what belongs to others is
your own, then you will be hindered. You will lament, you will be
disturbed, and you will find fault both with gods and men. But if
you suppose that only to be your own which is your own, and what belongs
to others such as it really is, then no one will ever compel you or
restrain you. Further, you will find fault with no one or accuse no
one. You will do nothing against your will. No one will hurt you,
you will have no enemies, and you not be harmed.

...

Work, therefore to be able to say to every harsh appearance, "You
are but an appearance, and not absolutely the thing you appear to
be." ... if it concerns anything
not in our control, be prepared to say that it is nothing to you.

2. ... if you are averse to sickness, or death, or poverty,
you will be wretched. Remove aversion, then, from all things that
are not in our control, and transfer it to things contrary to the
nature of what is in our control. But, for the present, totally suppress
desire: for, if you desire any of the things which are not in your
own control, you must necessarily be disappointed ...

3. ... If, for example,
you are fond of a specific ceramic cup, remind yourself that it is
only ceramic cups in general of which you are fond. Then, if it breaks,
you will not be disturbed. If you kiss your child, or your wife, say
that you only kiss things which are human, and thus you will not be
disturbed if either of them dies.

4. ...

5. Men are disturbed, not by things, but by the principles and notions
which they form concerning things. Death, for instance, is not terrible,
else it would have appeared so to Socrates. ...

6. Don't be prideful with any excellence that is not your own. ... What, then, is your own? Only your reaction to the appearances
of things. ...

7. ...

8. Don't demand that things happen as you wish, but wish that they
happen as they do happen, and you will go on well.

9. ...

10. With every accident, ask yourself what abilities you have for
making a proper use of it. If you see an attractive person, you will
find that self-restraint is the ability you have against your desire.
If you are in pain, you will find fortitude. If you hear unpleasant
language, you will find patience. And thus habituated, the appearances
of things will not hurry you away along with them.

11. Never say of anything, "I have lost it"; but, "I have returned
it." Is your child dead? It is returned. Is your wife dead? She is
returned. ... While he (Zeus) gives
it to you to possess, take care of it; but don't view it as your own,
just as travelers view a hotel.

12. ...

13. ...

14. If you wish your children, and your wife, and your friends to
live for ever, you are stupid; for you wish to be in control of things
which you cannot, you wish for things that belong to others to be
your own. ... Whoever, then, would
be free, let him wish nothing, let him decline nothing, which depends
on others else he must necessarily be a slave.

15. Remember that you must behave in life as at a dinner party. Is
anything brought around to you? Put out your hand and take your share
with moderation. Does it pass by you? Don't stop it. Is it not yet
come? Don't stretch your desire towards it, but wait till it reaches
you. Do this with regard to children, to a wife, to public posts,
to riches, and you will eventually be a worthy partner of the feasts
of the gods. ...

16. When you see anyone weeping in grief because his son has gone
abroad, or is dead, ... be prepared to say, "It's not the accident
that distresses this person., because it doesn't distress another
person; it is the judgment which he makes about it." As far as words
go, however, don't reduce yourself to his level, and certainly do
not moan with him. Do not moan inwardly either.

17. Remember that you are an actor in a drama, of such a kind as the
author pleases to make it. If short, of a short one; if long, of a
long one. If it is his pleasure you should act a poor man, a cripple,
a governor, or a private person, see that you act it naturally. For
this is your business, to act well the character assigned you; to
choose it is another's.

18. ...

19. ...
don't wish to be a general, or a senator, or a consul,
but to be free; and the only way to this is a contempt of things not
in our own control.

20. ...

21. Let death and exile, and all other things which appear terrible
be daily before your eyes, but chiefly death, and you win never entertain
any abject thought, nor too eagerly covet anything.

22. ...

23....

24. ... If I can get them
with the preservation of my own honor and fidelity and greatness of
mind, show me the way and I will get them; but if you require me to
lose my own proper good that you may gain what is not good, consider
how inequitable and foolish you are. ... "What place, then, say you,
will I hold in the state?" Whatever you can hold with the preservation
of your fidelity and honor. But if, by desiring to be useful to that,
you lose these, of what use can you be to your country when you are
become faithless and void of shame.

25. ...

26. The will of nature may be learned from those things in which we
don't distinguish from each other. For example, when our neighbor's
boy breaks a cup, or the like, we are presently ready to say, "These
things will happen." Be assured, then, that when your own cup likewise
is broken, you ought to be affected just as when another's cup was
broken. Apply this in like manner to greater things. Is the child
or wife of another dead? There is no one who would not say, "This
is a human accident." but if anyone's own child happens to die, it
is presently, "Alas I how wretched am I!" But it should be remembered
how we are affected in hearing the same thing concerning others.

27. As a mark is not set up for the sake of missing the aim, so neither
does the nature of evil exist in the world.

28. ...

29. ... You must be
one man, either good or bad. You must cultivate either your own ruling
faculty or externals, and apply yourself either to things within or
without you; that is, be either a philosopher, or one of the vulgar.

30. ... Is a brother unjust? Well, keep your
own situation towards him. Consider not what he does, but what you
are to do to keep your own faculty of choice in a state conformable
to nature. For another will not hurt you unless you please. You will
then be hurt when you think you are hurt. In this manner, therefore,
you will find, from the idea of a neighbor, a citizen, a general,
the corresponding duties if you accustom yourself to contemplate the
several relations.

31. Be assured that the essential property of piety towards the gods
is to form right opinions concerning them, as existing "I and as governing
the universe with goodness and justice. And fix yourself in this resolution,
to obey them, and yield to them, and willingly follow them in all
events, as produced by the most perfect understanding. For thus you
will never find fault with the gods, nor accuse them as neglecting
you. And it is not possible for this to be effected any other way
than by withdrawing yourself from things not in our own control, and
placing good or evil in those only which are. ...

 For every
animal is naturally formed to fly and abhor things that appear hurtful,
and the causes of them; and to pursue and admire those which appear
beneficial, and the causes of them. It is impractical, then, that
one who supposes himself to be hurt should be happy about the person
who, he thinks, hurts him, just as it is impossible to be happy about
the hurt itself. Hence, also, a father is reviled by a son, when he
does not impart to him the things which he takes to be good; and the
supposing empire to be a good made Polynices and Eteocles mutually
enemies.

32. ...

33. Immediately prescribe some character and form of conduce to yourself,
which you may keep both alone and in company.

...
For be assured that if a
person be ever so sound himself, yet, if his companion be infected,
he who converses with him will be infected likewise.

Provide things relating to the body no further than mere use; as meat,
drink, clothing, house, family. But strike off and reject everything
relating to show and delicacy.

As far as possible, before marriage, keep yourself pure from familiarities
with women, and, if you indulge them, let it be lawfully." But don't
therefore be troublesome and full of reproofs to those who use these
liberties, nor frequently boast that you yourself don't.

If anyone tells you that such a person speaks ill of you, don't make
excuses about what is said of you, but answer: " He does not know
my other faults, else he would not have mentioned only these."

...

When you are going to confer with anyone, and particularly of those
in a superior station, represent to yourself how Socrates or Zeno
would behave in such a case, and you will not be at a loss to make
a proper use of whatever may occur.

...

34. If you are struck by the appearance of any promised pleasure,
guard yourself against being hurried away by it; but let the affair
wait your leisure, and procure yourself some delay. Then bring to
your mind both points of time: that in which you will enjoy the pleasure,
and that in which you will repent and reproach yourself after you
have enjoyed it; and set before you, in opposition to these, how you
will be glad and applaud yourself if you abstain. And even though
it should appear to you a seasonable gratification, take heed that
its enticing, and agreeable and attractive force may not subdue you;
but set in opposition to this how much better it is to be conscious
of having gained so great a victory.

35. When you do anything from a clear judgment that it ought to be
done, never shun the being seen to do it, even though the world should
make a wrong supposition about it; for, if you don't act right, shun
the action itself; but, if you do, why are you afraid of those who
censure you wrongly?

36. ...

37. ...

38. When walking, you are careful not to step on a nail or turn your
foot; so likewise be careful not to hurt the ruling faculty of your
mind. And, if we were to guard against this in every action, we should
undertake the action with the greater safety.

39. ... For to that
which once exceeds a due measure, there is no bound.

40. ...

41. It is a mark of want of genius to spend much time in things relating
to the body, as to be long in our exercises, in eating and drinking,
and in the discharge of other animal functions. These should be done
incidentally and slightly, and our whole attention be engaged in the
care of the understanding.

42. When any person harms you, or speaks badly of you, remember that
he acts or speaks from a supposition of its being his duty. Now, it
is not possible that he should follow what appears right to you, but
what appears so to himself. Therefore, if he judges from a wrong appearance,
he is the person hurt, since he too is the person deceived. For if
anyone should suppose a true proposition to be false, the proposition
is not hurt, but he who is deceived about it. Setting out, then, from
these principles, you will meekly bear a person who reviles you, for
you will say upon every occasion, "It seemed so to him."

43. Everything has two handles, the one by which it may be carried,
the other by which it cannot. If your brother acts unjustly, don't
lay hold on the action by the handle of his injustice, for by that
it cannot be carried; but by the opposite, that he is your brother,
that he was brought up with you; and thus you will lay hold on it,
as it is to be carried.

44. ...

45. ...

46. Never call yourself a philosopher, nor talk a great deal among
the unlearned about theorems, but act conformably to them. Thus, at
an entertainment, don't talk how persons ought to eat, but eat as
you ought. ... And, if anyone tells you
that you know nothing, and you are not nettled at it, then you may
be sure that you have begun your business. ... Thus,
therefore, do you likewise not show theorems to the unlearned, but
the actions produced by them after they have been digested.

47. ...

48. ...

49. ...

50. ...

51. The first and most necessary topic in philosophy is that of the
use of moral theorems, such as, "We ought not to lie;" the second
is that of demonstrations, such as, "What is the origin of our obligation
not to lie;" the third gives strength and articulation to the other
two, such as, "What is the origin of this is a demonstration." For
what is demonstration? What is consequence? What contradiction? What
truth? What falsehood? The third topic, then, is necessary on the
account of the second, and the second on the account of the first.
But the most necessary, and that whereon we ought to rest, is the
first. But we act just on the contrary. For we spend all our time
on the third topic, and employ all our diligence about that, and entirely
neglect the first. Therefore, at the same time that we lie, we are
immediately prepared to show how it is demonstrated that lying is
not right.

52. Upon all occasions we ought to have these maxims ready at hand:

"Conduct me, Jove, and you, 0 Destiny,
Wherever your decrees have fixed my station."
(Cleanthes)

"I follow cheerfully; and, did I not,
Wicked and wretched, I must follow still
Whoever yields properly to Fate, is deemed
Wise among men, and knows the laws of heaven."
(Euripides, Frag. 965)

And this third:

"0 Crito, if it thus pleases the gods, thus let it be. Anytus and
Melitus may kill me indeed, but hurt me they cannot."
(Plato's Crito and Apology)

THE END

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