2000 years later, Epictetus’ life lessons still make sense

A Fundamental distinction

How should we live our life as a human being ? This is a question that Epictetus is raising himself. To answer, he seeks to define the nature of things. According to him, they are of two kinds. He presents them in the first maxim of his Enchiridion :

Some things are within our power, while others are not. Within our power are opinion, motivation, desire, aversion, and, in a word, whatever is of our own doing; not within our power are our body, our property, reputation, office, and, in a word, whatever is not of our own doing.

As a human being, we should then focus all our attention on the things that completely depend on us. It is a life-long exercise and it should allow us to feel serene in any circumstances. Therefore, what matters is not the events themselves, which do not depend on my will, but how I react to them.

For example, you have broken a very symbolic object that you valued.

• Reaction n°1 : I get angry/I’m sad/I’m frustrated (I should have … And what if…). It is a passionate reaction. I needlessly add grief to the accident.
• Reaction n°2 : I analyze, judge the situation, understand the causal reaction, put things into perspective… I react in adequacy with my own…