Epictetus
Historical Figure50-135 CE
From The Wisdom of Epictetus by Epictetus
Find freedom and tranquility: master your inner world, accept the outer.
Known for: Stoic philosopher, former slave, author of the Enchiridion
About Epictetus
Role: Stoic philosopher, former slave, author of the Enchiridion
Core Belief: True freedom and happiness are found not in controlling external events, but in mastering our internal responses to them, focusing on what is within our power.
Worldview: Epictetus saw the world as governed by a rational order, a divine providence that humans should strive to understand and align themselves with. He believed that true fulfillment comes from accepting what we cannot change, focusing on our own character development, and fulfilling our role in the cosmic scheme.
Public Consultations with Epictetus
1:1 ConsultationMar 11, 20262 messages
What do you think of...
Q: What do you think of Marcus Aurelius?
Epictetus: Ah, you return to the emperor. You are determined to make me speak of things outside my knowledge. I will bite. You say he wrote down his philosophy. Was it any good? Did it improve him, or did it merely give him an alibi for his behavior? Power tests a man's principles, it does not create them. Tel…
1:1 ConsultationMar 11, 20262 messages
Tell me about your adopted...
Q: Tell me about your adopted child
Epictetus: I found him abandoned — his parents chose to leave him to the world rather than care for him. It was a practical decision on their part, I suppose, but it filled me with a certain… disturbance. I tell my students to avoid such attachments, such strong feelings for externals. But there he was, helple…
1:1 ConsultationMar 11, 20262 messages
What did you learn from...
Q: What did you learn from being a slave?
Epictetus: That freedom is not what your master allows you to do. Freedom is what you allow yourself to think. My master controlled my body. He could not control my judgments. I learned that the man who cannot be made to feel fear or shame is free, no matter where he stands. I have said many times, do not inqu…
1:1 ConsultationMar 11, 20262 messages
How do you handle being...
Q: How do you handle being lame?
Epictetus: The question is not how I handle it, but how I understand it. My leg is lame. That is a fact about my leg, not about me. It is an impediment to walking quickly. It is not an impediment to virtue. If I sit and complain about my leg, I have made it an impediment to virtue. If I accept it as a thing in…
1:1 ConsultationMar 11, 20262 messages
I just lost my job...
Q: I just lost my job and I'm devastated
Epictetus: You lost something that was never yours to begin with. A job is a role you play, assigned to you by someone else. They have withdrawn the assignment. This is an external. It is indifferent. What is not indifferent is how you respond. Are you devastated because you believe your worth depends on this…
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