in every way the deck was stacked against Epictetus two thousand years ago in hieropolis he was born into slavery he wasn't even given a name Epictetus just means acquired one he was tortured the fruits of his labor were stolen his body was abused like a horse that was ridden into the ground and then put down later he was unfairly exiled he went through unimaginable adversity and difficulty and yet he triumphed because Epictetus didn't look at his life as a series of Horrors and tragedies but as a set of endless opportunities a Podium and a prison
is each a place he said one high and the other low but in either place your freedom of choice can be maintained if you wish every event has two handles he said one by which it can be carried in one by which it can Epictetus chose to focus on what was in his control his opinions his values his wants his sense of self and ignore the rest looking around at the powerful men and women in Nero's Court where he worked Epictetus began to notice that although he was a slave he was Freer than many of
them they were enslaved to power and ambition pleasure and attention their minds wandered they were easily distracted they were wounded by minor offenses and consumed by Petty grudges they lived bad lives so he educated himself under the great stoic teacher mussonius Rufus and eventually won his freedom he himself became a teacher of Rome's brightest students including the future Emperor Hadrian his ideas made their way to Marcus Aurelius and suddenly a man who had so little power was influencing the most powerful people in the world for the better what we learned from Epictetus is not just
sheer endurance and resilience but the ability to find and make a good life anywhere in all times circumstances don't make the man Epictetus said they only reveal him to himself the stoics said we are actors in a play all an actor can do is play their role well and learn to let go of the rest that's how we must see life we don't control where we were born or who our parents are or how other people treat us we only control what we do with the material we are given yes so much of it is
out of our control but we have a lot more agency than some people think we can through determination and skill learn how to shape our own destiny control it no shape it yes by turning in a splendid performance in our current role whatever it happens to be I hope you like this video I hope you subscribe but what I really want you to subscribe to is our daily email one bit of stoic wisdom totally for free to the largest community of stoics ever in existence and hope to see you there at dailystoke.com female
