The Art of Living

Introduction

Epictetus, one of the great stoic philosophers, was born as a slave around 55 A.D. in the eastern outreaches of the Roman Empire. Showing signs of sharp intellect, Epictetus eventually was freed by his master and then went on to teach philosophy in Rome until he was banished by emperor DomitianDomitian, an aggressive and suppressive emperor, felt threatened by the Stoic's teaching of virtue.. This expulsion led Epictetus to his last destination: Nicopolis. He would spend his remaining years in this town on the northwest coast of Greece teaching philosophy to anyone who would listen. It was his tenure here where he cemented his legacy as one of the most impactful philosophers of all time, until he eventually took his last breath in 135 A.D..

He viewed philosophy as a tool to be used for the ordinary man to effectively meet the challenges of everyday life. In his fundamental approach, he aimed to deliver his insights stripped of sentiment, piety, and verbiage. We see this completely on display in the book: The Art of Living, where Epictetus shares his thoughts on a variety of different topics and situations. To him, a happy life and a virtuous life are synonymous; simply, fulfillment comes from doing the right thing. The wisdom in this book is timeless, ranging from inner peace to the importance of discipline. In what follows, I'll explore the lessons I considered to be the most personally impactful.

True Happiness is Internal

If you are at all familiar with Stoicism, then you must be familiar with the concept that happiness comes within. All of the greatest Stoics stress this idea in some manner:

• "Very little is needed to make a happy life; it is all within yourself, in your way of thinking" - Marcus Aurelius
• "True happiness is to enjoy the present, without anxious dependence upon the future" - Seneca
• "Man conquers the world by conquering himself" - Zeno

The motivation behind these claims lies in the stoic tenet to accept external circumstances the way they are. Worrying about situations out of your control is one of, if not the biggest mistakes someone can make in the Stoic view. Epictetus certainly expands on this premise, "Freedom is the only goal in life. It is won by disregarding things that lie beyond our control.". Earlier in the book, he teaches, "Accept events as they actually happen. That way peace is possible.". In his eyes, inner peace is impossible as long as you rely on external factors and motivators. I find this to be very interesting. The obvious side of this is that you can't let bad things taint your mood or self-worth. As long as you do, you are at the mercy of the world. However this also applies to when things go great. You just got a raise, you just got a good grade on an exam, anything of the sort. It's important to not less this bloat your ego or self-worth. That is not to say that you should not celebrate achievements, but acknowledge that who you truly are is not dependent on these accomplishments. Some of the most successful people lack morals and virtue; success alone can not give you happiness. As long as it does, you are at the mercy of the world.

Talk Less, Do More

One thing I struggle with is the process of truly living and implementing the ethics and teachings of various philosophers and schools of thought. It's easy to read about them and appreciate the wisdom from an academic perspective, but it is infinitely harder to live by it. For example, I've been in NYC for a month now and I still get frustrated when people walk really slow in front of me, or when the slowest swimmers jump in my lane after work. Luckily, it seems like this has been a problem for millennia because Epictetus preaches, "If someone tries to impress you, claiming to understand the writings and ideas of a great thinker ... the person who truly understands [the] writings or the precepts of any great mind is the person who actually applies the philosopher's teachings.". It is not enough to just be familiar with the teachings, you must live by it. In times where you get frustrated, or you let outside events dictate how you feel, it is even more important to lean into the wisdom of the stoics.

I find that this parallels religion in some sense. It is easy to follow God when you put yourself in situations where temptation is not present, but as soon as you are faced with temptation of any sort it is simply a test of faith. You know what is a sin and what isn't, that is not the question. The true question is, are you willing and strong enough to resist it. That is the marking of a true Christian. In my opinion, you are not a Christian just because you know the Ten Commandments, the same way you are not a Stoic because you can quote Marcus Aurelius. What qualifies you to something is your faith and your trust that it is correct, and you convey this by abiding by and living the ideals that it puts forth, or at least trying to. Epictetus seconds this sentiment when he declares to "Show your character and your commitment to personal nobility through your actions".

Discipline is Freedom

Society is riddled with easy escapes from every day life. Many would consider the ability to take part in activities like doomscrolling or partying without worrying as freedom. Epictetus disagrees, "Most people tend to delude themselves into thinking that freedom comes from doing what feels good or what fosters comfort and ease". Instead, Epictetus proposes that "the truth is that people who subordinate reason to their feelings of the moment are actually slaves of their desires and aversions". I'll keep using myself as an example here. One thing that I wish I did better with is staying off of my phone while I want to get work done. Just yesterday, I laid in bed for a couple hours watching reels and TV when I wanted to be productive. Is that true freedom? I certainly was free to make the decision, but was I free in that moment? Epictetus would say no, I was simply a "slave" to my laziness and desires at that moment in time, whereas I could have been pursuing something that would improve myself as a person.

I recognize that this may seem pretty hardcore, but I really think that it doesn't have to be. There is always a time for relaxing and turning off your brain to do fun things, it should just be intentional. Passively wasting your time is a disservice to yourself, your potential, and the people that believe in you. So have fun, watch TV, scroll on Instagram, but do so while understanding that there must be a balance and that you have a person and a character to grow into, and that is the most important part: "What really matters is who we are inside and who we are becoming".