May 23, 2025
Thanks to Alissa Simon, HMU Tutor for today’s post.
I recently explored The Handbook of Epictetus with a group led by David Saussy of Symposium Great Books Institute. As with many texts, I gained a lot of ideas by exploring it with a group. We used close textual analysis and slow reading to better understand a number of Epictetus’s thoughts. While short in length, his words touched on many different aspects of life. Although Epictetus never wrote anything himself, these teachings were passed down by his students as a way to inspire practicality and reason in the face of tough times. He reasons that instead of trying to avoid that which cannot be avoided, we must focus on our response. In fact, Epictetus might say that the only thing we can control is our own response.
Some concepts appeared fairly straightforward to me, but some challenged me on many levels. For example, Epictetus repeatedly expresses the notion that nothing can harm us unless we let it. In chapter 30, he explains: “you will be harmed at just that time at which you take yourself to be harmed.” He goes so far as to say that someone may kill you, but they have not injured you. In other words, harm is part perception which is fully under my control. In my own post-course journaling, I focused on this idea because it almost alters the way that I define harm.
According to Merriam-Webster, harm is simply defined as “physical or mental damage.” I realized that for me, I often combine harm and intent, so that harm itself carries a blame. I like to place blame on outside things, but Epictetus might tell me that because I attach judgment to harm, then I am not correctly identifying what is mine. While I might be angry about damage to my property, he might explain that property never fully belongs to me, not in the way that my inner self belongs to me. So, when property is stolen or damaged, it behooves me to move on without judgment. He allows me to experience anger or frustration at the event, but if I remain stuck in the pain of anger, then I have allowed myself to fall prey to false appearances.
This seems really difficult to swallow because of my cultural attachment with justice and law. I don’t think he means to dismiss those, however. Rather, while Epictetus might advise me to let go of unnecessary property, he might also allow me to follow through with justice. But if I get stuck in that system of falsely thinking about what is “mine,” then I risk my own health and sanity. His way of thinking does enable me to release anger. He means to say that we should not be overly attached to externals which often blur reality. This idea feels correct to me. It also really challenges the way that I live, the biases I have, and the frailty of human thought which wants to find answers and antidotes.
In fact, I wondered if his pragmatism might lead to less conflicts in general. Although Epictetus acknowledges that it is difficult to dismiss the ego, he suggests this as a best practice. Chapter 43 reads: “Everything has two handles, one by which it may be carried and the other not. If your brother acts unjustly toward you, do not take hold of it by this side, that he has acted unjustly (since this is the handle by which it may not be carried), but instead by this side, that he is your brother and was brought up with you, and you will be taking hold of it in the way that it can be carried.” I love this quote because it reminds me of what is important. I find the focus on shared humanity incredibly inspirational. This passage raises questions such as: How do we treat those around us? Why or how does human anger overpower the importance of connection? Are all relationships important at some level?
Finally, Epictetus finds fault with human judgment because it often relies on uninformed (or partially informed) perspectives. In other words, my judgment always comes from my experience and my perspective, which is limited at best. In judging things, I might belittle someone else’s grade or essay. I might even be proud of my own work. I might boast about my lifestyle or fashionable outfit. Instead, he advises that rather than claiming to be rich or well-spoken, realize that “you are identical neither with your property nor with your speaking.” Furthermore, in chapter 45, Epictetus says that we cannot know others’ motivations: “until you have discerned what his judgment was, how do you know whether he did it badly or well?” It is good to pause, therefore, and try to imagine another’s reasons, motivations, life, thoughts, etc.
Finally, perhaps my favorite piece of advice comes in chapter 51:
“So decide now that you are worthy of living as a full-grown man who is making progress, and make everything that seems best be a law that you cannot go against. And if you meet with any hardship or anything pleasant or reputable or disreputable, then remember that the contest is now and the Olympic games are now and you cannot put things off any more and that your progress is made or destroyed by a single day and a single action. Socrates became fully perfect in this way, by not paying attention to anything but his reason in everything that he met with. You, even if you are not yet Socrates, ought to live as someone wanting to be Socrates.”
His words empower and uplift. They put me fully in charge of my thoughts and identity. They also remind me of a poem by Nelson Mandela titled “Letting Go.” In this poem, Mandela writes: “To let go is not to criticize and regulate anyone, but to try to become what I dream I can be.”
I thoroughly enjoyed the close reading and discussions. Many thanks to Symposium Great Books Institute!
Photo credit: Shutterstock/ InspireZone
