Three Minute Philosophy: Epictetus

Brief Biography

Epictetus was a Greek philosopher who lived in the time of about 50 AD. He centered his teachings around mindset of stoicism, which can be described as the process of enduring and accepting pain without displaying negative feelings or emotion.

??FUN FACT??! Marcus Aurelius, Socrates, Chrysippus, and Cleanthes are all famous Greek philosophers who developed the ideas and meaning of stoicism!

Epictetus' Teachings

Most things in life are out your control. Whether it be what other people's decisions are or a health-related issue someone close develops, on the grand scheme of things, humans as individuals don't really have much of a say on what happens around them.

That isn't to say we don't have control over anything. Though it's a bit harder to notice, what we do have authority over is much more significant and crucial in our lives: We don't have power over how the world effects us, but we do have control over how we respond to the world.

Or in other words (and this is one of my favorite quotes):

"Although you can't establish the order of the external world, you have the capacity to generate the order of your internal world." Epictetus ??

We have control over our desires, beliefs, and reactions to what's going on around us. It's our internal world that we have easy dominance over, and though one might think that this is pointless and that our external world is much more preferable to have a say over, being able to understand and manage your emotions will allow you to go down the path to life happiness and success.

But how can we actually structure and discipline our internal thoughts and feelings, you may ask? Well, Epictetus figured out three bases on how to judge the world around us: virtue, vice, and indifference.

1) Virtue

These are acts that are positive and benefit everyone in any situation. We should look at circumstances filled with virtue as ones that are the most true and impactful in life.

2) Vice

Being the opposite of virtue, acts with vice-filled intent are ones that harm and should be deemed as negative and wrong.

3) Indifference

Indifference is every other circumstance of life that doesn't fall in the virtue/vice categories. These include things like money or other hedonistic aspects that would not joyfully fulfill anyone.

Using these three terms, we can seek and filter what we want and don't want in life to maximize our long term happiness.

Or as Epictetus says:

"Those who can avoid vice and approach virtue are the trees that can give life"

KEY TAKEAWAYS

1) Stoicism is the process of enduring and accepting pain without displaying negative feelings or emotion

2) We don't have control over how the world effects us, but we do have control over how we respond to the world

3) The three bases on how to judge the world around us are virtue, vice, and indifference

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