Here at Daily Stoic, July is Epictetus Month, and we thought we'd share some of the most important rules Epictetus lived by—and share how you can apply them to your life, too.
If you truly want to understand Discourses and Enchiridion—to move beyond the quotes and into the mindset of the man behind them—then grab our How To Read Epictetus guide, a step-by-step framework to help you unlock the wisdom Epictetus left behind.
Okay, let's get into the last four of Epictetus' rules for a better life…
It's not that you read but what you read
"I cannot call somebody 'hard-working' knowing only that they read...Even if 'all night long' is added, I cannot say it – not until I know the focus of all this energy...If their efforts aim at improving the mind, then – and only then – do I call them hard-working."
Just because someone spends a lot of time reading, Epictetus said, doesn't mean they're smart. Spending hours or days in front of books is better than say, hours watching stupid internet videos, but it can still be a waste of time. Great readers don't just think about quantity, they think about quality. They read books that challenge their thinking. They read books that help them improve as human beings, not just as professionals. They, as Epictetus said, make sure that their "efforts aim at improving the mind." Because then and only then would he call you "hard-working." Then and only then would he give you the title "reader."
Don't be afraid to look foolish
"If you want to improve, be content to be thought foolish and stupid."
To do anything interesting, to do the things that you really want to, that you believe in—whether that means tuning out from the news or ignoring the expensive fashions of the day so you can focus on philosophy, we must, as Epictetus said, "be content to be thought foolish and stupid." What keeps us from chasing our dreams, from trying new things, from stepping out of our comfort zone? Fear of what other people might think or say. The thought of doing something that might draw attention or that might draw criticism, often keeps us from ever trying. As Tim Ferriss, elaborating on the Epictetus quote above, said, "You need to train yourself to be effective at dealing with, responding to, even enjoying criticism… In fact, I would take the quote a step further and encourage people to actively pursue being thought foolish and stupid."
Appreciate but don't need
"The important thing is to take great care with what you have while the world lets you have it."
There's a story about Epictetus. One evening a thief entered his home and stole an iron lamp that he kept burning in a shrine in his front hallway. While he felt a flash of disappointment and anger, he knew that a Stoic was not to trust these strong emotions. Pausing, checking with himself, he found a different way through the experience of being robbed. "Tomorrow, my friend," he said to himself, "you will find an earthenware lamp; for a man can only lose what he has." You can only lose what you have. You don't control your possessions, so don't ascribe more value to them than they deserve. Appreciate them while you have them. But be just as well without them.
Don't wait to demand the best for yourself
"How long will you wait before you demand the best of yourself?"
The Stoics come down pretty hard on procrastinating, hoping either to postpone our responsibilities or avoid them altogether. There is no bigger waste of life, they said, than putting things off. "If you are careless and lazy now," Epictetus said, "and keep putting things off and always deferring the day after which you will attend to yourself, you will not notice that you are making no progress, but you will live and die as someone quite ordinary."
P.S. In celebration of Epictetus Month, Ryan Holiday will be hosting a live Q&A on July 26 to talk all things Epictetus and Discourses.
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