Reason and the Stoic Art of Living

Reason can help us live in a more fulfilling way. Many of the tribulations we experience have their origin in our thoughts, so seeing reality without illusions can free us from much suffering. This is one of the main goals of the practical part of Stoic philosophy, which offers us a wisdom of life capable of reducing our anxiety, dissipating our false worries, and even helping us deal with depression.

The Stoic philosopher Epictetus taught several lessons that point us in this direction. In what follows, we will briefly introduce his life and the basics of Stoicism, before presenting some of his main teachings. These lessons are grouped into three categories:

• Do not depend on what is not within your power

• Thoughts are not things

• Nothing belongs to us

Do not depend on what is not within your power

Fundamental to Epictetus’ philosophy is the clear distinction between the things that are within our power and those that are not. Within our power are: thoughts, impulses, desires, and aversions. Not within our power are: the body, possessions, reputation, and social positions.

The things within our power are free by nature — they cannot be hindered or put in chains. Those outside our power, however, are weak and entirely dependent, and thus can be taken from us at any time.

Therefore, our life goals should be placed in such a way that our greatest aspirations depend only on our own strength. If I make it my goal to become a famous and widely recognized artist, for example, I will likely bring myself unrest and unhappiness, since fame depends not only on me, but also on the recognition of others. If my goal, however, is simply to become an artist, the chances of frustration are much lower, because my development as an artist depends essentially on me, my talent, and my effort.

The individual who seeks to be free must not desire what lies in the hands of others. If he does, he will become a slave, and we should never enter into a struggle where victory does not lie within our power.

We must also not desire the impossible. The person who wishes, for example, that their children, spouse, or friends might live forever is a fool. He wishes that what does not lie within his power might somehow become so, that what does not belong to him might become his property.

Thoughts are not things

Epictetus affirms that it is not things themselves that frighten people, but the thoughts they have about them. Death, for example, has nothing terrible in itself, as Socrates would have recognized had he reflected on it this way. The problem is the idea we form of death, the meaning we give to it; the terror lies not in death itself but in our understanding of it.

When an unpleasant thought comes to mind, you should immediately tell it: “You are only a thought, not at all what you appear to be.” Then apply the previous rule and check whether this thought refers to something within our power or not. If it refers to something outside our power, we must simply say: “This has nothing to do with me.”

We must also realize that we are not offended by the person who insults or strikes us, but by our thought that there is something offensive in these acts. When someone disturbs you, remember: it is your own thought that disturbs you, and for this reason you must be careful not to let yourself be carried away by it.

And if thoughts are not the same as things, then still less are we ourselves identical with the objects or abilities we possess. It is a logical error to reason: “I am richer than you, therefore I am better than you”; or “I speak better than you, therefore I am better than you.” The correct conclusion would be: “I am richer than you, therefore my possessions are greater than yours”; or “I speak better than you, therefore my ability of expression is greater than yours.” These are the correct conclusions, since we are neither our wealth nor our ability to speak.

Nothing belongs to us

Never consider that things truly belong to you, and do not let your affection bind you to what is external, to what you cannot control. Whenever something pleases you, state clearly and openly what kind of thing it is. If you like a pot, for example, say: “I like a pot.” If it breaks, you will not be disturbed. When you kiss your child or your spouse, tell yourself: “I am kissing a mortal human being.” If one of them dies, you will not be devastated.

In the same way, we should not take pride in the qualities of external things. If a horse were to say, “How beautiful I am!”, we might tolerate such a statement, since it refers to itself. But when its owner says, “How beautiful my horse is!”, he should keep in mind that he is proud not of something belonging to himself, but of a quality of the horse. What belongs to the owner is only the idea, the thought, the representation. We should feel neither pride nor shame in what is not properly our own — and this includes our reputation.

We should also never say that we have lost something, but only that we have returned it. If your child dies, you have merely given him back; if your wife dies, you have merely given her back. Our relation to things must always be that of a traveler to an inn: everything we think we possess is in fact someone else’s property entrusted to our care. In life we are like guests at a banquet: if a dish is offered to you, extend your hand and modestly put a little on your plate; if it is not offered, do not pursue it.

If a crow announces bad omens, we should not worry about this. What it foretells concerns not us, but our wife, our children, our possessions, or our reputation. As for what truly belongs to us, nothing can harm it except ourselves.