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The Enchiridion
There are some things that are within our power, and there are some things that are beyond our power.
Opinions, purposes, desires, hatreds, and, in a word, whatever matters within our power are our own.
Body, property, reputation, office, and, in a word, whatever is not properly our own affairs, beyond our power.
The things now in our power are by nature free, unrestricted and unfettered; But those who are beyond our power are weak, dependent, restricted and alienated.
So, remember that if you attribute independence to naturally dependent things and others’ things as your own, you will be hindered, you will lament, you will be troubled, and you will find fault with both gods and men.
But if you take only that which is your own and see that which belongs to others as it really is, then nobody will ever force you, nobody will restrict you.
You will not find fault in anyone, will not blame anyone, will not do anything against your will; No one will harm you, you will have no enemy, no harm will come to you.
Therefore, while aiming at such great things, remember that you must not allow yourself any inclination towards the achievement of others, no matter how slight.
But you should completely abandon some of them, and postpone the rest for the time being.
But if you have these, and likewise you have power and wealth, you may miss the latter in seeking the former, and you will certainly fail of that by which alone happiness and freedom are to be gained. She goes.
Therefore, try to be able to immediately say to every unpleasant glance, “You are only a glimpse and by no means the real thing.”
and then examine it according to the rules that you have; and first and foremost by: whether it pertains to things which are within our own power or which are not; And if it concerns something beyond our power, be prepared to say that it has nothing to do with you.
Chapter 2
Remember that desire seeks to obtain what you are desiring, and aversion seeks to avoid what you are averse to.
that he who fails with the object of his desires is disappointed; And the one who becomes the object of his malice, he is unfortunate.
If then, you only shy away from the undesirable things you can control, you will never be able to take advantage of anything you shy away from; But if you avoid sickness, or death, or poverty, you run the risk of destitution.
Then, remove [the habit] of hatred from all those things which are not in our power, and apply it to the unwanted things which are in our power.
But for the moment, control the desire completely; For if you desire something which is not within our own power, you are sure to be disappointed.
And you are not yet protected from those that are within our power, and are also legitimate objects of desire.
Where it is practically necessary for you to pursue or avoid anything, do it also with prudence, gentleness and moderation.
Chapter 4
With respect to whatever things either delight the mind or contribute to use or are tenderly dear, beginning with small things, remind yourself of what nature they are.
If you have a favorite cup, it is a cup you are fond of – for, if it is broken, you can bear it.
If you embrace your child or your wife, you embrace a mortal – and thus if either of them dies, you can bear it.
| Author | Epictetus |
| Language | English |
| No. of Pages | 59 |
| PDF Size | 0.30 MB |
| Category | Philosophy |
| Source/Credits | archive.org |
The Enchiridion PDF Free Download