Epictetus
Quotes & Wisdom
Epictetus: Stoic Philosophy's Resilient Voice
Born into slavery and rising to become one of history's most influential Stoic philosophers, Epictetus (50-135 CE) transformed personal adversity into universal wisdom that continues to resonate today. From his humble beginnings in Hierapolis to his role as a respected teacher in Rome and Nicopolis, his teachings on personal freedom, self-discipline, and human dignity have influenced leaders, thinkers, and individuals across two millennia. His practical approach to Stoic philosophy, emphasizing the difference between what we can and cannot control, has found particular relevance in modern self-help, psychology, and leadership development.
Context & Background
The world of Epictetus was one of dramatic contrasts and social upheaval. During his lifetime, the Roman Empire reached its greatest territorial extent under Trajan, while simultaneously grappling with questions of succession, social mobility, and philosophical identity. Born into slavery in Phrygia during Nero's reign, Epictetus witnessed the Year of the Four Emperors (69 CE), the rise of the Flavian Dynasty, and the golden age of the Roman Empire under the Five Good Emperors.
The intellectual climate of his era was marked by a revival of Stoic philosophy, often in opposition to imperial excess. This period saw increased social mobility for some, despite rigid class structures, exemplified by Epictetus's own journey from slave to renowned philosopher. The philosophical schools of Rome competed for influence while navigating political pressures, as demonstrated by the periodic expulsion of philosophers from the city.
His teachings emerged during a time when traditional Roman values faced challenges from eastern religious influences and growing cosmopolitanism. The spread of Christianity, though still in its early stages, was beginning to influence philosophical discussions about ethics, free will, and human dignity. This complex cultural environment shaped Epictetus's unique synthesis of practical wisdom and theoretical rigor.
Epictetus's path from enslaved person to philosophical luminary provides a compelling framework for understanding his teachings. His early experiences under his master Epaphroditus, a powerful freedman in Nero's court, exposed him to both the heights of Roman power and the depths of human suffering. This unique perspective informed his emphasis on internal freedom over external circumstances.
His education under Musonius Rufus, one of Rome's foremost Stoic teachers, provided the theoretical foundation for his later teachings. Unlike many philosophers of his era, Epictetus focused on practical application rather than theoretical complexities. His experience of physical disability (he was lame, possibly due to abuse during his enslavement) contributed to his powerful messages about overcoming adversity.
The transition from slave to teacher occurred gradually, with Epictetus earning his freedom and establishing his own school. His success as an educator came from his ability to make Stoic principles accessible through vivid metaphors and practical exercises, many drawn from his personal experiences of overcoming limitations.
Epictetus developed a distinctive teaching style that set him apart from his contemporaries. Unlike the abstract theoretical discussions common in philosophical schools, he employed everyday examples and forceful dialogue to convey complex ideas. His school in Nicopolis became renowned for its practical approach to ethical development.
His method of instruction, preserved by his student Arrian in the Discourses and Enchiridion, emphasized active learning through role-playing, self-examination, and daily practical exercises. This approach influenced modern cognitive-behavioral therapy and self-help methodologies. His teachings focused on the distinction between what lies within our control (our judgments, attitudes, and responses) and what lies outside it (external circumstances, others' actions, and natural events).
Beyond his well-documented philosophical teachings, Epictetus led a life filled with intriguing details that often escape popular accounts. He chose to live simply despite his success, owning few possessions and maintaining a sparse household. According to historical accounts, he adopted and raised a child abandoned by a friend, demonstrating his practical application of Stoic principles of duty and compassion.
His school attracted students from across the Roman Empire, including several future Roman senators and possibly Marcus Aurelius's teacher Junius Rusticus. Unlike many philosophers who wrote extensively, Epictetus wrote nothing himself, believing in the power of direct oral teaching. His famous limp may have resulted from rheumatoid arthritis rather than abuse, according to some modern medical historians.
He maintained a complex relationship with Roman authority, both criticizing and advising powerful figures while managing to avoid the fate of other philosophers who were exiled or executed. Archaeological evidence suggests his school in Nicopolis was modest in size but strategically located near other important cultural institutions.
Epictetus Quotes
Freedom is not procured by a full enjoyment of what is desired, but by controlling the desire.
First say to yourself what you would be; then do what you have to do.
It's not what happens to you, but how you react to it that matters.
The key is to keep company only with people who uplift you, whose presence calls forth your best.
He who laughs at himself never runs out of things to laugh at.
Don't explain your philosophy. Embody it.
There is only one way to happiness and that is to cease worrying about things which are beyond the power of our will.
Any person capable of angering you becomes your master.
Wealth consists not in having great possessions, but in having few wants.
No man is free who is not master of himself.
If you want to improve, be content to be thought foolish and stupid.
The greater the difficulty, the more glory in surmounting it.
It is impossible for a man to learn what he thinks he already knows.
Don't seek to have events happen as you wish, but wish them to happen as they do happen.
Circumstances don't make the man, they only reveal him to himself.
We have two ears and one mouth so that we can listen twice as much as we speak.
Only the educated are free.
If one oversteps the bounds of moderation, the greatest pleasures cease to please.
We cannot choose our external circumstances, but we can always choose how we respond to them.
Practice yourself in little things, and thence proceed to greater.
Make the best use of what is in your power, and take the rest as it happens.
If you would be a reader, read; if a writer, write.
No great thing is created suddenly.
First learn the meaning of what you say, and then speak.
People are not disturbed by things, but by the views they take of them.
You are a little soul carrying around a corpse.
Know, first, who you are, and then adorn yourself accordingly.
If you want something good, get it from yourself.
The essence of philosophy is that a man should so live that his happiness shall depend as little as possible on external things.
It is better to die of hunger having lived without grief and fear, than to live with a troubled mind.
Nature hath given men one tongue but two ears, that we may hear from others twice as much as we speak.
If evil be spoken of you and it be true, correct yourself, if it be a lie, laugh at it.
Man is not worried by real problems so much as by his imagined anxieties about real problems.
Difficulty shows what men are.
What concerns me is not the way things are, but rather the way people think things are.
If anyone tells you that a certain person speaks ill of you, do not make excuses about what is said of you but answer, 'He was ignorant of my other faults, else he would have not mentioned these alone.'
He is a wise man who does not grieve for the things which he has not, but rejoices for those which he has.
Don't just say you have read books. Show that through them you have learned to think better.
The world turns aside to let any man pass who knows where he is going.
If you wish to be a writer, write.
Men are disturbed not by things, but by the view which they take of them.
First say to yourself what you would be; and then do what you have to do.
It is not death or pain that is to be dreaded, but the fear of pain or death.
Whoever does not regard what he has as most ample wealth, is unhappy, though he be master of the world.
When you are offended at any man's fault, turn to yourself and study your own failings.
Remember that you are an actor in a drama, of such a kind as the author pleases to make it.
It is impossible to begin to learn that which one thinks one already knows.
Small-minded people blame others. Average people blame themselves. The wise see all blame as foolishness.
Seek not the good in external things; seek it in yourselves.