A Guide to the Good Life

• Reference: Epictetus: "Some things are up to us and some are not up to us."
• Reference: According to Epictetus, our most important choice in life is whether to concern us with the things that we can and cannot control.
• Reference: Epictetus: our primary desire should be with not being frustrated by forming desires we won't be able to fulfil.
• Reference: Epictetus: if you refuse to enter contests that you are capable of losing, you will never lose them.
• Insight: If we desire things that are not up to us, we will be disappointed when we fail to get them.

Biography: Born into slavery between 50 and 60 A.D. Acquired by Epaphroditus, secretary to Emperor Nero and then Domitian. Questioned people at court until they threatened to beat him. Gained freedom and started his own school of philosophy. Banished from Rome with all philosophers by Domitian. Moved to Nicopolis in Greece. Wanted his students to have a commitment to practicing philosophy. According to Epictetus the primary concern of philosophy is the art of living.

Biography: One of Epictetus' students Arrian was responsible for writing his teachings.

Insight: Epictetus was one of the greatest influences on Marcus Aurelius.

Insight: Some things are up to us, and others are not.

Insight: Epictetus advises us to pursue virtue and that the pursuit of virtue is progress toward happiness, calm, and serenity.

Insight: Epictetus advises us that we should contemplate death, even of those around us, and reflect on the possibility that even those around us could die tomorrow.

Insight: According to Epictetus one of the most important choices in life is to decide whether to focus on things that are internal or external to us.

Principle: Focus energy on things that are in your control.

Principle: Practice negative visualisation.

Principle: Practice non-judgement of bad things that might happen to us.

Principle: Look within for the source of all benefit and harm.

"all things everywhere are perishable."

- Epictetus

Insight: If we assume that we will always have the things we enjoy, we will become distressed when they are taken from us.

• Bio: 333-261BCE. The first stoic. Zeno's father was a merchant, bought back philosophy books for Zeno to read. Zeno found himself in Athens as a result of a shipwreck, met Crates the Cynic and became his pupil. It is said that Zeno commented "I made a prosperous voyage when I suffered shipwreck." Started teaching philosophy at the "porches" in Athens - the Stoa - which is where the name Stoicism comes from.