The Daily Stoic - Epictetus - Discourses Pt. 2: On Preserving Character

Episode Date: July 16, 2023

In today’s audiobook reading, Ryan presents an excerpt from one of the seminal texts of Stoicism, the Discourses of Epictetus, read by Michael Reid. As a series of lectures given by Epictetus that were written down by his pupil Arrian in 108 A.D., these discourses provide practical advice to think on and practice in order to move oneself closer toward the ultimate goal of living free and happy. In this second section, Epictetus teaches how one can preserve their character in any and all situations.You can listen to part 1 here: https://wondery.com/shows/the-daily-stoic/episode/11074-epictetus-discourses-pt-1✉️ Sign up for the Daily Stoic email: https://dailystoic.com/dailyemail🏛 Check out the Daily Stoic Store for Stoic inspired products, signed books, and more.📱 Follow us: Instagram, Twitter, YouTube, TikTok, FacebookSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Welcome to the weekend edition of the Daily Stoic podcast. On Sundays, we take a deeper dive into these ancient topics with excerpts from the Stoic texts, audiobooks that we like here recommend here at Daily Stoic, and other long form wisdom that you can chew on on this relaxing weekend. We hope this helps shape your understanding of this philosophy and most importantly that you're able to apply it to your actual life. Thank you for listening. Hey, it's Ryan Holiday. Welcome to another Sunday episode of the Daily Stoic Podcast. I hope everything is going well with all of you. Recently, we brought you a chunk of Epic Titus' discourses. It's interesting, right? Epic T says it right, anything down. These are his sort of lecture notes.

This is what his student, Aryan is jotting down, trying to record the wisdom of this great teacher. So it's weird that getting it read to you, in this case, we're bringing you an excerpt brought to you by Michael Reed, who's been doing some great voice overwork for us. But in discourses, we're going to get a real sample of what it might have been like to be one of epictetus's students. Although Marcus does read epictetus a generation or so later, he's given notes, probably, Aryans, but perhaps rusticuses notes in the beginning of meditations, Marcus thanks Rousticus for lending him his copy

of Epictetus's lectures, which Marcus just absorbs and it changes his life. But again, we can't quite recreate what it must have been like to be in Epictetus's classroom. Rousticus is there. He could have told us, Hadrian, the man who sets in motion, Marcus, in Realize's ascension, he was there. He pops into one of Aepictetus's classes. So it's just an incredible story to go from slave.

Aepictetus's name literally means acquired one. And then just a few years later, the emperor of Rome is popping in to listen to him. Rome's greatest families are sending their students to hear from him. And then the most powerful man in Rome Marx really is quoting him and writing about him trying to model his life on him. So Epictetus's life is an incredible story and we're bringing you a chunk of discourses today. This is about how a person can preserve their character

in any and all situations. Epictetus would know a bit about that. And I hope you enjoy this reading. Epictetus's discourses from Michael Reed. Talks in. Hi, I'm David Brown, the host of Wonder East Podcast Business Wars. And in our new season, two of the world's leading hotel brands, Hilton and Marriott, stare down family drama and financial disasters, listen to business wars on Amazon music or wherever you get your podcasts.

Man, the rational animal can put up with anything except what seems to him irrational. Whatever is rational is tolerable. Physical hardships are not intolerable by nature. The Spartans, for instance, gladly submit to being whipped because they are taught that it is done for good reason. But what about being hanged? Isn't that intolerable? Well, people frequently go and hang themselves whenever they judge that it is a reasonable course of action. In short, reflection will show that people are put off by nothing so much as what they think is unreasonable, and attracted to nothing more than what to them seems reasonable. But standards of reasonableness and unreasonableness vary from one person to the next,

just as we consider different things good or bad, harmful or beneficial, which is why education has no goal more important than bringing our preconception of what is reasonable and unreasonable in alignment with nature. But this not only involves weighing the value of externals, it also means considering what agrees with our own individual nature. For one person, it is reasonable to be a bathroom attendant, because he only thinks about what punishment and privation lie and wait for him otherwise,

and knows that if he accepts the assignment, he will be spared that pain and hardship. Someone else not only finds such a job intolerable for him personally, but finds it intolerable that anyone should have to perform it. But ask me, shall I be a bathroom attendant or not? And I will tell you that earning a living is better than starving to death, so that if you measure your interests by these criteria, go ahead and do it. But it would be beneath my dignity. Well, that is an additional factor that you bring to the question, not me. You are the one who knows yourself, which is to say, you know how much you are worth in your

own estimation, and therefore, at what price you will sell yourself, because people sell themselves at different rates. So, for instance, Agropinus told Flores to go ahead when he was debating whether to attend Nero's festival, maybe even participate. But when Flores asked him why he was not going himself, Agropinus answered, I don't even consider the possibility. Taking account of the value of externals you see comes at some cost to the value of one's own character. So if you want to know if life or death is better, the answer I give is life.

If you ask about pain versus pleasure, I say pleasure is preferable. But if I refuse to participate in Nero's festival, he will kill me. Go ahead and participate then, but I still refuse. Why? Because you think of yourself as no more than a single thread in the robe, whose duty it is to conform to the mass of people, just as a single white thread seemingly has no wish to clash with the remainder of the garment. But I aspire to be the purple stripe, that is the garment's brilliant hem. However small a part it may be, it can still manage

to make the garment as a whole attractive. Don't tell me then, be like the rest, because in that case, I cannot be the purple stripe. In his actions, Helvides Priscus showed his awareness of this principle. When Emperor Vespation sent him word barring him from the Senate, his response was, you can disqualify me as a senator, but as long as I do remain a member, I must join the assembly. Well, join then, but don't say anything. Don't call on me for my vote, and I won't say anything. But I must call on you for your vote. And I have to give

whatever answer I think is right. Answer and I will kill you. Did I ever say I was immortal? You do your part and I will do mine. It is your part to kill me. Mine to die without flinching. It is your part to kill me, mine to die without flinching, your part to exile me, mine to leave without protest. And what did Priscus accomplish who was but a single man? Well, what good does the purple stripe do the robe? Its lustre is a good example to the rest. If it had been someone else in the same situation, whom the emperor barred from entering the Senate, he would have probably said, I am so grateful you can spare me.

In fact, the emperor would not have been bothered to bar him, well aware that the man would either sit there like a blockhead, or, if he did speak, would only mouth words he knew that Caesar wanted to hear, and would pile additional anonymities on besides. A certain athlete, at risk of dying unless his genitals were amputated, made a comparable choice. His brother, a philosopher, went and asked him, well, my brother, what's it going to be? Will you have them amputated and returned to life in the gymnasium?

The man refused to submit to the indignity, however, and summoned the will to die. Someone asked, did he choose death as an athlete or as a philosopher? As a man, Epictetus said, one who had competed at the level of the Olympic Games, where he was a familiar figure and a victor more than once, no occasional visitor to the local gym. Someone else might have even allowed his head to be removed if his life could have been saved thereby. That's what I mean by having consideration for one's character, and it shows how weighty a factor it can be when it is allowed a regular role in one's deliberations. One's deliberations. Come, Epic Titus, shave off your beard. If I am a philosopher, I will not shave it off.

But I will cut off your head. If that will do you any good, then cut it off. Someone asked, but how do we know what is in keeping with our character? Well, how does the bull realize its own strength, rushing out to protect the whole herd when a lion attacks? The possession of a particular talent is instinctively sensed by its owner, so if any of you are so blessed, you will be the first to know it. It is true, however, that no bull reaches maturity in an instant,

nor do men become heroes overnight. We must endure a winter training and can't be dashing into situations for which we aren't yet prepared. Consider at what price you sell your integrity, but please, for God's sake, don't sell it cheap. The grand gesture, the ultimate sacrifice, that perhaps belongs to others, to people of Socrates' class. But if we are endowed by nature with the potential for greatness, why do only some of us achieve it? Well, do all horses become stallions? Are all dogs greyhounds? Even if I lack the talent,

I will not abandon the effort on that account. Epic teedus will not be better than Socrates. But if I am no worse, I am satisfied. I mean, I will never be my lo, either. Nevertheless, I don't neglect my body. Nor will I be another creases. And still, I don't neglect my property. In short, we do not abandon any discipline for despair of ever being the best in it. Thanks for listening to the Daily Stoke Podcast. Just a reminder, we've got signed copies of all my books in the Daily Stoke Store.

You can get them personalized, you can get them sent to a friend. The op- the way. You go as the enemy, still in this is the key. The leather bound addition of the daily stoke. We have them all in the daily stoke store, which you can check out at store.dailystoke.com. Hey, Prime Members! You can listen to the Daily Stoic Early and Add Free on Amazon Music, download the Amazon Music app today, or you can listen early and add free with Wondery Plus in Apple Podcasts. When we think of sports stories, we tend to think of tales of epic on the field glory. But the new podcast, Sports Explains the World,

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