EPICTETUS. DISCOURSES. Book ii. §1. ¶5.
Saturday
February 25
SET death before me, set pain, set a prison, set
ignomony, set condemnation before me, and
you will know me. This is the proper ostentation
of a young man come out from the schools.
Leave the rest to others. Let no one ever hear
you utter a word about them, nor suffer it, if anyone
commends you for them: but think that you
are nobody, and that you know nothing. Appear
to know only this, how you may never be disappointed
of your desire; never incur your aversion.
Let others study causes, problems, and
syllogisms. Do you study death, chains, torture,
exile: and all these with courage, and reliance
upon him who hath called you to them, and
judged you worthy a post in which you may
show what the rational governing faculty can do
when set in array against powers independent
on the choice. And thus, this paradox becomes
neither impossible nor a paradox, that we must
be at once cautious and courageous: courageous
in what doth not depend upon choice, and
cautious in what doth.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
And thus, this paradox becomes neither impossible nor a paradox, that we must be at once cautious and courageous: courageous in what doth not depend upon choice, and cautious in what doth.
ReplyDeleteI am reminded of a song from my youth "Be Strong and Courageous". It is not what we have done in this life but how we have done it. How we have lived on a daily basis not what we have lived. I may live in a palace or a small apartment but if I do not live with integrity, wisdom, strength, love, courage, etc. the I have not truly lived.