Plain
Epictetus — The Slave

Once you've done this work — once you've practiced telling the difference between what belongs to others and what belongs to you, between what can be blocked and what can't be blocked — then you focus only on what can't be blocked. You keep your desires fixed on what truly concerns you. You turn away from what doesn't concern you. After all this practice, do you still fear anyone? No. What would you be afraid of? The things that are truly yours — where good and evil actually exist? Who has power over those things? Who can take them away? Who can stop them? No one can. No more than someone can stop God. But would you be afraid about your body and your stuff? Those things that aren't really yours? Things that don't actually concern you?

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Freedom & Control Facing Hardship
Epictetus — The Slave Original

When you have made this preparation, and have practised this discipline, to distinguish that which belongs to another from that which is your own, the things which are subject to hindrance from those which are not, to consider the things free from hindrance to concern yourself, and those which are not free not to concern yourself, to keep your desire steadily fixed to the things which do concern yourself, and turned from the things which do not concern yourself; do you still fear any man? No one. For about what will you be afraid? About the things which are your own, in which consists the nature of good and evil? and who has power over these things? who can take them away? who can impede them? No man can, no more than he can impede God. But will you be afraid about your body and your possessions, about things which are not yours, about things which in no way concern you?

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Epictetus — The Slave

So do you have nothing that's truly yours? Nothing that depends only on you and can't be taken away? I don't know. Look at it this way and think about it. Can anyone force you to believe something that's false? No one can. So when it comes to what you believe, you're free. No one can stop you. Granted. Well, can someone force you to want to move toward something you don't choose? Yes, when someone threatens me with death or prison, they make me want to move toward it. But if you don't fear death and prison, do you still care what they think? No. So is despising death your own choice or not? It's my choice.

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Freedom & Control Facing Hardship
Epictetus — The Slave Original

Whether then have you nothing which is in your own power, which depends on yourself only and cannot be taken from you, or have you anything of the kind? I know not. Look at the thing then thus, and examine it. Is any man able to make you assent to that which is false? No man. In the matter of assent then you are free from hindrance and obstruction. Granted. Well; and can a man force you to desire to move towards that to which you do not choose? He can, for when he threatens me with death or bonds he compels me to desire to move towards it. If then you despise death and bonds, do you still pay any regard to him? No. Is then the despising of death an act of your own or is it not yours? It is my act.

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Ancient philosophy, in plain English.

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