Plain
Epictetus — The Slave

What else have you been studying from the beginning? You've been learning to tell the difference between what's yours and what isn't. What's in your power and what isn't. What can be stopped and what can't. Why did you come to the philosophers? Was it so you could still be miserable and unhappy? If you've done what I've described, you'll be without fear and worry. And what is grief to you? Fear comes from what you expect to happen. Grief comes from what's happening right now. But what more will you want? You have proper, controlled desire for the good things that are within your power of choice. You don't desire anything that's outside your power of choice. So you don't make room for anything irrational, impatient, or overly hasty.

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Freedom & Control Calm Your Mind
Epictetus — The Slave Original

and what else have you been studying from the beginning than to distinguish between your own and not your own, the things which are in your power and not in your power, the things subject to hindrance and not subject? and why have you come to the philosophers? was it that you may nevertheless be unfortunate and unhappy? You will then in this way, as I have supposed you to have done, be without fear and disturbance. And what is grief to you? for fear comes from what you expect, but grief from that which is present. But what further will you desire? For of the things which are within the power of the will, as being good and present, you have a proper and regulated desire; but of the things which are not in the power of the will you do not desire any one, and so you do not allow any place to that which is irrational, and impatient, and above measure hasty.

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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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Ancient philosophy, in plain English.

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