Plain
Epictetus — The Slave

It's like this: I have a water-tight barrel, and you have one with a hole in it. You come and ask me to put your wine in my barrel for safekeeping. Then you complain that I won't trust my wine to your leaky barrel. How is that fair? You trusted your secrets to someone who is faithful and careful. Someone who believes that only his own actions can help or harm him — not outside things.

Discourses, Against or to Those Who Readily Tell Their Own Affairs 387 of 388
Human Nature Knowing Yourself
Epictetus — The Slave Original

It is just the same as if I had a cask which is water-tight, and you one with a hole in it, and you should come and deposit with me your wine that I might put it into my cask, and then should complain that I also did not intrust my wine to you, for you have a cask with a hole in it. How then is there any equality here? You intrusted your affairs to a man who is faithful and modest, to a man who thinks that his own actions alone are injurious and (or) useful, and that nothing external is.

Discourses, Against or to Those Who Readily Tell Their Own Affairs 387 of 388
Epictetus — The Slave

"But it's not fair," you say. "I told you my neighbor's secrets. Now you should tell me yours." Did I ask for your secrets? Did you share your business with conditions attached — that I had to share mine back? If you're a gossip who thinks everyone you meet is your friend, do you want me to be just like you? You did well to trust me with your business. But it wouldn't be wise for me to trust you with mine. So why do you want me to be that reckless?

Discourses, Against or to Those Who Readily Tell Their Own Affairs 386 of 388
Knowing Yourself Human Nature
Epictetus — The Slave Original

True, but it is unfair when you have heard the secrets of your neighbor for you in your turn to communicate nothing to him. Did I ask you for your secrets, my man? did you communicate your affairs on certain terms, that you should in return hear mine also? If you are a babbler and think that all who meet you are friends, do you wish me also to be like you? But why, if you did well in intrusting your affairs to me, and it is not well for me to intrust mine to you, do you wish me to be so rash?

Discourses, Against or to Those Who Readily Tell Their Own Affairs 386 of 388
‹ Previous Next ›

Ancient philosophy, in plain English.

About · Support