Discourses, Of Progress or Improvement

Epictetus — The Slave

Someone who's making progress has learned from philosophers that desire should be for good things, and aversion should be from bad things. They've also learned that you can't be happy and calm unless you get what you want and avoid what you don't want. So this person stops desiring things altogether and defers that desire. But they only use aversion toward things they can control. If they try to avoid things outside their control, they know they'll sometimes run into exactly what they're trying to avoid. And they'll be miserable. Now, if virtue promises good fortune, calm, and happiness, then progress toward virtue is also progress toward these things. It's always true that whatever perfection leads to, progress means moving toward that point.

Epictetus — The Slave Original

He who is making progress, having learned from philosophers that desire means the desire of good things, and aversion means aversion from bad things; having learned too that happiness and tranquillity are not attainable by man otherwise than by not failing to obtain what he desires, and not falling into that which he would avoid; such a man takes from himself desire altogether and confers it, but he employs his aversion only on things which are dependent on his will. For if he attempts to avoid anything independent of his will, he knows that sometimes he will fall in with something which he wishes to avoid, and he will be unhappy. Now if virtue promises good fortune and tranquillity and happiness, certainly also the progress towards virtue is progress towards each of these things. For it is always true that to whatever point the perfecting of anything leads us, progress is an approach towards this point.

Discourses, Of Progress or Improvement — In Plain English