Discourses, Of Progress or Improvement

Epictetus — The Slave

But if someone has put all his effort into reading books, and only works at that, and has traveled just for that, I tell him to go home right away. Don't neglect what matters there. What he traveled for is worthless. The real work is something else: learning how to rid your life of complaining and groaning and saying "Poor me" and "How miserable I am." Learn to rid it of bad luck and disappointment too. Learn what death really is, and exile, and prison, and poison. Then when you're in chains, you can say like Crito did: "Dear friend, if this is what the gods want, then so be it."

Epictetus — The Slave Original

But if he has strained his efforts to the practice of reading books, and labors only at this, and has travelled for this, I tell him to return home immediately, and not to neglect his affairs there; for this for which he has travelled is nothing. But the other thing is something, to study how a man can rid his life of lamentation and groaning, and saying, Woe to me, and wretched that I am, and to rid it also of misfortune and disappointment, and to learn what death is, and exile, and prison, and poison, that he may be able to say when he is in fetters, Dear Crito, if it is the will of the gods that it be so, let it be so;