Plain
Epictetus — The Slave

Are we anxious about forming false beliefs? No, because that's up to us. Are we anxious about acting against our nature? No, not even that. When you see someone turn pale, a doctor looks at their complexion and says, "This person's spleen is sick" or "That person's liver is sick." You should do the same thing. Say, "This person's desires are sick. Their fears are sick. They're not thinking straight. They have a fever." Nothing else makes someone change color, shake, chatter their teeth, or drop to their knees and pace around.

Discourses, On Anxiety (solicitude) 147 of 388
Freedom & Control Calm Your Mind
Epictetus — The Slave Original

Are we anxious about not forming a false opinion? No, for this is in my power. About not exerting our movements contrary to nature? No, not even about this. When then you see a man pale, as the physician says, judging from the complexion, this man's spleen is disordered, that man's liver; so also say, this man's desire and aversion are disordered, he is not in the right way, he is in a fever. For nothing else changes the color, or causes trembling or chattering of the teeth, or causes a man to Sink in his knees and shift from foot to foot.

Discourses, On Anxiety (solicitude) 147 of 388
Epictetus — The Slave

Do we fear things that aren't actually harmful? No. Do we fear things that are harmful but still under our control so we can prevent them? Of course not. If external things are neither good nor bad, and everything that depends on our will is within our power — and no one can take these things from us or give them to us unless we let them — then what's left to worry about? But we worry about our weak body, our little bit of money, what Caesar thinks of us. We don't worry about what's inside us.

Discourses, On Anxiety (solicitude) 146 of 388
Freedom & Control Calm Your Mind
Epictetus — The Slave Original

Is any man then afraid about things which are not evils? No. Is he afraid about things which are evils, but still so far within his power that they may not happen? Certainly he is not. If then the things which are independent of the will are neither good nor bad, and all things which do depend on the will are within our power, and no man can either take them from us or give them to us, if we do not choose, where is room left for anxiety? But we are anxious about our poor body, our little property, about the will of Cæsar; but not anxious about things internal.

Discourses, On Anxiety (solicitude) 146 of 388
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Ancient philosophy, in plain English.

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