Plain
Epictetus — The Slave

A tragic mask. Turn it around and look at it closely. See? It doesn't bite. Your body will be separated from your spirit either now or later — just like it was separated before you were born. So why worry if it happens now? If it doesn't happen now, it will happen later. Why does this have to be? So the universe can complete its cycle. The universe needs the present, the future, and the past. What is pain? Another mask. Turn it around and examine it. Your flesh gets roughed up, then it smooths out again. If this doesn't work for you, the door is open. If it does work, then bear with things. The door should always be open for every situation. That way we don't have any real problems.

Discourses, That Confidence (courage) is not Inconsistent with Caution 96 of 388
Death & Mortality Facing Hardship
Epictetus — The Slave Original

A tragic mask. Turn it and examine it. See, it does not bite. The poor body must be separated from the spirit either now or later as it was separated from it before. Why then are you troubled if it be separated now? for if it is not separated now, it will be separated afterwards. Why? That the period of the universe may be completed, for it has need of the present, and of the future, and of the past. What is pain? A mask. Turn it and examine it. The poor flesh is moved roughly, then on the contrary smoothly. If this does not satisfy (please) you, the door is open; if it does, bear (with things). For the door ought to be open for all occasions; and so we have no trouble.

Discourses, That Confidence (courage) is not Inconsistent with Caution 96 of 388
Epictetus — The Slave

You should use courage when facing death. You should use caution when dealing with your fear of death. But we do the opposite. We try to run away from death. And when it comes to our thoughts about death, we're careless and reckless. We just ignore the whole thing. Socrates called these attitudes 'tragic masks.' Think about how children are scared of masks because they don't know any better. We react to life events the same way children react to masks. What makes someone a child? Ignorance. What defines a child? Not knowing things. When a child learns, they're just as capable as we are. So what is death?

Discourses, That Confidence (courage) is not Inconsistent with Caution 95 of 388
Death & Mortality Facing Hardship
Epictetus — The Slave Original

Confidence (courage) then ought to be employed against death, and caution against the fear of death. But now we do the contrary, and employ against death the attempt to escape; and to our opinion about it we employ carelessness, rashness, and indifference. These things Socrates properly used to call tragic masks; for as to children masks appear terrible and fearful from inexperience, we also are affected in like manner by events (the things which happen in life) for no other reason than children are by masks. For what is a child? Ignorance. What is a child? Want of knowledge. For when a child knows these things, he is in no way inferior to us. What is death?

Discourses, That Confidence (courage) is not Inconsistent with Caution 95 of 388
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Ancient philosophy, in plain English.

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