Discourses, That When We Cannot Fulfil That Which the Character of a Man Promises, We Assume the Character of a Philosopher

Epictetus — The Slave

Logic works the same way. A complex statement stays true when all its parts are true. A choice statement works when it delivers what it promises. Flutes, lyres, horses, and dogs are preserved when they fulfill their nature. So why be surprised that people work the same way? Each person improves through the right actions. A carpenter gets better by doing carpentry. A grammarian gets better by using proper grammar. But if someone writes with bad grammar all the time, their skill gets corrupted and destroyed. Modest actions preserve a modest person. Immodest actions destroy them. Faithful actions preserve a faithful person. Unfaithful actions destroy them. The opposite is also true. Bad actions strengthen bad character. Shameless acts make you more shameless. Faithless acts make you more faithless. Harsh words make you harsher. Anger makes you angrier. Taking more than you give makes you greedier.

Epictetus — The Slave Original

For when is a conjunctive (complex) proposition maintained? When it fulfils what its nature promises; so that the preservation of a complex proposition is when it is a conjunction of truths. When is a disjunctive maintained? When it fulfils what it promises. When are flutes, a lyre, a horse, a dog, preserved? (When they severally keep their promise.) What is the wonder then if man also in like manner is preserved, and in like manner is lost? Each man is improved and preserved by corresponding acts, the carpenter by acts of carpentry, the grammarian by acts of grammar. But if a man accustoms himself to write ungrammatically, of necessity his art will be corrupted and destroyed. Thus modest actions preserve the modest man, and immodest actions destroy him; and actions of fidelity preserve the faithful man, and the contrary actions destroy him. And on the other hand contrary actions strengthen contrary characters: shamelessness strengthens the shameless man, faithlessness the faithless man, abusive words the abusive man, anger the man of an angry temper, and unequal receiving and giving make the avaricious man more avaricious.

Epictetus — The Slave

It's not easy to live up to what it means to be human. What is a human being? A thinking, mortal creature. Our ability to think separates us from wild animals. It also separates us from sheep and similar animals. So be careful not to act like a wild beast. If you do, you've lost your humanity. You've failed to live up to your nature. Make sure you don't act like a sheep either. If you do, you've also lost what makes you human. What do we do when we act like sheep? When we're greedy, lustful, reckless, dirty, or thoughtless — we've sunk to the level of sheep. What have we lost? Our ability to think. When we're aggressive, harmful, emotional, and violent — we've sunk to the level of wild beasts. Some of us become big wild beasts. Others become small, nasty little beasts. At that point, we might as well say, 'Let a lion eat me.' In all these ways, we destroy our promise to act like human beings.

Epictetus — The Slave Original

It is no common (easy) thing to do this only, to fulfil the promise of a man's nature. For what is a man? The answer is, A rational and mortal being. Then by the rational faculty from whom are we separated? From wild beasts. And from what others? From sheep and like animals. Take care then to do nothing like a wild beast; but if you do, you have lost the character of a man; you have not fulfilled your promise. See that you do nothing like a sheep; but if you do, in this case also the man is lost. What then do we do as sheep? When we act gluttonously, when we act lewdly, when we act rashly, filthily, inconsiderately, to what have we declined? To sheep. What have we lost? The rational faculty. When we act contentiously and harmfully and passionately and violently, to what have we declined? To wild beasts. Consequently some of us are great wild beasts, and others little beasts, of a bad disposition and small, whence we may say, Let me be eaten by a lion. But in all these ways the promise of a man acting as a man is destroyed.