Plain
Epictetus — The Slave

Don't announce that you're a philosopher. Don't lecture ignorant people about your principles. Show them through your actions instead. At a dinner party, don't give speeches about how people should eat. Just eat properly yourself. Remember — Socrates avoided showing off completely. When people came to him wanting introductions to other philosophers, he simply introduced them. He handled being ignored gracefully. So when ignorant people start discussing philosophical principles, stay mostly quiet. There's real danger in spitting out ideas you haven't fully digested. If someone tells you that you know nothing and it doesn't bother you, then you know you're making real progress. Sheep don't throw up grass to show shepherds how much they've eaten. Instead, they digest their food internally and produce wool and milk externally. Do the same thing. Don't put your principles on display for ignorant people. Show them the actions that come from digesting those principles.

The Enchiridion, Section 46 62 of 70
Knowing Yourself Doing The Right Thing
Epictetus — The Slave Original

Never proclaim yourself a philosopher, nor make much talk among the ignorant about your principles, but show them by actions. Thus, at an entertainment, do not discourse how people ought to eat, but eat as you ought. For remember that thus Socrates also universally avoided all ostentation. And when persons came to him and desired to be introduced by him to philosophers, he took them and introduced them; so well did he bear being overlooked. So if ever there should be among the ignorant any discussion of principles, be for the most part silent. For there is great danger in hastily throwing out what is undigested. And if anyone tells you that you know nothing, and you are not nettled at it, then you may be sure that you have really entered on your work. For sheep do not hastily throw up the grass to show the shepherds how much they have eaten, but, inwardly digesting their food, they produce it outwardly in wool and milk. Thus, therefore, do you not make an exhibition before the ignorant of your principles, but of the actions to which their digestion gives rise.

The Enchiridion, Section 46 62 of 70
Epictetus — The Slave

Does someone take a quick bath? Don't say they're doing it wrong — just say they're doing it quickly. Does someone drink a lot of wine? Don't say they're doing something bad — just say they drink a lot. You can't know if someone is acting badly unless you completely understand why they're doing it. This way, you won't jump to conclusions about things you don't fully understand.

The Enchiridion, Section 45 61 of 70
Human Nature Knowing Yourself
Epictetus — The Slave Original

Does anyone bathe hastily? Do not say that he does it ill, but hastily. Does anyone drink much wine? Do not say that he does ill, but that he drinks a great deal. For unless you perfectly understand his motives, how should you know if he acts ill? Thus you will not risk yielding to any appearances but such as you fully comprehend.

The Enchiridion, Section 45 61 of 70
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Ancient philosophy, in plain English.

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