Closing out The Enchiridion

The long and short of The Enchiridion is that it's a (translation) of a summary of someone else's lectures. On the whole, it's mostly good advice, but it's all filtered however much and doesn't necessarily have a lot of depth. The main question, in terms of rating/inclusion, is if there's a better short/historic Stoic intro. Meditations is coming up and could fill a similar niche. I'm going to give it a very tentative 3/5. Good enough to include, but not mind blowing, and we'll see where it goes from there. I'll close out with my favorite section:

This is the position and character of a layman: He never looks for either help or harm from himself, but only from externals. This is the position and character of the philosopher: He looks for all his help or harm from himself.

The Enchiridion by Epictetus translated by William Abbot Oldfather (1928)

 The Enchiridion by Epictetus translated by William Abbot Oldfather (1928) 42-

Bonus: 

The exact words of the text.

Summary: Actions speak louder than words.

Commentary: 

42: Don't get mad if people speak badly about you.

43: "Everything has two handles"

44: Being richer or better in one area than someone doesn't make you better overall.

45: Don't assume people are bad at something just because they do it differently.

46: Don't show off your philosophical-ness, but live life well.

47: Become a good person for yourself, not to show off for others.

48: The difference between a layman and an improver is that the layman looks outside, while the improver doesn't judge others and controls himself.

49: It's okay to get help to understand something. What's important is living by the principles you learn from it.

50. What people say about you is not under your control. Living by your principles is.

51. Stop waiting and start doing. (Kind of flipping from the other day.)

52. Doing is more important than reasoning.

53. 

Lead thou me on, O Zeus, and Destiny,

To that goal long ago to me assigned.

I’ll follow and not falter; if my will

Prove weak and craven, still I’ll follow on.

“Whoso has rightly with necessity complied,

We count him wise, and skilled in things divine.”

“Well, O Crito, if so it is pleasing to the gods, so let it be.”

“Anytus and Meletus can kill me, but they cannot hurt me.”

This day seems more clustered than some of the others. Almost all about the importance of having and living up to principles.

MADE IT! 

The Enchiridion by Epictetus translated by William Abbot Oldfather (1928) 34-41

 The Enchiridion by Epictetus translated by William Abbot Oldfather (1928) 34-41 

Bonus: 

Epictetus on relationships

Summary: Girls are only good for sex, and don't let them forget it.

Commentary: 

34. Sleep on it.

35. If doing something is right, do it openly. If it's wrong, don't do it at all.

36. Don't be greedy.

37. Don't pretend to be something you're not. You'll fail at it, and also waste time you could've been doing something you're good at.

38. Be as careful about moral harm as physical.

39. Take care of your body and don't buy excessive ornamentations.

40. Make sure 14 year women know that they're only good for being sexy, but modest and discrete. 

41. Focus on your mind more than your body.

Obviously, 40 is the one to pull here:

Immediately after they are fourteen, women are called “ladies” by men. And so when they see that they have nothing else but only to be the bed-fellows of men, they begin to beautify themselves, and put all their hopes in that. It is worth while for us to take pains, therefore, to make them understand that they are honoured for nothing else but only for appearing modest and self-respecting.

    My summary is marginally hyperbolic, but I think mostly accurate. I've seen some interpretations saying that it's trying to say that men calling women ladies makes them think they're only good for sex, have to act that way, etc., but I think that's trying to shoe horn a more modern view into it, due to the third sentence. It's not, "it's worth while for us to help them be more complete people" or "it's a shame they're only respected for being sexy." Instead, it reads more as making sure they don't get all uppity and think they're good for other things.

Honestly, seems kind of out of place. I could see, "Don't be distracted by Jezebel Foreheads" or whatever. Still nasty, but on theme. This just feels like a kind of random digression. Maybe Epictetus had a larger point (possibly one of the earlier meanings, or just women are bad at Stoicism?) and this is just what Errian took from the lecture? Disadvantages of reading the translation of the notes of the lecture instead of the original.

The Enchiridion by Epictetus translated by William Abbot Oldfather (1928) 22-28

 The Enchiridion by Epictetus translated by William Abbot Oldfather (1928) 22-28

Bonus: 

I hate this movie, and this wasn't even the clip I wanted.

Summary: Be true to yourself, then worry about everything else.

Commentary: 

22: If you're going to study philosophy, remember your principles. Also, people will make fun of you.

23. Be a philosopher for yourself, not for other people.

24. Take care of yourself and your business, and be honest. This is better than trying to make a big show of gaining honors.

25. If you want people to ask you to do things, make sure you give them what they want. If you don't want to give them that, don't feel bad about not being invited.

26. Think about how you'd feel if something happened to you before telling others how to respond to it.

27. The universe does not exist for evil.

28. You don't let people you dislike control your body. Don't let them control your mind/feelings either.

Some of these were a lot longer today. Mostly good advice.

The Enchiridion by Epictetus translated by William Abbot Oldfather (1928) 1-7

The Enchiridion by Epictetus translated by William Abbot Oldfather (1928)

Bonus: 

Not the same translation

Summary: Worry only about what you can control.

Commentary: I'm slightly concerned that I've now put myself in two "sand" style works at the same time. I'm going to try to get through The Enchiridion simply because it's a lot shorter than Some Fruits of Solitude (about 15 pages vs 46, and ~50 topics instead of ~100). If need be, I'll relegate it to the next sand and move on to The New Atlantis, since Meditations and Bacon's essays are both also mostly short bits.

In the end, I went with Oldfather's translation. I bounced around reading different sections and decided I liked it best. I make no claim to its scholarly qualities, but it seems not excessively paraphrased and is pleasant enough to read. Since the whole thing is short, I can always go read another "better" translation better if need be.

I'll do the same summary style here as I did for Some Fruits...

1. You only have true control over your own mind. Knowing what you do and don't control is important. Focus on what you can control, and you'll have no problems. Focus too much on things out of your control and you may not get them and be disappointed. Everything outside yourself is just an impression, and not something you should worry about controlling.

2. Don't get mad at things that are out of your control. (Kind of a repeat of the second half of one)

3. Remember the impermanence of the things you care about.

4. When you go to do something, keep in mind both what you want and the other things that might go along with it. Remember that you may be jostled or disturbed, and this is okay.

5. This is probably the most famous stoic-ism, so let's pull the whole thing:

It is not the things themselves that disturb men, but their judgements about these things. For example, death is nothing dreadful, or else Socrates too would have thought so, but the judgement that death is dreadful, this is the dreadful thing. When, therefore, we are hindered, or disturbed, or grieved, let us never blame anyone but ourselves, that means, our own judgements. It is the part of an uneducated person to blame others where he himself fares ill; to blame himself is the part of one whose education has begun; to blame neither another nor his own self is the part of one whose education is already complete.

You're upset by your reaction to things, not the things themselves.

6. Be proud only of your own work, not of good fortune that comes to you.

7. Focus on the important things, and be ready to give everything else up.

Right now, I think it walks the line between, "don't sweat the small stuff" and organized depression, "if nothing matters, I can't get upset". I'll see which way it falls.