Epictetus · c. 50 – c. 135 CE
Discourses 1.15 ¶3 — Epictetus
From “What Philosophy Promises”
Translation by George Long (1877)
Epictetus, Discourses 1.15 ¶3
When the man, who was consulting him, said, “I seek to know this: How, even if my brother is not reconciled to me, shall I maintain myself in a state conformable to nature?” Nothing great, said Epictetus, is produced suddenly, since not even the grape or the fig is. If you say to me now that you want a fig, I will answer to you that it requires time: let it flower first, then put forth fruit, and then ripen. Is then the fruit of a fig-tree not perfected suddenly and in one hour, and would you possess the fruit of a man’s mind in so short a time and so easily? Do not expect it, even if I tell you.
Cite this passage
Epictetus, Discourses 1.15 ¶3, tr. George Long (1877)
https://whatwouldstoicsdo.com/passage/discourses/1.15.3
Epictetus, Discourses (as recorded by Arrian), tr. George Long (1877). Text: Standard Ebooks (CC0). Sources and licences
In plain English
AI-written notesNothing great appears suddenly: a fig must flower, fruit and ripen, and the fruit of a person's character needs even longer. Do not expect quick results from yourself or from a strained relationship just because you have heard good advice.
Themes and situations
- Learning and progress
- Resilience and endurance
- Family and love
- Self-discipline and habit
- Family conflict
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