Epictetus · c. 50 – c. 135 CE
Discourses 1.4 ¶1 — Epictetus
From “Of Progress or Improvement”
Translation by George Long (1877)
Epictetus, Discourses 1.4 ¶1
He who is making progress, having learned from philosophers that desire means the desire of good things, and aversion means aversion from bad things; having learned too that happiness and tranquillity are not attainable by man otherwise than by not failing to obtain what he desires, and not falling into that which he would avoid; such a man takes from himself desire altogether and defers it, but he employs his aversion only on things which are dependent on his will. For if he attempts to avoid anything independent of his will, he knows that sometimes he will fall in with something which he wishes to avoid, and he will be unhappy. Now if virtue promises good fortune and tranquillity and happiness, certainly also the progress towards virtue is progress towards each of these things. For it is always true that to whatever point the perfecting of anything leads us, progress is an approach towards this point.
Cite this passage
Epictetus, Discourses 1.4 ¶1, tr. George Long (1877)
https://whatwouldstoicsdo.com/passage/discourses/1.4.1
Epictetus, Discourses (as recorded by Arrian), tr. George Long (1877). Text: Standard Ebooks (CC0). Sources and licences
In plain English
AI-written notesSomeone who is making real progress sets desire aside for now and uses aversion only on things that depend on his own choices, because trying to avoid things outside his control will sometimes fail and leave him unhappy. Since virtue brings tranquillity, any progress towards virtue is progress towards a calmer mind.
Older wording
- “aversion”
- — the impulse to avoid or push away something
- “defers”
- — puts off or sets aside
Themes and situations
- Learning and progress
- Desire and craving
- What is in our control
- Peace of mind
- Virtue and character
- Anxiety about the future
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