Epictetus · c. 50 – c. 135 CE
Discourses 4.12 ¶4 — Epictetus
From “On Attention”
Translation by George Long (1877)
Epictetus, Discourses 4.12 ¶4
What then? is it possible to be free from faults, (if you do all this)? It is not possible; but this is possible: to direct your efforts incessantly to being faultless. For we must be content if by never remitting this attention we shall escape at least a few errors. But now when you have said, “Tomorrow I will begin to attend,” you must be told that you are saying this, “Today I will be shameless, disregardful of time and place, mean; it will be in the power of others to give me pain; today I will be passionate, and envious.” See how many evil things you are permitting yourself to do. If it is good to use attention tomorrow, how much better is it to do so today? if tomorrow it is in your interest to attend, much more is it today, that you may be able to do so tomorrow also, and may not defer it again to the third day.
Cite this passage
Epictetus, Discourses 4.12 ¶4, tr. George Long (1877)
https://whatwouldstoicsdo.com/passage/discourses/4.12.4
Epictetus, Discourses (as recorded by Arrian), tr. George Long (1877). Text: Standard Ebooks (CC0). Sources and licences
In plain English
AI-written notesYou cannot become faultless, but you can aim at it constantly and avoid at least a few errors. Saying you will start paying attention tomorrow really means giving yourself permission to behave badly today, so if tomorrow is the right time to begin, today is even better.
Older wording
- “remitting”
- — relaxing, letting up
- “passionate”
- — prone to anger and strong emotion
Themes and situations
- Self-discipline and habit
- Time and the present
- Learning and progress
- Virtue and character
- Procrastination
- Breaking a bad habit
- Feeling life is slipping by
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