Epictetus · c. 50 – c. 135 CE
Fragments 135 — Epictetus
Translation by George Long (1877)
Epictetus, Fragments 135
He who is dissatisfied with things present and what is given by fortune is an ignorant man (ἰδιώτης) in life: but he who bears them nobly and rationally and the things which proceed from them is worthy of being considered a good man.
Cite this passage
Epictetus, Fragments 135, tr. George Long (1877)
https://whatwouldstoicsdo.com/passage/epictetus-fragments/135
Epictetus, Enchiridion and Fragments, tr. George Long (1877). Text: Standard Ebooks (CC0). Sources and licences
In plain English
AI-written notesComplaining about your present circumstances and what luck has handed you marks you as an amateur at living, while bearing them with dignity and good sense, along with whatever follows from them, marks a good person.
Older wording
- “ignorant man”
- — an untrained person, a layman at the art of living
- “fortune”
- — luck, circumstances beyond your control
Themes and situations
- Acceptance and fate
- Resilience and endurance
- Virtue and character
- Peace of mind
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