Epictetus · c. 50 – c. 135 CE
Fragments 55 — Epictetus
Translation by George Long (1877)
Epictetus, Fragments 55
If a man should transgress moderation, the things which give the greatest delight would become the things which give the least.
Cite this passage
Epictetus, Fragments 55, tr. George Long (1877)
https://whatwouldstoicsdo.com/passage/epictetus-fragments/55
Epictetus, Enchiridion and Fragments, tr. George Long (1877). Text: Standard Ebooks (CC0). Sources and licences
In plain English
AI-written notesIf you overindulge past the point of moderation, the very things that gave you the most delight turn into the things that give the least. Excess kills enjoyment.
Older wording
- “transgress moderation”
- — go beyond reasonable limits
Themes and situations
- Pleasure and pain
- Self-discipline and habit
- Desire and craving
- Breaking a bad habit
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