Summary: Enchiridion (page 2)

We must take care to preserve this serenity even in the most extreme case—the death of a loved one:

Never say of anything, "I have lost it," but rather, "I have given it back." Your child has died—he has been returned. Your wife has died—she has been returned. My property was taken from me—well, that too has been returned ¹.

Focusing only on what depends on us allows us to attain a form of invincibility, undisturbed by external events: You can be invincible, provided you never enter into a struggle where victory does not depend on you ².

This is a spiritual discipline that demands long practice: If, among ordinary people, the conversation turns to some philosophical maxim, remain silent as often as possible. You run a great risk of immediately regurgitating what you have not yet digested ³.

The model to follow is Socrates himself: If you are not yet Socrates, live as if you were striving to become him ⁴.

Epictetus presents a portrait of the Greek sage that matches our common image of him.

He is, above all, silent: Be silent as often as possible. Speak only when necessary, and in few words ⁵.

The wise man is also marked by humility: If someone comes to tell you that so-and-so has spoken ill of you, do not justify yourself against their accusations. Instead, reply: "He must be unaware of all my other faults, since he speaks only of those he knows." ⁶.

The sage is also serious and austere. Laughter, like desire, disrupts serenity: Do not laugh excessively, at too many things, or without restraint ⁷. This, too, is a way of descending into vulgarity ⁸.

Epictetus identifies three parts of philosophy.

The first and most important is the application of maxims in practice—for example, one should not lie. The second is the justification of those maxims—for instance, why ought one not to lie? The third is the study of logic, which confirms and clarifies these justifications—for example: why is this a demonstration? What constitutes a demonstration? What is a consequence, an opposition, truth, or falsehood? ⁹

Stoicism is, above all, a practice. The goal of philosophy is not merely to acquire theoretical knowledge but to translate our insights into action:

The most essential part, the one on which we must rely, is the first. Yet we do the opposite. We dwell on the third part, devote all our attention to it, and completely neglect the first. We lie, in fact, but we are always ready to prove that one must not lie ¹⁰.

¹ ibid.
² p.214
³ p.229
⁴ p.232
⁵ p.223
⁶ p.224
⁷ p.223
⁸ p.225
⁹ p.232
¹⁰ ibid.