Miscellaneous

When some person asked him how it happened that since reason has been more cultivated by the men of the present age, the progress made in former times was greater. In what respect, he answered, has it been more cultivated now, and in what respect was the progress greater then? For in that in which it has now been more cultivated, in that also the progress will now be found. At present it has been cultivated for the purpose of resolving syllogisms, and progress is made. But in former times it was cultivated for the purpose of maintaining the governing faculty in a condition conformable to nature, and progress was made. Do not then mix things which are different, and do not expect, when you are labouring at one thing to make progress in another. But see if any man among us when he is intent upon this, the keeping himself in a state conformable to nature and living so always, does not make progress. For you will not find such a man.

Someone asked Epictetus why people had made greater progress in former times, although reason was more cultivated in the present age. He answered, “In what respect is reason more cultivated now, and in what respect was progress greater then? For wherever reason is more cultivated now, you will find more progress there too. Today, reason is cultivated to solve syllogisms, and progress is made in that. But in former times, reason was cultivated to keep the governing faculty in a condition consistent with nature. And progress was made in that. So do not confuse different things, and do not expect to make progress in one thing while working at another. Instead, see whether any one of us fails to make progress when he focuses on keeping himself in harmony with nature and always living that way. For you will find no such person.”

The good man is invincible, for he does not enter the contest where he is not stronger. If you (his adversary) want to have his land and all that is on it, take the land; take his slaves, take his magisterial office, take his poor body. But you will not make his desire fail in that which it seeks, nor his aversion fall into that which he would avoid. The only contest into which he enters is that about things which are within the power of his will; how then will he not be invincible?

The good man cannot be defeated, because he does not enter a contest unless he is stronger. If you, his opponent, want his land and everything on it, take the land. Take his slaves, take his public office, take his poor body. But you cannot keep him from getting what he desires or make him suffer what he wants to avoid. He enters only contests over things within the power of his will. How, then, can he be defeated?

Some person having asked him what is Common sense, Epictetus replied, As that may be called a certain Common hearing which only distinguishes vocal sounds, and that which distinguishes musical sounds is not Common, but artificial; so there are certain things which men, who are not altogether perverted, see by the common notions which all possess. Such a constitution of the mind is named Common sense.⁴⁶⁷

Someone asked Epictetus what common sense is. He replied: We may call the ability to distinguish vocal sounds common hearing. But the ability to distinguish musical sounds is not common. It is a learned skill. In the same way, people who are not completely corrupted can recognize certain things through ideas that everyone shares. This capacity of the mind is called common sense.⁴⁶⁷

It is not easy to exhort weak young men ; for neither is it easy to hold (soft) cheese with a hook.⁴⁶⁸ But those who have a good natural disposition, even if you try to turn them aside, cling still more to reason. Wherefore Rufus⁴⁶⁹ generally attempted to discourage (his pupils), and he used this method as a test of those who had a good natural disposition and those who had not. For it was his habit to say, as a stone, if you cast it upwards, will be brought down to the earth by its own nature, so the man whose mind is naturally good, the more you repel him, the more he turns towards that to which he is naturally inclined.

It is not easy to encourage weak young men, just as it is not easy to hold soft cheese with a hook.⁴⁶⁸ But those with a good natural disposition cling even more firmly to reason when you try to turn them away from it. That is why Rufus⁴⁶⁹ generally tried to discourage his pupils. He used this method to test which of them had a good natural disposition and which did not. He used to say that a stone thrown upward falls to earth because of its own nature. In the same way, the more you push away a man whose mind is naturally good, the more he turns toward what he is naturally inclined to pursue.