"How long will you still wait to think yourself worthy of the best things, and in nothing transgress against the distinctions set up by the reason? You have received the philosophical principles which you ought to accept, and you have accepted them. What sort of a teacher, then, do you still wait for, that you should put off reforming yourself until he arrives? You are no longer a lad, but a full grown man.
If you are now neglectful and easy-going, and always making one delay after another, and fixing first one day and then another, after which you will pay attention to yourself, then without realizing it you will make no progress, but, living and dying, will continue to be a layman throughout.
Make up your mind, therefore, before it is too late, that the fitting thing for you to do is to live as a mature man who is making progress, and let everything which seems best to you to be best be for you a law that must not be transgressed. And if you meeting anything that is laborious, or sweet, or held in high repute, or in no repute, remember that now is the contest, and here before you are the Olympic games, and that it is impossible to delay any longer, and that it depends on a single day and a single action, whether progress is lost or saved.
This is the way Socrates became what he was, by paying attention to nothing but his reason in everything he encountered. And even if you are not Socrates, still you ought to live as one who wishes to be a Socrates."
- Epictetus, The Encheiridion, 51
We can ( should, must) "make progress". Time is short; we and circumstances are not likely to improve.
ReplyDeleteBoat Guy
Boat Guy, this is something I constantly have to remind myself about (had to do it literally this weekend). Time is indeed short - likely shorter than we believe - and things are indeed not likely to get better, nor we to get younger.
DeleteA timely reminder, whether tired, lazy or burnt out.
ReplyDeleteThank you Tree Mike! I find all kind of excuses for myself, when in point of fact there should be none.
DeleteAlways remember that Epictetus was an ex-slave with a gimpy leg who lived very sparsely. If he could make it work, why can't we?
ReplyDeleteJohn, I am ashamed to admit that prior to the last 4 months or so, I knew very little about him other than his name (because he has a great many "meme" worthy quotes". Reading his full work snow (instead of just his memes), he is even more interesting - and everything you say was true. We was born a slave with no effective father and a leg injury, yet he came to advise emperors - and then was exiled and essentially had to "start over" in Athens. He very meaningfully practiced what he preached. And he had no problem reminding himself of where he had come - many of his "conversations" with himself start with the word "Slave".
DeleteYes, a great many more of us could benefit from realizing our problems are far less and therefore our opportunity to succeed is far more.
God bless, TB, and friends.
ReplyDeleteThank you Linda!
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