Greetings Friends,
Thank you for reading and listening this week! Below is a short contemplation on the nature of the good from Epictetus and links to this week’s meditations and videos. Until next week, be wise and be well!
📿 On the Nature of the Good
This week’s contemplation comes from the writings of Epictetus. In his Discourses, Epictetus wrote,
The being (or nature) of the good is a certain will; the being of the bad is a certain kind of will. What, then, are externals? Materials for the will, about which the will being conversant shall obtain its own good or evil. How shall it obtain the good? If it does not admire (over-value) the materials; for the opinions about the materials, if the opinions are right, make the will good: but perverse and distorted opinions make the will bad. God has fixed this law, and says, ‘If you would have anything good, receive it from yourself.’ You say, No, but I will have it from another. Do not so: but receive it from yourself. Therefore, when the tyrant threatens and calls me, I say, ‘Whom do you threaten?’ If he says, I will put you in chains, I say, ‘You threaten my hands and my feet.’ If he says, I will cut off your head, I reply, ‘You threaten my head.’ If he says, I will throw you into prison, I say, ‘You threaten the whole of this poor body.’ If he threatens me with banishment, I say the same. Does he then not threaten you at all? […]
***Listen to an extended version of this passage on The Wisdom School podcast (Apple or Spotify).
Contemplation Questions (Pick one or create your own!):
What is actually yours to lose?
How can you begin (or continue) to focus on what is up to you?
This Week’s Meditations…
This Week’s Videos…
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Thank you for reading/listening this week; I hope you found something useful.
Until next time, be wise and be well,
J.W.
P.S. Feel free to comment, ask questions, or make suggestions!