What is Up to Us?
The opening passage of the Enchiridion, by Epictetus, reads as follows:
“There are things that are within our power, and there are things that are beyond our power. Within our power are opinion, aim, desire, aversion, and, in one word, whatever affairs are our own. Beyond our power are body, property, reputation, office, and, in one word, whatever are not properly our own affairs. Now the things within our power are by nature free, unrestricted, unhindered; but those beyond our power are weak, dependent, restricted, alien.”
This principle is often referred to as the dichotomy of control in Stoic philosophy, but the lesson shows up in many other traditions. For example, the Serenity Prayer by the theologian Reinhold Niebuhr points to the same idea:
“God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, courage to change the things I can, and wisdom to know the difference.”
In today's episode, I connect with my friend Brandon Tumblin, the host of The Strong Stoic podcast. Brandon is extremely knowledgeable about Stoicism and, more importantly, how to integrate Stoic wisdom into daily life.
In the conversation, Brandon and I discuss the following:
The dichotomy of control and how to put it into practice.
Why there are more things to focus on in our control than we might think.
The challenges of integrating the practice into daily life,
How to love what is up to you, and much more.
You can watch a portion of the conversation on Youtube below:
If you’re not already a subscriber to The Strong Stoic, I highly encourage you to do so. I’ve learned a lot from many of Brandon’s episodes, including these 20-minute deep-dive episodes into all sorts of practical wisdom. One recent example is the episode on Generosity; I encourage you to give it a listen!
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Thank you for listening; I hope you found something useful.
Until next time, be wise and be well,
P.S. Feel free to comment, ask questions, or recommend topics for the future.
What is Up to Us?