← All authors
Epictetus
EpictetusNo man is free who is not master of himself.
Epictetus
Born a slave, taught the Roman elite
50–135 · Stoicism
Discourses
Epictetus was born into slavery, was crippled by his owner, and ended up running the most respected philosophy school in the Greek world. He wrote nothing himself; everything we have was taken down by a student. His whole system fits in one distinction — some things are up to you, most are not — and he is merciless about which is which.
Read when you are furious at something you were never going to be able to control
It is not what happens to you, but how you react to it that matters.
Discourses
Wealth consists not in having great possessions, but in having few wants.
Discourses
First say to yourself what you would be; and then do what you have to do.
Discourses
We have two ears and one mouth so that we can listen twice as much as we speak.

