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176 reviews for:
Epictetus' Enchiridion: Handbook of Stoic Life Principles (Original Greek Text and a New English Translation)
Epictetus, Donald Carlson
3.94 AVERAGE
176 reviews for:
Epictetus' Enchiridion: Handbook of Stoic Life Principles (Original Greek Text and a New English Translation)
Epictetus, Donald Carlson
3.94 AVERAGE
informative
inspiring
reflective
fast-paced
Its good. The writing Is good. You Can learn the right ways to react ti things, but many of the passages are either absurd, or useless. Useless in two ways, It either and absurd way of living, that yes, you can live like that, but Just why. The other reason in wich those passages are useless Is that its Just obvsious.
The actual Enchiridion is very brief, and is only a collection of excerpts from Epictetus' discourses as recorded by a follower. Most (2/3) of the book reads like a collection of Stoic Psalms, most of which are attributed to Epictetus, and a few which are unknown.
Brief, enjoyable, and containing good wisdom. Nothing that you haven't heard before but also things that it doesn't hurt to learn again. I enjoy Stoic philosophy, but I would prefer to read Marcus Aurelius over this if I had to suggest or choose one. Also good if you just want an hour-long read in some classical Greek philosophy.
Brief, enjoyable, and containing good wisdom. Nothing that you haven't heard before but also things that it doesn't hurt to learn again. I enjoy Stoic philosophy, but I would prefer to read Marcus Aurelius over this if I had to suggest or choose one. Also good if you just want an hour-long read in some classical Greek philosophy.
challenging
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
4.25
I enjoyed a couple of structured remarks and had to bookmark countless pages to keep on track. It's a great starting book for stoicism. As compared to other modern self-help books out there, I would recommend this one instead.
I enjoyed a couple of structured remarks and had to bookmark countless pages to keep on track. It's a great starting book for stoicism. As compared to other modern self-help books out there, I would recommend this one instead.
I'm as stoic as the next guy, but the "don't mourn if your wife and children die" is a bit much. I get it, don't worry about that which you don't control, but lessons on having less emotion in life is not something I need. Returned without reading much of this.
A good, concise, and practicable introduction to stoicism.
I think a lot of the ideas found here can be found in other world philosophies as well, and I see a particularly strong parallel with the Serenity Prayer ("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."). The fact that people around the world have thought about these topics throughout history demonstrates the appeal and longevity of these ideas. This book takes it further, I think, by showing how these ideals can be practiced in various everyday circumstances.
The focus of The Enchiridion on not being emotionally affected by the actions and opinions of others, nor by fate or external circumstance, is I think an especially important takeaway. I like the emphasis on an internal locus of control. This book is short, but I think it should be read many times, and kept on hand as a reference book. As a suggestion, you should probably read multiple translations for a passage if it seems obscure. Usually it's more of a translation issue than the author being intentionally abstruse.
Also, as a side note, I was amused to find Jake's parable about the cup from Adventure Time here. That was a really neat reference.
I think a lot of the ideas found here can be found in other world philosophies as well, and I see a particularly strong parallel with the Serenity Prayer ("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."). The fact that people around the world have thought about these topics throughout history demonstrates the appeal and longevity of these ideas. This book takes it further, I think, by showing how these ideals can be practiced in various everyday circumstances.
The focus of The Enchiridion on not being emotionally affected by the actions and opinions of others, nor by fate or external circumstance, is I think an especially important takeaway. I like the emphasis on an internal locus of control. This book is short, but I think it should be read many times, and kept on hand as a reference book. As a suggestion, you should probably read multiple translations for a passage if it seems obscure. Usually it's more of a translation issue than the author being intentionally abstruse.
Also, as a side note, I was amused to find Jake's parable about the cup from Adventure Time here. That was a really neat reference.
Timeless lessons! So great.
My top 3 philosopher!
4/5
My top 3 philosopher!
4/5
Stoicism has always been an appealing branch of philosophy to me. It meshes closely with both my Christian beliefs and my own personality. Therefore, I am making an exploratory journey into Stoicism. This was the first document that I read. The Enchiridion is divided up into 53 sections. Most of these are pithy proverbs (though a bit are longer). There is a lot of wisdom here:
"In every affair consider what precedes and follows, and then undertake it. Otherwise you will begin with spirit; but not having thought of the consequences, when some of them appear you will shamefully desist. "I would conquer at the Olympic games." But consider what precedes and follows, and then, if it is for your advantage, engage in the affair. You must conform to rules, submit to a diet, refrain from dainties; exercise your body, whether you choose it or not, at a stated hour, in heat and cold; you must drink no cold water, nor sometimes even wine. In a word, you must give yourself up to your master, as to a physician. Then, in the combat, you may be thrown into a ditch, dislocate your arm, turn your ankle, swallow dust, be whipped, and, after all, lose the victory. When you have evaluated all this, if your inclination still holds, then go to war. Otherwise, take notice, you will behave like children who sometimes play like wrestlers, sometimes gladiators, sometimes blow a trumpet, and sometimes act a tragedy when they have seen and admired these shows. Thus you too will be at one time a wrestler, at another a gladiator, now a philosopher, then an orator; but with your whole soul, nothing at all. Like an ape, you mimic all you see, and one thing after another is sure to please you, but is out of favor as soon as it becomes familiar. For you have never entered upon anything considerately, nor after having viewed the whole matter on all sides, or made any scrutiny into it, but rashly, and with a cold inclination. Thus some, when they have seen a philosopher and heard a man speaking like Euphrates (though, indeed, who can speak like him?), have a mind to be philosophers too. Consider first, man, what the matter is, and what your own nature is able to bear. If you would be a wrestler, consider your shoulders, your back, your thighs; for different persons are made for different things. Do you think that you can act as you do, and be a philosopher? That you can eat and drink, and be angry and discontented as you are now? You must watch, you must labor, you must get the better of certain appetites, must quit your acquaintance, be despised by your servant, be laughed at by those you meet; come off worse than others in everything, in magistracies, in honors, in courts of judicature. When you have considered all these things round, approach, if you please; if, by parting with them, you have a mind to purchase apathy, freedom, and tranquillity. If not, don't come here; don't, like children, be one while a philosopher, then a publican, then an orator, and then one of Caesar's officers. These things are not consistent. You must be one man, either good or bad. You must cultivate either your own ruling faculty or externals, and apply yourself either to things within or without you; that is, be either a philosopher, or one of the vulgar."
Of course, there is a lot of "wisdom" that just seems like foolishness in the modern era:
"With regard to whatever objects give you delight, are useful, or are deeply loved, remember to tell yourself of what general nature they are, beginning from the most insignificant things. If, for example, you are fond of a specific ceramic cup, remind yourself that it is only ceramic cups in general of which you are fond. Then, if it breaks, you will not be disturbed. If you kiss your child, or your wife, say that you only kiss things which are human, and thus you will not be disturbed if either of them dies."
"In every affair consider what precedes and follows, and then undertake it. Otherwise you will begin with spirit; but not having thought of the consequences, when some of them appear you will shamefully desist. "I would conquer at the Olympic games." But consider what precedes and follows, and then, if it is for your advantage, engage in the affair. You must conform to rules, submit to a diet, refrain from dainties; exercise your body, whether you choose it or not, at a stated hour, in heat and cold; you must drink no cold water, nor sometimes even wine. In a word, you must give yourself up to your master, as to a physician. Then, in the combat, you may be thrown into a ditch, dislocate your arm, turn your ankle, swallow dust, be whipped, and, after all, lose the victory. When you have evaluated all this, if your inclination still holds, then go to war. Otherwise, take notice, you will behave like children who sometimes play like wrestlers, sometimes gladiators, sometimes blow a trumpet, and sometimes act a tragedy when they have seen and admired these shows. Thus you too will be at one time a wrestler, at another a gladiator, now a philosopher, then an orator; but with your whole soul, nothing at all. Like an ape, you mimic all you see, and one thing after another is sure to please you, but is out of favor as soon as it becomes familiar. For you have never entered upon anything considerately, nor after having viewed the whole matter on all sides, or made any scrutiny into it, but rashly, and with a cold inclination. Thus some, when they have seen a philosopher and heard a man speaking like Euphrates (though, indeed, who can speak like him?), have a mind to be philosophers too. Consider first, man, what the matter is, and what your own nature is able to bear. If you would be a wrestler, consider your shoulders, your back, your thighs; for different persons are made for different things. Do you think that you can act as you do, and be a philosopher? That you can eat and drink, and be angry and discontented as you are now? You must watch, you must labor, you must get the better of certain appetites, must quit your acquaintance, be despised by your servant, be laughed at by those you meet; come off worse than others in everything, in magistracies, in honors, in courts of judicature. When you have considered all these things round, approach, if you please; if, by parting with them, you have a mind to purchase apathy, freedom, and tranquillity. If not, don't come here; don't, like children, be one while a philosopher, then a publican, then an orator, and then one of Caesar's officers. These things are not consistent. You must be one man, either good or bad. You must cultivate either your own ruling faculty or externals, and apply yourself either to things within or without you; that is, be either a philosopher, or one of the vulgar."
Of course, there is a lot of "wisdom" that just seems like foolishness in the modern era:
"With regard to whatever objects give you delight, are useful, or are deeply loved, remember to tell yourself of what general nature they are, beginning from the most insignificant things. If, for example, you are fond of a specific ceramic cup, remind yourself that it is only ceramic cups in general of which you are fond. Then, if it breaks, you will not be disturbed. If you kiss your child, or your wife, say that you only kiss things which are human, and thus you will not be disturbed if either of them dies."
informative
medium-paced
challenging
informative
reflective
slow-paced