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A review by rymdkejsaren
The Art of Living: The Classical Manual on Virtue, Happiness, and Effectiveness by Epictetus, Sharon Lebell
4.0
I read both this edition and the "original" Manual For Living, which should definitely be designated as different books here on Goodreads. I enjoyed LeBell's modernisation of the text, which felt like it kept the core of Epictetus' Stoicism while also managing to smoothen it out a bit and bring it into the modern world. But I recommend reading the original texts as well as the perspective it brings is valuable; not the least of which is the fact that the challenges we face today are so strikingly similar to those of Epictetus' world, nearly two millennia ago.
Some of the core values of Stoicism can be tough to swallow for people living in modern western culture. It's often a mistake to take it too directly, but once you've read a few of the different Stoics and begin to grok the general mindset, even some of the advice that was initially very off-putting (like relating to a lost family member like a broken cup) begin to make more sense. I find it also helps to have an understanding of non-attachment as found in many South Asian philosophies like Buddhism, Hinduism, and Taoism, to which Stoicism bear some striking similarities.
And even if you don't find all of it useful, I'm sure you'll find a few of the entries deeply insightful. I'll leave you with an excerpt that resonated deeply with me:
Some of the core values of Stoicism can be tough to swallow for people living in modern western culture. It's often a mistake to take it too directly, but once you've read a few of the different Stoics and begin to grok the general mindset, even some of the advice that was initially very off-putting (like relating to a lost family member like a broken cup) begin to make more sense. I find it also helps to have an understanding of non-attachment as found in many South Asian philosophies like Buddhism, Hinduism, and Taoism, to which Stoicism bear some striking similarities.
And even if you don't find all of it useful, I'm sure you'll find a few of the entries deeply insightful. I'll leave you with an excerpt that resonated deeply with me:
Now is the time to get serious about your living ideals. Once you have determined the spiritual principles you wish to exemplify, abide by these rules as if they were laws, as if it were indeed sinful to compromise them. ...
How long can you afford to put off who you really want to be? ... The longer you wait, the more you will be vulnerable to mediocrity and feel filled with shame and regret, because you know you are capable of better. From this instant on, vow to stop disappointing yourself.